The House of the Dead 2: Bring the Arcade Terror Home on PC

After releasing House of the Dead, Typing of the Dead, and several console and arcade versions (even House of the Pinball and Pinball of the Dead for Game Boy Advance!), two years after the original version and after finding out that House of the Dead 3 was added to the long list of canceled Dreamcast games, House of the Dead 2 finally arrives on PC.

Sure, it might seem like we’ve already talked about this game to death (even zombies climbing up to scratch your glasses while you shoot them to keep them away!), but let me share a little more about it.

The story takes us to 1998, after the Curien incident, where agents Amy, James, Gary, and Harry—members of the AMS (something like Sega’s version of the T.I.A.)—are assigned to investigate the growing global chaos. After some digging, they discover something rotten is going on, and I’m not talking about a minor issue—this is something truly sinister…

Gameplay

The real fun of a light gun game comes from playing it with an actual gun, just like a racing game is better with a wheel or a fishing game with a rod. The same way Samba de Amigo is best with maracas, playing with a cursor, like in the old days of Missile Defense, can feel a bit underwhelming. Unless you’re lucky enough to own a pair of USB guns, the game might feel incomplete.

Now, why two guns, you might ask? Is it for multiplayer? The answer is no. Want to know what action movie heroes really feel like? Then head to an arcade machine like Virtua Cop or House of the Dead and drop coins for two players. Wield both guns. It’s a glorious experience that goes beyond words—you have to live it to understand it.

Even so, the game isn’t bad. It offers entertainment, multiple game modes, and exciting hostage rescues. But in today’s gaming landscape, expectations are higher. Maybe they could’ve turned House of the Dead 2 into a first-person shooter (FPS), which could’ve been an appealing experience. After all, arcade-to-PC conversions can leave something to be desired unless the experience stays true to the original.

Graphics

Putting aside the fact that emulating a console like this requires a Pentium 2 at 450 MHz (double the processor), 16 MB on the graphics card (four times what the Dreamcast had), and 128 MB of RAM (eight times the console’s memory), not to mention taking up 520 MB on the hard drive (for nothing in the other version), and considering how fast the gaming world moves, making this game already feel old… it’s not bad at all.

I mean, every now and then, I’ll understand why PC games need so much power for so little. And it’s not that they’re bad—in fact, it’s "nice" (if you like zombies and other monsters). The backgrounds are good, textures are well-chosen (with some doubling here and there), animations are decent (facial ones, not so much), etc. But honestly, they could’ve put in more effort. Personally, there’s one effect I really like: the flashlight in the 4th stage.

Music & Sound

The music fits the game perfectly, ramping up tension and speeding up the player’s pulse. Sometimes, the compositions are surprisingly good. The sound effects, though not translated, are very well done. I’d like to highlight Zeal’s voice—despite the distortion, it’s perfectly understandable and adds a sinister touch to the experience.

The House of The Dead 2 PC [Complete Playthrough/No Commentary]

Conclusion

To sum it up, House of the Dead 2 has left an unforgettable mark on the world of first-person shooters. Its terrifying atmosphere, thrilling gameplay, and arcade style deliver an intense, action-packed experience. Even though the PC version has some limitations and doesn’t fully replicate the arcade experience, it’s still an entertaining, action-filled game.

That said, its value may vary depending on fans’ nostalgia or their search for a co-op experience. In the end, House of the Dead 2 is a classic that remains fun, especially when played with friends—though nowadays, there are more modern and polished alternatives in the FPS genre.