#On rails shooter ps2 series#

In terms of lastability, Overkill employs a weapon upgrading system similar to Resident Evil, there’s a director’s cut feature and a handful of mini games which do add a decent amount of length, however, Overkill primarily services high scoreboard chasers. Overkill features 7 episodes, each lasting for roughly 20 minutes a piece, totaling a couple of hours of gameplay. Personally, I loved the way characters constantly query Agent G over the meaning behind his name his sole initial (“When you gonna tell us what the f**king ‘G’ stands for?”). It all adds to an exaggerated sense of style which is as effective as it is often humorous. The acting in cutscenes is intentionally B-grade and completely over-the-top, dialogue is littered with F-bombs, gore and sexual innuendo is gratuitous.

#On rails shooter ps2 series#

Overkill’s other main hook is the grindhouse/exploitation direction, seen in recent films such as Planet Terror and Death Proof, and the parody of series conventions. That is, until the director’s cut is unlocked (a slightly extended retread) and the system reverts back to a fixed amount of lives. Most interestingly, players forfeit score when using continues, providing reason for seasoned players to avoid taking damage. This makes Overkill a more tense rail shooter experience. The combo system rewards consistent accuracy, granting additional points for head shots, saving civilians and hitting other bonuses. Overkill is a little more conservative than Resident Evil and Dead Space: Extraction, playing it straight with the familiar rail shooter experience as found in previous entries in the series, focusing on an uncomplicated combo system, a grindhouse aesthetic and humorous dialogue. Sega have contributed greatly to this list with an upgraded port, compilation and House of the Dead: Overkill, a new, console-exclusive installment in the popular series. So, to celebrate the reemergence of classic genre, let us review the current state of the rail shooter on the Wii. It also helps that there are multiple solutions for replicating the feel of a real light gun that work quite well (my personal go-to was the Nyko Perfect Shot)īlessed with a combination of arcade ports and new, forward-thinking titles, the Wii become a haven for traditionally-minded shooting and old school gameplay sensibilities.

Fortunately, the Nintendo Wii, with its pointer functionality that worked with modern TVs, breathed a bit of new life into a genre on the verge of becoming irrelevant. Sadly, by the time the rail shooter started to establish itself arcades were slowly dropping off the map, leaving the genre stagnant and on all but on life support.

The rail shooter is a genre synonymous with the arcades, synonymous because it’s where the on-rails format began with force-feedback guns, and large displays.

Presented by Racketboy and Daniel Primed of The Wii Light Gun Games/On-Rail Shooters Library