Overview of House of the Dead Gameplay
The House of the Dead is a first-person light gun arcade game established by Sega in 1996. Players embody the roles of agents Thomas Rogan or 'G' as they fight against hordes of biologically engineered undead creatures.
Game Mechanics
Similar to other games in the shooting genre, the principle of House of the Dead is to hit targets that appear on the screen. A light gun is provided for real-life aiming on arcades, but for home console versions, the game uses a reticle for aiming. The player's task is to massacre as many horrific zombies as possible while progressing through different levels.
Progressing Through Levels
The game plot is set out across various levels, known as "chapters" in the game. At the end of each chapter, players face off against a challenging boss monster. Crucial to their defeat is discovering their weak points and focusing attacks on them until they are destroyed. Additionally, branching paths are incorporated throughout the game, allowing players to take diverse routes through the levels.
Characters and Health
Players choose to play as one of the agents, each depicted with a health bar. The health bar decreases any time the player is hit or injured by an enemy. Players can regain health by successfully completing chapters or using first aid kits found throughout the game.
Saving Hostages
In addition to the objective of terminating zombies, players also have opportunities to rescue hostages throughout the game. Successfully rescuing these hostages may reward players with bonus points or health benefits.
Game End and Scoring
The game ends when the player's health bar is fully depleted or the full story mode is completed. Throughout the gameplay, points are awarded based on players' accuracy, hostages rescued, and the speed at which enemies are killed. The game ranks players at the end of each stage, based on their overall performance.
