Resident Evil X The House of the Dead is a crossover virtual reality arcade light gun game published by Sega, who co-developed the game with Capcom. It features characters and creatures from the Resident Evil and The House of the Dead series of zombie horror games with game mechanics mirroring the latter.
It was first released for arcade on January 16, 2018. An updated version, entitled Resident Evil X The House of the Dead: Virtual Reloaded, or simply Resident Evil X The House of the Dead: VR, was released on October 30, 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft WIndows and made playable with the PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift headsets and Switch grip controls, respectively. It features new stages, items, bosses and game modes as well as an unlockable remaster of The House of the Dead 4, also playable in VR.
Synopsis[]
Alex Wesker begins experimenting the newly-created C-Virus on the human genome responsible for the first zombie outbreak at the Curien Mansion 2 decades ago, resulting in legions of highly advanced zombies that put the human race at risk of extinction. With humanity at risk of global bio-terror, AMS' G and Kate Green receive a call from BSAA's Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. Together, they must work to stop this nightmarish outbreak before it's too late.
Intro[]
The game contains title voiceover intros for both Resident Evil and The House of the Dead as a subtle nod to both franchises. It starts with the famous Resident Evil title voice intro followed by the title voice intro familiarized with the earlier House of the Dead games after a brief pause.
Voiceover: "RESIDENT EVIL...
Characters[]
Gameplay[]
The game features a mix of co-op and solo missions where you and a partner (either AI or player-controlled) split up. Both the arcade and console versions of the game have you play as any variation of Resident Evil's Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine and House of the Dead's duo of G and Kate Green with notable differences. In the arcade version, you choose either Chris and Jill or G and Kate Green at the character select screen and play each of their respective stages back-to-back, either together or after splitting up. Who you control during co-op missions will depend on which arcade cabinet you play on, i.e.: playing on the left will have you control Chris or G while the right cabinet will have you control Jill or Kate Green.
Conversely, in the home console versions, you select one character from each side, giving you 4 different playing scenarios, offering substantial replayability in the process while also allowing you to play the story from both sides. The home console version also contains 3 bonus stages not seen in the arcade version and is compatible with VR headsets.
As seen in previous games in the House of the Dead franchise, the game features branching paths, but much like HOTD 3 and 4, the player is prompted on which path to choose. New to the game, however, is the ability to open and navigate through secret hidden passageways by shooting certain objects. Most branching paths lead to the same point in the game's story with a boss set in stone regardless of the trajectory you take through each level. Destroying certain objects or unlocking secret passageways can also earn you access to special weapons. In the home console versions, you can even obtain the Infinite Rocket Launcher via hidden safe after obtaining a key card with a pass code in one such "secret" room.
The game's arcade mode also offers character-specific bosses and enemies. You face creatures and foes from the franchise opposite the one you're currently controlling, i.e.: you blast your way through Resident Evil zombies and monsters (which include dogs, Lickers, Tyrants, zombie crows and Executioner Majini) while controlling House of the Dead's G and/or Kate Green. You'll encounter House of the Dead-styled zombies while playing as the Resident Evil characters. Enemies may attack you with either a slash or grab, during which time, you must break free by shaking your gun. If successful, it will push the attacking zombie backwards, allowing you to dispose them, but if unsuccessful will result in the character getting bitten, docking him/her of a portion of their health bar. Zombies may also pin or push you to the ground, allowing others to pile on top of and bite or attack you in bunches.
Game Modes[]
- Arcade: The standard mode of play. One or two players navigate through each level in solo and co-op missions through each chapter in the game's main story.
- Dead Mission: A bonus console/PC-exclusive game mode. Inspired from Time Crisis II's 'Crisis Mission mode. One or two players complete and perform various missions unique from the game's Arcade Mode.
