House of the Dead: OVERKILL Review

Finally, a Wii game that speaks my language. From the racy striptease opening sequence to its profanely incestuous conclusion, House of the Dead: Overkill fully embraces its mature rating. If you're averse to excessive swearing and gore, close your eyes and put on your earmuffs – Overkill drops more F-bombs than Christian Bale when a DP walks through a scene.

Like Grindhouse, the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez homage to the forgotten pulp genre, Overkill employs campy narration, cheesy dialogue, intentionally poor direction, and retro music to create a comical gorefest that keeps you laughing throughout the four-hour bloodbath. The ludicrous story serves as a prequel to The House of the Dead; Super Agent G teams up with foul-mouthed Detective Washington and curvaceous stripper Varla Guns to hunt down Burt Reynolds look-alike Papa Caesar, who is linked to a rash of mutant outbreaks in the bayou. When Caesar escapes the initial arrest, the unlikely team tails him through a mutant-infested hospital, carnival, train, swamp, and prison. Along the way, the revenge-driven Detective Washington drops enough F-bombs to send the FCC scrambling for a SWAT team.

Under the stylish and profane veneer lives an able-bodied rail shooter that takes few chances. The by-the-basics shooting gallery rewards players for paying attention to their surroundings - shooting golden brains imparts score bonuses, and hitting the green glowing icons unleashes Mo-Fo time, a time slowing device that makes it easier to rack up headshots. Stringing together several headshots earns players point bonuses and cash, which can be used to improve your weapons or to purchase new toys like an SMG, shotgun, or assault rifle.

The short-and-sweet campaign features two-player co-op. Once you've witnessed the jaw-dropping finale, Overkill unlocks a new Director's Cut with longer levels and a new Dirty Harry-type handgun that turns zombie clowns into blood mist. Overkill also includes three four-player minigames that offer modest replay value.

The star of The House of the Dead: Overkill is the unabashed writing, which finds gold in spoofing the genre with a brazen effectiveness. The parade of F-bombs and one-liners fit in perfect harmony with the grindhouse presentation. Tarantino fans shouldn't miss this clever, curse-heavy shooter.