After getting lost around Tottenham Court Road, and kindly being guided in the right direction from the Sega rep whose phone number I thankfully had, I arrived at the elusive Wii Flat ready to play House of the Dead: OVERKILL and MadWorld as part of Sega’s ‘Guns & Gore II’ day. Impressions of MadWorld shall follow soon, as shall a brief hands-on with The Conduit. But for now onto House of the Dead: OVERKILL itself.

One of the first things that you will notice with House of the Dead: OVERKILL is the comedy. Mixing the buddy cop film genre with classic grindhouse films may not seem like a combination that will work but it really clicks. The banter between the straight-laced Agent G and Detective Isaac “if you f**k with me I’ll rip your balls off” Washington is a running highlight throughout the entire game. This is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and it really pays off, as grind house films can’t really be taken seriously anyway.

Headstrong have done a great job at integrating elements of the grindhouse genre into the game. While the grainy film quality is an obvious reference, before you commence any level you’ll be treated to a grindhouse style trailer for that particular level. Other referential jokes include randomly exploding vehicles and the exploitative, and I mean that in a positive manner, treatment of Varla Guns and Detective Washington. In fact, the opening credits before you begin the game features a stripper (whose gender has apparently been questioned after the video found its way onto YouTube). The silence that fell onto the room of men was amusing in itself. Other homages to the genre itself are heavily featured, to the point where we're sure hardcore genre buffs will be squealing with glee.

Like Jackie Chan and Chris Rock... but funny.

Speaking to the Headstrong staff themselves this is clearly a labour of great love. They stated that this was one game they did not wish to finish as they were big fans of the series prior to working on it. The art director was praised for his unwillingness to compromise in terms of what they can squeeze out of the Wii, even approaching the deadline when most will simply give in. They stated that if you were to remove the grindhouse filters you would see what a great deal of detail was present in the game. Furthermore they stated that now they can obviously build on this in future projects and continue to push the Wii to its fullest potential. The staff described the game being one to “show off to your friends,” and having just done so to my housemates I agree. This game is a treat to both watch and play.

In terms of how the game itself actually plays I am pleased to say it is, as the saying goes, easy to pick up but hard to master. While you play the game you are given a rank depending on your performance, in terms of accuracy and similar areas, and the highest possible rank you can get is the appropriately named ‘goregasm’. However during the course of the afternoon nobody managed to achieve it, not even the reps themselves which highlights the difficulty at hand. In addition to this the game features three different modes; normal, director’s cut, which is about thirty percent longer and features more zombies and less continues, and a series of mini-games. Thus, while initial reports have stated that you will be able to complete the game in three hours this is just going through the normal mode, which is merely the tip of the iceberg. As well as this Headstrong have implemented an achievements section, resting somewhere between the Xbox 360 achievements and Super Smash Brothers: Brawl. During the game you can unlock bonus videos, concept art, 3D models and the soundtrack which comes in two modes; game mode and soundtrack mode, the latter featuring lyrics and such. All in all to finish the game it will take a comparatively long time, particularly for a genre known for its shortness.

The game features several different gun types but players start with the magnum and after each level their score is converted into cash. Players can then use this to upgrade their gun, in different categories such as accuracy, reload speed and others, or purchase bigger and more powerful guns such as shotguns and semi-rifles. You can also unlock the ability to use two guns at once, making it an all our gore-fest! Of course you are able to hold the gun ‘gangster’ style, i.e. on its side, which adds a nice touch to the game. Speaking of the gun; as many of you will be aware of you can purchase a light gun specifically for the game. Headstrong worked with Big Ben to ensure that the gun was best suited for the game itself, rather than being a cheap tie-in. To do this they researched every different Wii gun fitting they could get their hands on, including some apparently awful ones. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to use it during play, but using the Wii remote by itself felt fine.

No wonder nobody goes to the circus anymore.

Lastly, it was time for a tournament (for those wondering, I went out in the first round, yes I’m aware I suck), where we played the first level in two-player mode. After having been shown the first level by a representative to talk through the game we had some ideas of what to expect but playing it a second time (and later a third time once I got home), the level still did not feel tired. Playing against each other (or, technically, playing co-operatively to get through the level but having competitive scores) was fun but I’d imagine it would be more fun with friends you know as you’ll be able to mock each other or shout “what are you motherf**king doing?” (if you’re so inclined, and, after Washington saying it every few seconds, I’d imagine you will be).

Overall I was pleased with all the nice touches throughout the game that really added an extra depth. The grindhouse style alone makes the game stand out but the achievements and the wordplay which features throughout the game, such as the aforementioned “goregasm” and “slow mofo mode”, certainly make it a treat to play. Additionally the studio has littered the game with sly references. Keep an eye out on the enemies as you may recognise some movie characters in there. I for one am pleased to have finally been able to kill a certain movie and literary figure who has bugged me for the last ten or so years. The charming Varla Guns is also based upon ‘glamour’ model Vicki Blows, (apparently I was the only person who had heard of her). This lead to an awkward moment that I had to try and explain myself out of but after failing we quickly moved on. While my experience was only brief I am positive that this game will prove to be an enjoyable experience - indeed, final opinions will follow in a full review.

Keep an eye on the site for upcoming hands-on impressions of MadWorld and The Conduit too, as well as a House of the Dead: OVERKILL themed competition and an interview with some of the game’s staff.