- Survival: Face an endless series of zombies until you and your partner (either player or CPU-controlled)s are dead in one of several specialized stages (DLC Survival stages also available). Use collected points to purchase new weapons or upgrade current ones, (re)stock explosives and collect occasional weapons which grant random effects (such as double points or x2 damage), basically a light-gun version of Call of Duty's famous Zombies mode. You receive a letter grade after dying, much like in CoD Zombies. In addition, this is also the one game mode where you move manually via your light gun's directional pad.
- Boss Mode: Face each boss back to back after defeating them in Arcade Mode. Players compete for the highest score tallied after each successful completion of Boss Mode, which is tallied by number of lives, continues, critical hits, and time of completion.
- Time Attack: A time-based playthrough of Arcade Mode. You start out with a 45-second time frame by which to complete each level, which can be expanded by scoring boss critical hits/stuns, non-boss headshots (except those which, explosive kills, unlocking secret passageways, picking up hidden items/weapons, and successful rescue attempts (be it humans or your partner/allies when under attack during co-op missions). 7 seconds are deducted from your time limit when attacked by zombies/non-boss B.O.W.s, 5 from friendly hits (be it civilians or your partner[s]), and 15 from bosses.
- The House of the Dead 4 Remastered: After completing Story Mode, you may play through a remastered version of The House of the Dead 4. Also available in VR.
- Network: Play with or against other players online.
Plot[]
Resident Evil X The House of the Dead: Virtual Reloaded contains a special console-exclusive prequel chapter setting up the opening to the arcade release as well as a special bonus chapter.
Chapter 0: Damsel*[]
Chris and Jill navigate through the zombie-infested TerraSave HQ after answering a frantic call from his sister, Claire. You blast your way through human genome (HOTD-styled) zombies on the first floor together, then work your way up in search of Claire. Along the way, Chris and Jill discover leads on these abnormally-mutant zombies (Chris: "I've never seen anything like these before!"), including a vial marked "Human Genome" and a file on a woman named Alex Wesker, the sister of deceased nemesis, Albert. They eventually put on thermal vision masks in an attempt to find Claire's location on the remaining halls before eventually encountering her on the top floor.
After finding and rescuing Claire, they're confronted by the end boss, who appears after "oozing" its way through the floor!
- Boss: T-CHARIAbyss Type:0 (Prototype) Weak point: Chest
An Ooze-like clone of Chariot from HotD, merged from splicing the T-Abyss virus with Chariot's DNA. He carries a giant bardiche in one hand (similar to his cloned counterpart from HotD) and a giant claw-like arm on the other.
After defeating T-CHARIAbyss, Claire's abducted by a masked woman (much like the "one" her brother encountered years ago), who bursts through the window right after a chopper emerges. Upon failing to rescue her, Chris picks up an AMS calling card she left behind.
Chapter 1: Premonition[]
The home release then continues where the arcade version kicks off. AMS agents, G and Kate Green are heading to the BSAA HQ after receiving a call from Chris. However, during a Skype chat while riding in their van, their van is flipped over by an unseen force. They're then attacked by C-Virus zombies as the back door to their van is ripped off.
After quickly disposing of them, G and Kate go their separate ways, vowing to "meet at the station," similar to Resident Evil 2. After splitting up, you venture through the streets, blasting zombies before entering either a church or police station depending on who you select, occasionally being tasked with rescuing civilians under attack along the way, before running into their own separate end bosses:
- The Devil Type: 001 (G) Weak spot: Eyes-A staff-wielding, armored, demonic end boss.
- Kintara Type: 0 (Kate) weak Spot: Collar bone-A NiGHTS-shaped foe with glaring red eyes, Silver Surfer-like armor, and a giant electric aurora encircling her.
Chapter 2: Outbreak[]
After losing contact with the AMS agents, Chris and Jill find the BSAA HQ infiltrated by hordes of zombies, picking up where they left off. They navigate up and down various staircases, around cubicles to blast zombies and through various hallways and rooms with secret, unlockable passageways until they make it to the back-most hallway, where they encounter the end boss.
