Old-school rail shooting still hits the mark
By Paul Hunter
Forever Entertainment brings The House of the Dead 2 Remake to Nintendo Switch, giving the 1998 rail shooter a fresh look. You can jump into zombie-packed levels and over-the-top boss fights without leaving your couch.
The game offers two campaign flavours, a boss rush, and training scenarios that challenge your aim and timing. Visuals have been updated so limbs and effects are even cleaner on modern screens, while the voice acting keeps its campy, exaggerated tone.
With local multiplayer and modes aimed at quick runs, there’s something for anyone craving arcade action. Will this remake let you relive that cabinet thrill and still test your reflexes in satisfying ways? Let's find out!
The House of the Dead 2 Remake keeps story elements brief and punchy. You pursue Goldman, a wealthy businessman responsible for the new zombie outbreak, across a European city that the game won’t explicitly name as Rome (even though it has a Colosseum), with civilians caught in the chaos.
Interludes between levels feature dramatic cutscenes with voice acting that leans heavily into comedic, theatrical delivery. The wooden performances add a campy contrast to the shooting sequences.
Rather than driving the experience, the narrative frames it. These scenes provide context and a bit of humour, then hand control back to you for the next wave of action.
Tinkering around in the control menus is practically essential. I spent a couple of sessions dialing sensitivity, switching controllers and testing setups until the controls felt right. The House of the Dead 2 Remake offers gyro, stick and Pro Controller options. Gyro can drift and needs careful tweaking. Single Joy-Con use sometimes skews aim, while sticks can feel slow in frantic moments. The Pro Controller ended up giving me the most control, but it still took a far bit of menu tweaking to get it right.
You can blast through arcade mode, which simulates the arcade version, or the original campaign mode featuring a weapon inventory system and weapon customization options. There's also a boss rush mode or you can jump into training trials that make you hit weak spots, clear barrels within a time limit or rescue civilians.
Boss fights stand out as the best challenges, asking you to learn patterns and target specific weak spots. When you land precise shots the payoff is physical—limbs and props fly in a gruesome, satisfying way.
Local co-op adds a fresh layer of chaos. You can team up with a friend to cover different angles on the screen, splitting targets and rescuing civilians together. Having a second crosshair in play increases the intensity and makes boss fights feel more manageable, while still letting each person chase their own high score.
One caveats: the sequel lacks the touch controls the first port supported, which was odd. Hopefully a future patch adds touch controls as that would make the controls easier to get into.
The remake gives the old models a fresh coat while keeping their shape and attitude. Monsters pop with sharper detail, and the ragdoll physics make hits feel impactful as zombie parts blast around the screen.
The interface is easy to navigate and the control toggles are plentiful, so you can spend less time hunting settings and more time shooting. I liked jumping into training runs right after adjusting aim because it was such a snap to do.
Audio is a highlight. The sound effects deliver weight to each kill, and the vocal actors go full-on melodrama. That over-the-top delivery raises the fun factor.
Final Score: 7/10 - Good
Developer: MegaPixel Studio
Publisher: Forever Entertainment
Genre: On-Rails Shooter, Horror
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Forever Entertainment brings The House of the Dead 2 Remake to Nintendo Switch, giving the 1998 rail shooter a fresh look. You can jump into zombie-packed levels and over-the-top boss fights without leaving your couch.
The game offers two campaign flavours, a boss rush, and training scenarios that challenge your aim and timing. Visuals have been updated so limbs and effects are even cleaner on modern screens, while the voice acting keeps its campy, exaggerated tone.
With local multiplayer and modes aimed at quick runs, there’s something for anyone craving arcade action. Will this remake let you relive that cabinet thrill and still test your reflexes in satisfying ways? Let's find out!
The House of the Dead 2 Remake keeps story elements brief and punchy. You pursue Goldman, a wealthy businessman responsible for the new zombie outbreak, across a European city that the game won’t explicitly name as Rome (even though it has a Colosseum), with civilians caught in the chaos.
Interludes between levels feature dramatic cutscenes with voice acting that leans heavily into comedic, theatrical delivery. The wooden performances add a campy contrast to the shooting sequences.
Rather than driving the experience, the narrative frames it. These scenes provide context and a bit of humour, then hand control back to you for the next wave of action.
Tinkering around in the control menus is practically essential. I spent a couple of sessions dialing sensitivity, switching controllers and testing setups until the controls felt right. The House of the Dead 2 Remake offers gyro, stick and Pro Controller options. Gyro can drift and needs careful tweaking. Single Joy-Con use sometimes skews aim, while sticks can feel slow in frantic moments. The Pro Controller ended up giving me the most control, but it still took a far bit of menu tweaking to get it right.
You can blast through arcade mode, which simulates the arcade version, or the original campaign mode featuring a weapon inventory system and weapon customization options. There's also a boss rush mode or you can jump into training trials that make you hit weak spots, clear barrels within a time limit or rescue civilians.
Boss fights stand out as the best challenges, asking you to learn patterns and target specific weak spots. When you land precise shots the payoff is physical—limbs and props fly in a gruesome, satisfying way.
Local co-op adds a fresh layer of chaos. You can team up with a friend to cover different angles on the screen, splitting targets and rescuing civilians together. Having a second crosshair in play increases the intensity and makes boss fights feel more manageable, while still letting each person chase their own high score.
One caveats: the sequel lacks the touch controls the first port supported, which was odd. Hopefully a future patch adds touch controls as that would make the controls easier to get into.
The remake gives the old models a fresh coat while keeping their shape and attitude. Monsters pop with sharper detail, and the ragdoll physics make hits feel impactful as zombie parts blast around the screen.
The interface is easy to navigate and the control toggles are plentiful, so you can spend less time hunting settings and more time shooting. I liked jumping into training runs right after adjusting aim because it was such a snap to do.
Audio is a highlight. The sound effects deliver weight to each kill, and the vocal actors go full-on melodrama. That over-the-top delivery raises the fun factor.
The Verdict
A faithful revival, the remake sharpens visuals, gives hits clear feedback and retains the silly audio that sets the tone. Improved menus and multiple modes add replay value, and local co-op turns frantic sections into something more exhilarating. The biggest setback is aiming: gyro needs adjustment, analogue can lag in quick moments, and touch input from the earlier port is missing. However, if you tweak the settings and you get a thrilling, old-school shooting experience that rewards precision and teamwork.Final Score: 7/10 - Good
The House Of The Dead 2: Remake details
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PCDeveloper: MegaPixel Studio
Publisher: Forever Entertainment
Genre: On-Rails Shooter, Horror
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.