Game Gallery Amusements

Sega's next generation begins now.
by Anoop Gantayat

July 3, 2005 - At E3, Sega gave the press a sneak peek at its next generation of games, offering short clips of properties like Afterburner, Sonic the Hedgehog, Virtua Fighter and House of the Dead. We weren't expecting to get our hands on any of these games for quite some time, but one of the games managed to sneak out in playable form today!
Heading out to the massive, seven story Sega Gigo arcade outlet in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, we stumbled upon House of the Dead 4 on location test. Sega had an early version of the game set up for a two day period, allowing us to get some hands-on time with an actual Japanese-developed next generation game (all the playable next generation titles at E3 were developed in America or Europe). The game was set up with a large, wide-screen, high-definition monitor, contrasting nicely with the nearby Chihiro-based (that's Sega's Xbox arcade board) House of the Dead 3.
House of the Dead 4 clearly knows its roots. You'll recognize the general look of the game, the frequent cinematic sequences that break up the action, and the cheesy dialogue that has made the series famous. We couldn't hear the voices too well, but Sega's managed to produce hilarity three times already, so we expect no less from House of the Dead 4. The game's storyline focuses on a character called James Taylor as well as a girl character. Both look kind of like vampires, although we're not sure if this is a part of the story.
In terms of content, Sega has made some big changes to the game. While blasting away at zombies is still the point of the game, the experience is more intense thanks to the massive number of zombies that come attacking. We were occasionally attacked by more than a dozen zombies at once.
Once again, you'll find a good variety of creatures to blast. Some look like the normal blue-collar-worker zombie, while others don't even resemble people. Some move slowly to attack, while others leap out suddenly, forcing a quick response.
Sega has continued some gameplay trends with this title. You'll once again find clearly marked branching points in the level. One area of the first level lets you select from two different paths by shooting at a small video screen that shows a preview of the path. Similar to part 3, innocents seem to have been kept out of this title all together. The first level was all undead.

The switch to high definition makes HoTD4 stand out.
House of the Dead 3's characters used shotguns. This time, Sega has gone to the next level, giving James and crew machine guns. It's possible to shoot a lot more in less time with a rapid fire weapon. You have to reload by shooting off screen, but your gun holds plenty of ammo in one round. The game also has grenades, but we weren't sure how to toss them.
The gun that you use to play has one cool feature aside from a trigger. A sensor inside the gun can determine when the gun is being shaken. You'll often have to shake the gun in order to get out of situations, usually when an enemy has grabbed hold of you. The game seems to be capable of sensing how hard you're shaking the gun, so shaking hard is the way to go. This is a fun new play mechanic -- hopefully no one will get hurt.
The game comes together nicely for the final boss of the first level. This massive four-armed creature (whose design forms a part of the cabinet) fills the screen, chasing after you as you flee through a shallow canal. He's got his sights set on making you into dinner, and he'll break through anything that gets in the way. Occasionally, he'll grab on to you, and you have to shake the gun in order to get free. You build up a meter during the shaking, which determines how long you can shoot the boss during the next phase of his attack.
As a next generation title, we were most excited about seeing how far the game raised the graphics bar. Sure enough, House of the Dead 4 is a good looking game. Despite the massive number of zombies on screen, Sega's managed to up the zombie detail considerably. And these creatures aren't shy about showing off the detail by filling the screen -- particularly impressive with the first level boss, who likes to stick his tongue out at you. Lighting and environmental detail are also a step up from past titles.

This guy uses two guns a little too well...
House of the Dead 4 may be the most visually impressive arcade game ever made, but it seems to be a step below the visual splendor we've seen from some of the finer upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 titles. Aside from the massive number of detailed zombies on screen, the most striking visual improvements can be attributed to the switch to high resolution and the use of a high definition monitor. House of the Dead 3 looks last generation in comparison.
Unfortunately, we couldn't determine the arcade board that runs House of the Dead 4. We presume Sega will make an announcement at an upcoming arcade show, and the reign of Naomi, System 246, Chihiro and Triforce will come to an end.
As for home systems, Sega has yet to announce House of the Dead 4 for any next generation system. However, given that every past entry has appeared on a home system, a PS3, Xbox 360 or Revolution release is likely.