Boss: Annihilator Type: 0519 Weak spot: Mouth
A quadopedal monster similar to the two-headed hallway creature from Hellraiser, except in a more arachnid form and with multiple, deformed heads and a giant mandible mutant jaw in its front mouth.
Chapter 3: Reconnaissance[]
G and Kate venture through a shopping mall littered with Lickers, J'avo, dogs and C-Virus zombies, going their separate ways in order to round up civilians before eventually meeting back up. They clear out a parking garage together before making their way onto an extraction bus parked outside, protecting the rescued civilians from attacking zombies along the way. During their journey, however, they find their buss under attack by zombies and mutant crows who try to break through the windows.
After disposing of all incoming intruders, a giant blade bursts through the door, beheading the driver-and thereby stopping the bus-as the end boss stomps its way onboard!
Boss: Executioner Majini Weak Point: Head
Chapter 4: Extraction[]
Chris and Jill navigate through the city streets before proceeding through a sewage system, at which point, you and your partner will split up, each being faced with their own sets of challenges and branching paths that eventually sees the two of you entering a subway station from opposite directions, protecting and rounding up civilians along the way. You'll eventually meet up, each with your own group of hostages. Safely unload them onto a chopper, where you'll get the chance to fly around the map, shooting zombies via gunship, eventually being tasked with safely protecting the AMS agents until backup arrives to pick them up.
After ensuring their safe extraction, however, you find yourself under attack by zombies who burst through the cargo bay. Things take an even uglier turn for the worst after taking them out, however, when the end boss bursts through the door after latching on shortly after taking off.
Boss: Tyrant Type: HGC Weak Point: Temple
This is a new Tyrant crafted from the HG-C Virus (Human Genome-C Virus) He's got a giant, gray, armor-plated skeletal exterior similar to The World from HotD 4 with a giant chest plate and claw-like right hand. He also dons a Shinnok-like horned visor.
Chapter 5: Devastation[]
G and Kate clear the streets en route to entering a Tri-Cell lab in London, clearing out Lickers lurking on the walls and ceiling, leech-like monsters bursting out of the ventilation systems, and C-zombies, Revenants and J'Avo lurking in the various halls and rooms, even D'abloro, a new type of devil-like B.O.W. created by Alex Wesker. They eventually make their way to a testing lab, where Tyrants emerge from the various test tubes. After navigating up and down the various stairways, halls and elevators, cleaning house of any undead, they eventually make their way inside of the main laboratory, where the end boss emerges from his slumber.
Boss: EmpUROr Type: 0389 Weak point: Arm
An Uroboros-spliced clone of The Emperor from The House of the Dead 2. He contains a multi-tenticled arm a very mutant blob-like appearance and can attack either with his mutant claw or with his various orbs.
After defeating EmpUROr, it shows G and Kate proceeding through the double doors in the back before cutting away.
Chapter 6: Hijack[]
Chris and Jill navigate through a giant ship where the HGC virus experimentation had taken place similar to Resident Evil: Revelations. They split up halfway through the level, taking fairly unique branching paths before meeting back up (at one point, Chris encounters a room with bunks filled with HG zombies while Jill encounters a bath zombie as a nod to a cutscene in REmake). Along the way, they encounter new types of paranormal monsters never seen before, even Haunters who appear at random as well as bionic critters of old. As they reach the cockpit, they are confronted with a whitesuit-clad Alex Wesker, who's anxiously awaiting them up top before unveiling her secret weapon.
Boss: NeMagician Weak Point: Gums (right)
The end boss of the arcade version and the supposed end boss of the home console version. He's as his name suggests: a hybrid of Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 and The Magician Type 0 from HOTD 2 and 4. A remix of Magician's trademark theme from the HOTD series also plays in the background. Like Nemesis, he also has a rocket launcher attached to his left wrist. He'll try to hit you with swipes, fireballs and even rocket launcher rounds wherein the only way to stop him is to shoot him in his "weak" area.
