Splatterhouse Preview

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Scheduled release date:

Summer 2009

Publisher:

Namco Bandai

Developer:

Namco Bandai

Number Of Players:

1 Player

Genre:

Action

Release Date:

April 28, 2009

Screenshots

Some of you may remember this extremely gory and violent beat-em-up for the Sega Genesis, and if you had fond memories with it, you may have the chance to relive those memories in HD. Namco is bringing back the Splatterhouse franchise for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 later this year, and there's quite a lot to look forward to, let's just hope it lives up to its predecessors.

You are once again Rick, the herculean character who is armed with his power-boosting Terror Mask. Your girlfriend has been kidnapped by Dr. West, and you'll have to murder and slaughter your way through a swarm of demonic creatures that stand in your way. Think Castlevania, only ten times gorier. Your enemies are now larger and redesigned for the HD world, boasting new details and proportions.

To fight off your enemies are combat mechanics that are based on the originals, where Rick can pick up objects off the floor and use them as weapons. You can use anything from the objects on the floor, such as 2x4s and chainsaws, all the way down to dismembered limbs from your enemies. So if you rip off the arm of an attacker, feel free to use it against him (it?). The game also gives you the ability to use combos, called Splatterkills, which are stylized and cinematic beatdowns of death. Another combat mechanic is reminiscent of the minion grouping from Overlord, where you can assemble an army of followers to help you along the way.

Splatterhouse is all about the gore, and Namco boasts that the game takes shock value to the next level. The game is so violent, that even your own character's body can be torn apart into pieces. Rick's skin can be shredded down to muscle and bone, his limbs can be ripped off, and so forth. And similarly to Marvel's Wolverine, you'll see his body regenerate when you stop taking damage.

From what we've seen of Splatterhouse so far, the graphics look a bit early. The game is slated for June release date, so it still has many months left in development for polish. But as long as the gameplay is rock solid, average visuals shouldn't hurt the game much. We're hoping that Namco concentrates on the actual gameplay aspects of development, as opposed to relying on a gimmick of extreme violence. We're also looking forward to seeing who the game's licensed heavy-metal soundtrack will consist of.

Splatterhouse should arrive this summer, guys. Stay posted for more.