Shooting shirtless zombies in The House of the Dead 4

Upon first seeing The House of the Dead 4 playing on loop in a hotel nearby GDC 2012 proper, I pondered whether or not I had played the game before. Seeing as how I haven’t made any trips to Japan, ever, it quickly became clear that no, I hadn’t previously encountered the game. Rad. I’ve always liked the series.

Sega is bringing the game to PlayStation Network later this year with a fresh coat of paint and PlayStation Move support. For a title originally released in 2005, House of the Dead 4 holds up well, visually. It’s got a faster pace and more zombies (enough to use grenades and not feel like a dick), but there’s still campy dialog, those annoying jumping enemies, and giant bosses. It’s decidedly House of the Dead.

We showed up uncharacteristically early to Sega’s session, so the game was only playable using a standard gamepad at the time. Though far from the ideal scenario, it got the job done. Precise shooting wasn’t particularly easy to achieve, but I liked using a quick up-and-down motion to shake off zombies.

I’m glad more gamers will have the opportunity to play this. It should be good, lighthearted fun and make for a solid PlayStation Network release.