Chapter 7: Executioner*[]
In a console-exclusive bonus chapter, after defeating NeMagician, Jill and Chris are met with hideous evil laughter from far in the distance. They navigate through console-exclusive expanded areas before encountering Alex Wesker on the top floor, where she injects herself with the C-Virus.
Boss: Alex Wesker (C-Virus) Type: 0003 Weak Point: Unknown
After defeating Alex Wesker, they set the ship to self-destruct before leaving via chopper, flying over the ship's fiery remains.
Chapter 8: Liberation*[]
Picking up where they left off, in a console-exclusive cutscene, Kate and G see the room where Claire is being held hostage on the security cam and proceed through the back in search of her, encountering various undead dangers and secret passageways after fulfilling certain conditions, including Afflicted bursting through side cells.
They eventually reach the end hangar where they encounter the imprisoned Claire and the masked Birdwoman in a scene largely mirroring that of RE5.
Mini-boss: Birdwoman Weak point: Neck
After defeating Birdwoman, she takes her mask off, revealing herself to be none other than Ada Wong, who's wearing a black and red battle suit similar to the one Jill wore while under Wesker's control. She also has the familiar P30 mind control device on her chest.
End Boss: Battlesuit Ada Weak Point: Legs
This is a unique boss battle from previous HotD or Resident Evil: Umbrella games in several ways. Instead of shooting the target until she's dead, you must instead remove the red device on her chest, similar to Jill's boss fight in RE5. However, you can shoot her legs in order to temporarily immobilize her while you attempt to take it off. This is done by shaking your gun/motion controller.
Also unique from other House of the Dead bosses is her uncanny ability to dodge fired rounds due to her P30-enhanced agility, either by twirling or performing backflips. A lot of times, Battlesuit Ada will launch herself at you or your partner to attack immediately upon dodging shots fired at her. She's multi-faceted in that she'll frequently turn around and focus on both players at once, also unique from other franchise bosses, even attack both of you at the same time, and in unique ways: i.e.: Ada may attack one player while holding the other in a headlock at certain intervals, even toss one or both of you to the ground at the same time, leaving you and/or your partner vulnerable to melee strikes.
In another unique mechanic, you or your partner can counter her attacks with an accurately-timed melee strike. By shaking your gun/motion controller at exactly the right time, you can knock/throw Ada to the ground, allowing you to grab and yank at her P30 chest device. Your or your partner, whether AI or human-controlled, may also attempt to grab and hold her from behind when her back is turned in order to allow the other person to yank her device, also as a nod to Jill's RE5 boss fight.
After freeing Ada of her mind-control, Chris and Jill eventually meet up with the AMS agents. The two groups rejoice as Chris is reunited with his sister.
Like HotD games of past, the game features one of three possible endings (TBA), all of which end with "to be continued". The words "Bio Terror" are spraypainted across the screen in green graffiti, implying that the Resident Evil portion of the game leads off into the recently announced Resident Evil: Bio Terror while also hinting at a home console release.
Trivia[]
- Magician's ending in Square-Enix vs. Capcom: When Worlds Collide contains a hidden trailer that can be replayed in Theater Mode.
- Magician (Type 0) is a Capcom guest character from Sega, who co-developed the game with them.
- In addition, his Companion App E-Mail (a silhouetted video message with an ominous background) that you receive upon completing Arcade Mode for the first time with a Capcom squad (2+ Capcom characters, later Capcom starting character following the Season 3 DLC update; what's referred to as a 'Blue Card' in-game) is ripped directly from his intro prefacing Magician Type 0's boss battle in The House of the Dead 2. Both his (in)famous words and (intro) background music play in the background while viewing it.
- Magician (Type 0) is a Capcom guest character from Sega, who co-developed the game with them.
- The D'abloro in Chapter 5 were inspired by the Godzilla monster, Destoroyah, even bearing some of its features, such as the head crests.