The House of the Dead is a 1996 horror-themed light gun shooter arcade game developed by Sega AM1 and released by Sega. It is the first game in the House of the Dead series. Players assume the role of agents Thomas Rogan and "G" in their efforts to combat the products of the dangerous, inhumane experiments of Dr. Curien, a mad scientist.
The game was developed for over a year on the Sega Model 2 arcade hardware. Targeting an adult audience, AM1 devised a story and atmosphere inspired by Western horror films. AM1's plans for detailed environments, non-linear level designs, and a gory aesthetic were challenged — and often limited — by the Model 2 hardware and other factors.
The House of the Dead was well-received by critics. It has been, along with Resident Evil, credited with popularizing zombie video games, as well as re-popularizing zombies in wider popular culture from the late 1990s onwards, leading to renewed interest in zombie films during the 2000s. The game has also been credited with introducing fast running zombies, which became popular in zombie films and video games during the 2000s.
A remake of the game was developed by MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Stadia and Xbox One in April 2022, and for Xbox Series X/S in September 2022.
Plot[]
The renowned biochemist and geneticist Dr. Curien becomes obsessed with discovering the nature of life and death. While supported by the DBR Corporation and its own team of scientists, Curien's behavior becomes more erratic and his experiments take a gruesome turn. The Curien Mansion in Europe, which serves as his home and laboratory, experiences an outbreak.
On December 18, 1998, AMS Agent Thomas Rogan receives a distress call from his fiancée Sophie Richards from the Curien Mansion. Rogan and his partner "G" fly to Europe and arrive at the estate, finding it overrun with undead creatures, which Curien unleashed. A mortally wounded man gives them a journal containing information about Curien's creations and their weaknesses. Rogan and G reach Sophie, only to witness her being carried away by a gargoyle-like creature called the Hangedman. They later find Sophie, before she is attacked by the Chariot, a heavily armored mutant armed with a bardiche. After killing the mutant, Rogan and G attend to Sophie, who tells them they must stop Curien or else "something terrible will happen," before passing out. A furious Rogan goes after the Hangedman to the rooftops surrounding the courtyard. After a lengthy battle, Rogan and G shoot it down. The two eventually confront Curien who is protected by an armored, spider-like creature called The Hermit. After killing it, Rogan and G continue to proceed.
Arriving at the mansion's laboratory, Curien unleashes his masterpiece, The Magician, a humanoid creature with pyrokinetic abilities. However, the Magician refuses to serve any master and mortally wounds its creator. Curien expresses his confusion regarding his creation's loyalty before succumbing to his injuries. Rogan and G battle the Magician until it explodes, and then they leave the mansion.