Splatterhouse
Preview
Resurrecting a dead series
by Ryan Phillip Hardesty
previewed on PS3
A Trip through the Twisted (cntd)
Even more sophisticated are the moves afforded to you by Necro, a green energy substance left after an enemy dies, which is automatically absorbed by the Terror Mask. With this energy youll be able to pull off outlandish moves such as shooting out spikes from your body, sending forth blast waves and even raising your own army of the dead to assist you in the carnage. With enough Necro youll also be to perform Splatter Kills, which are essentially finishing moves with spectacular gore. If any of that wasnt enough, Rick will pick up weapons along the way like 2x4s, chainsaws, shotguns, and cleavers. A monsters body part isnt out of the equation either, as youll be able to tear off an enemys head and hurl it at another attacker. Lastly, there is a talent tree available where youll unlock specialized moves as you progress (though Namco-Bandai has stayed rather hushed about the specifics). So, suffice to say, your methods of madness are plentiful.
The areas in which youll pull of these feats of gore have been multiplied, making sure youre never kicking ass in the same place. From the massive mansion itself to the catacombs underneath, to a wicked carnival in a swamp to a haunting shantytown rife with demons on the prowl, the environments have become characters as much as the monsters themselves. The enemies roaming these levels are warped creatures of all sizes, from dreadlocked, nimble demons to humongous beasts who whip the lowlier ones into shape from afar. The bosses themselves will be aplenty and all are incredibly varied, something Tom Savini and Stan Winston would be proud of. Youll take on a reptilian beast with a giant mouth for a head, a towering phenomenon made entirely out of furniture and even favorites from the original series like Biggy Man and Mirror Rick.
Accompanying you in your path of revenge will be the musical stylings of todays metal bands, such as Gwar, Lamb of God, Cannibal Corpse and Mastodon and In Flames. The entire soundtrack wont be a mesh of headpounding, though, as the original series use of ambient, creepy tunes will be updated and added alongside the thrash of guitars, striking an interesting balance of subtlety and oh-my-god-my-ears-have-exploded.
Summoning the Spirits of Old
Through all the gallons of red stuff, its easy to see that the developers have not forgotten the nostalgia of the series. At various points the camera will transition from 3-d platformer to 2-d sidescroller, harkening back to Splatterhouses roots. Easter eggs and other surprises will be scattered around the levels that reference the original games, backing up Namco-Bandais stated goal of keeping the spirit of the Splatterhouse trilogy intact.
All this remembrance for what made those games memorable is a reassuring sign. If the developers can somehow harness and keep that brutal, bloodied atmosphere of creepiness while also maintaining a newfound sense of furious and unforgiving action, the folks at Namco-Bandai might just resurrect a corpse long thought dead.
