Splatterhouse (2010) Review

Splatterhouse (2010) Remake Game Review

Game Play

Splatterhouse (2010) is the reimagining, or reboot, of the classic arcade trilogy series Splatterhouse. Updated to modern times, this game follows the story of Rick and his adventure to save Jenny from West Mansion, and it follows somewhat to the original story, with different twists and turns. Jim Cummings is the voice actor of the Terror Mask, and does a good job of being a dark, humoring voice of the mask. The game starts you off with a quick tutorial and teaches you certain moves and tricks as your progress, so you can learn the basics of the game.

   Blood is a huge part of the game, both in the horror aspect, and gameplay mechanics. Blood will be absorbed by you and spent to unlock new skills and abilities, and the move Blood Siphon, will restore your health by absorbing blood from your enemies. Another big gameplay mechanic is the Splatter Kills, which are executions on enemies which feature "Quick Time Events". Upon success, you will slaughter your enemy in a gruesome, close up action, and get more points which you can get more skills and upgrades with.

   The enemies in this game feature classic enemies and some new ones, each with their own combat style. A very memorable boss from the original trilogy makes a return as well for a climatic battle. Speaking of which, boss fights are very spectacular, featuring cinematic quick time events, and bloody carnage as well. As you take damage in this game, your body will begin to show tears and wounds, and in some cases, you can lose one of your arms (which will regenerate after a time), and you can use your dismembered appendage to beat them to a bloody pulp.

   The game also features a throwback to the original trilogy by presenting side-scrolling parts of the game, and these are done very well and brings back a nostalgic feeling to those who played the original trilogy. There is also collectibles to gather, such as Jen's racy photos, often featuring her topless, and the diary of Dr. West, so you can learn more about Dr. West and the West Mansion.

  If you are looking for something more challenging, you can play the survival arena, which is wave-based fighting of increasing difficulty, and encourages you to reach for the "S" rank by completing hidden objectives and doing well in combat.

  My only complaints about this game really, would be that the camera likes to get in your way at times, and sometimes the platforming action can be somewhat wonky, and the story is a bit short, but features some replayability in it's survival mode and the unlocked "Brutal" difficulty once you've completed the game.  The game does offer another sweet bonus though, as the game disc contains the original arcade trilogy for you to play as you play through the story, and can be visited anytime once unlocked. I recommend this game to those who love the arcade trilogy, and for people who love beat em' up action games.