Splatterhouse
Namco
PS3 (Review Copy), Xbox 360
An over-the-top rendition of the classic 1988 arcade hit Splatterhouse, Namco shows guts by toying with this legendary side-scrolling brawler. We're in a generation where developing a quality game involves flashy gore mods and some rather vulgar language, so I had no idea what to expect from this updated edition of a personal fave. It was disappointing right off to discover another hack-and-slash button-mashing game, but out of respect for its elder, I continued on.
Splatterhouse 2010 features something most aren't too familiar with, a type of leveling-up system that entitles the player to upgraded weapons and abilities — earned by slaying waves of enemies in what may be the most brutal fashion possible. Hitting the "quick attack" and "slow attack" buttons for the first few minutes lowers expectations, but I soon found myself anxious to rip some undead-mutants in half with the "splatterkill" function, and get myself some new attacks.
If you play your games and follow your stories, don't expect this title to blow you away: You're a young dude chasing the crazy doctor who has abducted your girl and blah, blah, blah, but let's skip to the gore! For a good time finding new ways to obliterate yucky undead experiments in the basement, rent this.
