House of The Dead (1 & 2 & 3) Download [2023]

 House of The Dead Introduction:

The House of the Dead, a horror-themed light gun shooter video game franchise developed by Sega in 1996, has established its roots in arcades. While originally utilizing light guns as its input method, the game has transitioned to standard controllers for consoles and mouse/keyboard setups for home computers. Notably, the PlayStation Network versions of games III and 4 can also be played using the PlayStation Move controller.

The franchise comprises six House of the Dead games, all following a first-person light gun rail shooter format. Key features of the main series include special agents teaming up to combat waves of bioengineered undead, termed as 'creatures' across the series and 'mutants' in Overkill. The gameplay is structured into chapters, culminating in epic boss battles against massive, horrifying creatures. These bosses, featured in the first four games and the sixth installment, are named after the Major Arcana of occult tarot cards.

Gameplay:

Each game in the series introduces distinct gameplay elements, such as varying characters, firearms, and enemy types. Many games incorporate branching paths based on player choices, unlocking bonuses and leading to different endings depending on performance.

Apart from the main storyline, there have been spin-offs including a virtual pinball game, English and typing tutorials, as well as a film trilogy. Additionally, certain enemy characters from the first two games were adapted into fully articulated action figures by Palisade Toys. The House of the Dead, alongside Resident Evil, is credited with popularizing zombie video games and rekindling interest in zombie culture from the late 1990s onwards.

Central to the gameplay mechanics of The House of the Dead series is on-rails shooting. Players must eliminate enemies in each area before progressing. The first two games featured pistols, the third a shotgun, the fourth and Scarlet Dawn a submachine gun. Overkill introduced customizable firearms. The most effective way to defeat zombies is through headshots.

Completion of areas leads to boss battles, preceded by the revelation of the bosses' weak points. Final bosses lack identifiable weak points; shooting them enough causes recoil, otherwise costing a player life. The bosses' names are drawn from Major Arcana cards and are categorized by 'types', denoted by numbers or Greek letters.

Branching paths are a recurring feature, accessed by shooting doors, objects, or sometimes through civilian deaths.

The initial two games included civilians; rescuing them occasionally rewarded players with extra lives. The fourth game omitted civilians, while the third occasionally required saving the partner's life for rewards. Extra lives can also be obtained by shooting boxes and scenery. Scarlet Dawn reintroduced civilians and partner rescue, alongside new mechanics like weapon switching and quick time events.

Final Words:

Each mainline game offers multiple endings based on civilians saved, shooting accuracy, score, and remaining lives. All games except the last have a "bad" ending where a character turns into a zombie.

The House of the Dead EX is a more lighthearted spin-off starring Zobio and Zobiko, young zombies in love aiming to escape captivity. Contrasting the main series, EX is composed of mini-games, some involving light guns (shooting apples) and others utilizing a foot pedal (stomping spiders). Levels require meeting quotas within time limits. The game was scheduled for a December 2008 release but came out in 2009. It's the first in the series to employ a pedal and operates on the Lindbergh arcade system.