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| Splatterhouse: Heart of the Mansion / House of Mirrors / Original Games |
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Graphics & Sound:We got our hands on some DLC for Splatterhouse that extends the experience for dedicated players. If it's more gore you crave, this will suit you quite well. Specifically, we pulled down two Survival Mode expansion packs, Splatterhouse: Heart of the Mansion and House of Mirrors. Though you're placed in a confined area, the onslaught of bad guys will make up for your otherwise static surroundings. There aren't new sights, but you'll see them more often, as you get to wade through wave after wave of approaching enemies. Combine this with a code for Splatterhouse: Original Games and you've got the three-part series that preceded the 2010 reboot of this franchise. If you've played through a ways into the campaign, you've already seen at least one of these, but grabbing the DLC unlocks all three immediately. Side-scrolling and pixel-laden as they may be, the original Splatterhouse versions show a twisted dark inspiration for the game we have to play on modern consoles today. Enjoy, but not in front of little kids. Slashy guys in masks aren't exactly family-friendly, whether in 16-bit or 1080p glory. |
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Gameplay:If you haven't delved much into the Survival Mode within Splatterhouse, it's a fun way to test your combat skills. As with most games that feature so-called survival or "endless" modes, the idea here is simply to survive each wave of enemy attacks. You'll be confronted initially with a few of the same type opponent, each one getting a bit more challenging. The benefit of battling similar types is that you can craft a good attack strategy, exploit their weaknesses. Later waves feature a mix of enemies, making it much harder to employ just one approach, much less a button-mashing strategy. The levels don't feature much that you can play off, but there are some drops you can use to get a jump on enemies. You also get a compressed timeline that gives you a chance to use your powers more often, including the healing effect of your blood-drain special move. Switching gears to play through Splatterhouse parts 1, 2, and 3 is a trip down Memory Lane for retro gamers. In some cases, depending on your age and stage, you may find yourself enjoying these classics more than the 360-degree action of the new game. The simplicity of striding through level after level with revenge and carnage on your mind is hard to beat. |
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Difficulty:Both Splatterhouse: Heart of the Mansion and House of Mirrors have amped up difficulty, in line with the idea of building up to a top score. After the first few waves, you realize that you were just warming up. The major difference is in the attacks used by enemies, which force you to leverage special moves and not rely on a simple pattern. One wave may rush you on the ground, while the next leaps into the air and shoots sticky gore that immobilizes you. It's not for the faint of heart once you encounter higher-level enemies, but it's a pretty limited play mechanic for keeping gamers engaged very long. You can only compete and die for a score in the same place so many times before you start craving something a bit more varied. The retro classics are good for that purpose, and you'll appreciate the main Story Mode that much more after playing Survival. You'll also find your skills have improved after practicing on round after round of increasingly difficult enemies. |
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Game Mechanics:Nothing changed between this DLC content's delivery and the release of the full game of Splatterhouse. Controls are still a bit erratic, and the fighting doesn't lend itself to quick, responsive action you'd want in a nimble fighting game. Heart of the Mansion and House of Mirrors show clearly the side of Splatterhouse that is torn between wanting to be an action title and retaining the loose, arcade fun it began with so many years ago. If you burned through the story and want more, these DLC items are a nice option. Especially if you want access to all the games in the original series, the code is handy. We still aren't sure that Splatterhouse has enough shelf magnetism to stay in homes very much longer, but staging out some DLC goodies may lure players to keep splattering that much longer. |
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-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock |
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