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THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake

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THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake Game Cover
47%Game Brain Score
graphics, music
stability, optimization
47% User Score Based on 220 reviews
Critic Score 50%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox OneSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake Game Cover

About

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake is a multiplayer survival shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by MegaPixel Studio S. A. and was released on August 7, 2025. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake revives the classic rail-shooter experience as agents James and Gary battle hordes of deadly undead in a city overrun by monsters. Featuring modern graphics, remastered music, co-op gameplay, and branching paths, players must uncover the source of the outbreak and survive intense encounters.

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47%
Audience ScoreBased on 220 reviews
graphics12 positive mentions
stability13 negative mentions

  • The game brings back nostalgia for fans of the original House of the Dead 2, providing a fun experience reminiscent of the arcade classic.
  • The graphics have been updated, and the inclusion of the original soundtrack as an option is a nice touch.
  • The gameplay retains the core mechanics of the original, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate rail shooters.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including missing textures, poor lighting, and bugs that hinder gameplay.
  • Voice acting has been criticized for being worse than the original, lacking the charm that made the original's performances memorable.
  • Many players feel that the remake fails to capture the essence of the original game, with changes to enemy behavior and overall design that detract from the experience.
  • graphics
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the modern enhancements and lighting effects that capture the original's atmosphere, while others criticize the overall art style and numerous graphical glitches. Many feel that despite the upgrades, the visuals often appear outdated or inferior to the original, leading to a perception of a rushed remaster. Overall, while there are moments of visual appeal, significant issues detract from the experience, leaving players divided on the game's graphical quality.

    • “The graphics are much more enhanced, a lot more advanced and smoother compared to the original HOTD2 from 1998.”
    • “What struck me most were the visuals: the modern graphics perfectly capture the dark atmosphere of the original with beautiful lighting effects, shadows, and updated environments that feel both familiar and fresh.”
    • “I like the graphical updates and redesigns.”
    • “Combined with Unreal Engine’s overly glossy visuals, the horror evaporates.”
    • “Despite the graphics being enhanced, there are a lot of graphical errors.”
    • “The complete absence of ambient occlusion gives the game a high-end PS3/Xbox aesthetics, which isn't a compliment by any means.”
  • music
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the option to toggle between the remastered soundtrack and the classic original tracks. While some praise the remade music for its polish and nostalgic elements, others criticize it for being overbearing, low quality, or lacking in variety, particularly in certain chapters. Overall, the inclusion of both soundtracks is seen as a positive feature, though the execution of the new music has left some players disappointed.

    • “The remastered music also adds something.”
    • “One of the few good points is that they kept the soundtrack when remaking it, unlike the remake of the first game, and you can even switch between the remake music and the classic music.”
    • “The game definitely has more to offer than the first one, such as boss mode and actual remixes of the original game while also having the classic music as an option.”
    • “People are complaining about crashes, glitches, poor voice acting, and a poor soundtrack.”
    • “The music is exported in extraordinarily low quality, and they didn't even bother remaking the entire soundtrack, so the game just substitutes the original soundtrack in at certain points.”
    • “From the music to the generic monster roars, it has fallen flat in every way possible.”
  • gameplay
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the remake is described as a faithful but flawed adaptation of the original, with many reviewers noting a lack of improvements and some downgrades in mechanics and enjoyment. While it retains the classic feel that fans appreciate, issues such as rough execution, bugs, and poor boss mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite some fun elements and additional weapons, many players feel the gameplay is marred by technical problems and a lack of polish.

    • “I find this to be a pretty faithful remake gameplay-wise and a lot of fun.”
    • “The gameplay, movement, and staging of events is very close to the original, which makes it ideal for people who want the original game with HD enhancements.”
    • “The gameplay feels nice, and it’s great to see that this time they were able to redo the original soundtrack and even kept the original.”
    • “Doesn't improve over the original game's gameplay and is worse in some respects.”
    • “The gameplay feels rough and unfinished, and in general, it is not very enjoyable right now...”
    • “Bosses are basically a test of how many times you can press the shoot button before giving yourself carpal tunnel, and provide no gameplay challenge outside of the hardest difficulty, which often feels unfair.”
  • humor
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the remake of "House of the Dead 2" is largely derived from its unintentional comedic elements, such as poor voice acting and janky animations, which some players find amusing despite the game's shortcomings. While the original's charm lay in its hilariously bad execution, the remake fails to capture that same goofy spirit, leading to a mix of confusion and laughter at its flaws. Overall, the humor is described as a blend of nostalgia for the original's quirks and disappointment in the remake's inability to replicate its charm.

    • “The ragdoll physics are still 'eh' but the fact that they are is funny to me and I think that's part of what makes House of the Dead - House of the Dead.”
    • “The original had personality, even if it was unintentionally funny.”
    • “On a side note, I find it weirdly funny that Goldman has a Texan or Western accent for no reason I could find.”
    • “It's not funny; it's just confusing.”
    • “The humor falls flat and often feels forced.”
    • “I expected more laughs, but the jokes just missed the mark.”
  • stability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant issues such as crashes, graphical glitches, and missing textures, making it unplayable for some. However, a few users have experienced no major problems, indicating that stability may vary by individual experience. Overall, the game appears to suffer from numerous bugs and performance issues, particularly in certain modes and levels.

    • “I've had no glitches, no crashes, no issues.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any interruptions.”
    • “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime.”
    • “People are complaining about crashes, glitches, poor voice acting, and poor soundtrack.”
    • “Rooms not loading, graphical glitches, broken on launch, placeholder hostages.”
    • “This game is buggy and unplayable.”
  • optimization
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, poor texture quality, and long loading times, particularly in darker areas where visibility is compromised. While some users experienced no crashes or lag, the overall sentiment suggests that the game suffers from inadequate optimization, leading to a disappointing experience for fans of the original. There is hope among players for future updates to address these performance concerns.

    • “I haven't had any crashes or any lag/optimization issues.”
    • “Hopefully the performance issues other people are having get fixed soon, because I had a great experience and I want more House of the Dead on Steam.”
    • “Unfortunate that a time-respected classic faced so much backlash on its release, but I still have high hopes and am hoping for an update soon so that others facing performance issues can also play.”
    • “It’s baffling that the developers didn’t reuse the original performances, especially when the replacements feel amateurish and borderline AI-generated.”
    • “Loading is even worse, lighting is even worse, there are moments where you stare at an area and literally have to wait for the zombie to spawn in; optimization and performance are even worse.”
    • “I used to play House of the Dead 2 a lot in the arcades as a kid and I was really excited to play this, but this game is just sad. Not only is the game's engine bad for this type of game, but the game is poorly optimized.”
  • atmosphere
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag; while modern graphics enhance the dark ambiance with impressive lighting and updated environments, some players feel that the charm of the original is lost. The daytime levels suffer from a muddy fog that detracts from the experience, although night levels and certain boss designs do contribute positively to the atmosphere. Ultimately, the balance between creepy and cheesy elements remains a point of contention among players.

    • “The atmosphere is still great, and that mix of creepy and cheesy is exactly what makes it fun.”
    • “What struck me most were the visuals: the modern graphics perfectly capture the dark atmosphere of the original with beautiful lighting effects, shadows, and updated environments that feel both familiar and fresh.”
    • “There are many changes for the better such as night levels which make the atmosphere much better, and the bosses got changes such as the Hierophant with his glowing staff looks great in the dark, and Zeal (Judgement) with his glowing eyes looks crazy when he flies around.”
    • “It doesn't fit the game and the atmosphere is lost.”
    • “It's honestly hard to tell whenever the sun is around, because someone had the genius idea of dipping every daytime level into this brown mud-like diarrhea fog that completely kills the atmosphere of the entire experience.”
    • “This game is very dark, not in a deep way, but it needs to make it brighter. I know it's for atmosphere to be scary, but in some stages you really can't see what you're shooting at; it just comes off as annoying.”
  • story
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story remains largely faithful to the original version, with some minor changes, such as the inclusion of a different NPC to save. While the narrative is solid, some players feel that the voice acting detracts from the experience, particularly with unexpected character accents. Overall, the story is considered engaging, though it lacks alternate paths or significant variations.

    • “One neat thing to return is the 'original' mode, where you can experiment with different weapons and items to enhance the story and collect new things for your future playthroughs.”
    • “-story 10/10”
    • “No alternate story with different mob placements.”
    • “The story is basically the same as the original version, but one of the NPCs that you can save does change from the original.”
    • “The story is the same, but the voice acting is not that charming; they made Goldman have a Texan accent.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization of the remaster is criticized as a blatant cash grab, lacking the quality and effort of the original, while players appreciate the absence of battle passes and microtransactions in favor of straightforward gameplay. Overall, the remaster is seen as a disappointing attempt to capitalize on nostalgia without delivering value.

    • “No battle passes, no microtransactions, no nonsense, just straight fun.”
    • “Because with the original voice acting, the ability to physically aim, and in some ways the original graphics looked better than this slop, it all makes this 'remaster' look like a 'down-master'—just a piss poor cash grab at the end of the day.”
    • “Stand with me, my brothers, do not fall for this low effort cash grab on what we used to love.”
    • “This is a cash grab that makes HOTD2 look like shit, but HOTD2 OG was one of the best light gun games.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers decent replayability through the inclusion of original modes and additional content, though some players feel the absence of the horde mode from the first remake is a missed opportunity. The improved soundtrack and varied voice acting contribute positively to the overall experience, enhancing replay value despite some inconsistencies.

    • “They did the soundtrack justice with the sequel and added plenty of additional content, making the game replayable. The voice acting has some ups and downs throughout the game, but it's not that much of a problem.”
    • “It adds a bit more replay value and mixes up the game a bit.”
    • “I appreciate that they brought back original training and boss modes from the console/PC version of the original House of the Dead 2, which enhances the replayability.”
    • “I do appreciate that they brought back original training and boss modes from the console/PC version of the original House of the Dead 2, but I'm not sure why they did not choose to add back the horde mode from the 1 remake, which would have honestly added more replayability. It's not a big nitpick, but it is a missed opportunity.”
    • “They did the soundtrack justice with the sequel and added plenty of additional content, making the game replayable. However, the voice acting has some ups and downs throughout the entire game, which detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It adds a bit more replay value and mixes up the game a bit, but ultimately, it feels like there could have been more depth to encourage players to return.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, particularly noting that battles, such as against the magician, lack satisfying feedback and can become monotonous.

    • “The magician is, well, the magician, but they somehow made the fight tedious and boring, with little to no feedback on hitting him.”
    • “Grinding feels like an endless chore, with no real sense of progress or reward.”
    • “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged; it often feels like I'm just going through the motions.”
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50%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake is a survival shooter game with horror theme.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake was released on August 7, 2025.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake was developed by MegaPixel Studio S. A..

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake has received neutral reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its stability.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Remake, Dementium II HD, Daymare: 1998, Silent Hill: Homecoming, Serious Sam 4 and others.