Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 51
  2. Negative: 4 out of 51
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  1. Dec 21, 2010
    45
    All the gore in the world can't disguise Splatterhouse's laundry list of clumsy mechanics.
  2. 40
    The Splatterhouse concept is cool. Comic violence, funny oneliners and a lot of action. But unfortunetly, the gameplay is lacking severly and together with a lot of frustrating things, Splatterhouse is ultimately a letdown.
  3. Dec 21, 2010
    40
    Other games have managed to marry over-the-top violence and sex with sound game design, and Splatterhouse just feels like an imitator.
  4. Dec 16, 2010
    40
    Splatterhouse really is a despicable game, but there are players out there who will adore the chain-wallet-wearing protagonist and his super-violent escapades. The hope may have been for a decent God of War knockoff, but in reality it's just not so.
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 78 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 78
  2. Negative: 8 out of 78
  1. Nov 26, 2010
    10
    The long awaited return of the classic title "Splatterhouse" beat em' up game. I really like the art style so far & it seems challengingThe long awaited return of the classic title "Splatterhouse" beat em' up game. I really like the art style so far & it seems challenging enough. The game has actually called me out for dying on a level by simply shouting "FUCKIN NOOB!" LOL. So far iam enjoying it. 8/10 fuckin bloody as hell too. Full Review »
  2. Feb 21, 2011
    4
    I must have been playing a different game than everyone else. One of my earliest video game memories was the original splatterhouse on theI must have been playing a different game than everyone else. One of my earliest video game memories was the original splatterhouse on the turbo grafx 16. Needless to say, I was excited at the thought of a reboot. However what I got was a game with potential ruined by clunky controls and overall unnimpressive graphics. The cut scenes were great in terms of presentation and artwork but the in-game graphics fall short, real short. Furthermore the game forces you to fight rehashed monsters all with the same or similar sets of attacks. Boss battles are yawn worthy and commonplace as you'll find yourself fighting the same ones over and over. Oh wait this time there's two! Yes, the further you play the game, the more enemies you fight at once. Don't get me wrong I love crushing things into a bloody pulp, but the clunky mechanics/camera make enjoying the brutality hard to do. The game tries to shine by having ultra bloody finishing moves. Or should I say move because to say the variety of finishers is limited would be a serious understatement. This namco gem also attempts to pitch a 2D throwback to the originals. I was delighted to see this but unfortunately ithey dropped the ball yet again. It has to be the worst attempt at 2D platforming I've seen in quite a while. I could go on and on about the disappointment this game was but to be fair there are some good aspects of the game. You can play the original splatterhouse series then when you're done with that you can remove the disc, post an ad on craigslist and salvage at least a little bit of your wasted money. They could have and definitely should have done better. Full Review »
  3. Nov 24, 2010
    9
    Much better than you'd expect, and catnip for horror and gore enthusiasts, and fans of the series. Given how little attention this game isMuch better than you'd expect, and catnip for horror and gore enthusiasts, and fans of the series. Given how little attention this game is getting, you'd think it was a disaster. What is surprising is how good Splatterhouse is, both at emulating the earlier games in the series and in making the gruesome splatter gameplay fun. The graphics are much better than you would expect, and transformed Rick feels and looks genuinely like a badass. The sight of limbs flying when you pick up a bladed weapon for example, and the sight of blood spraying everywhere in a way not seen in any other game to date gives the gameplay a power that is undeniably fun and satisfying. There are many fun references to classic and cult fave horror films (such as laughing animal heads on the wall) as well as to the writings of HP Lovecraft. The soundtrack is extremely enjoyable in the context of the game, as retro "haunted house" scores that emulate the feeling of the old Splatterhouse games help set the mood, while the licensed hardcore metal tracks kick in during key encounters and pump up the adrenaline in a way that seems missing from other games. The music, being speedy and powerful in a way music rarely is in games, gives the whole project a bit of a "punk rock" feel, in that it is genuinely unhinged and energetic, getting your pulse racing. Negatives? Odd loading times (the animation you see during loading, during my playthrough, would play 3 times before loading would be completed, and stutters awkwardly), repetitive splatter kills (fun and super gory, but you'll be seeing a lot of the same animations over and over if you do them a lot) and an abundance of rooms inside which you will have to clear waves of enemies to move on. However, I found myself using the word "fun" a lot in trying to write this, and that is the key that makes Splatterhouse a real treat to play. The negatives are quickly outweighed by the positives. It is just plain fun and a viscerally satisfying experience that is unlike any other horror survival game released this generation. Considering it is also clear that Splatterhouse does not have the resources or mammoth budgets of other games, the fact that this reboot was pulled off shows a lot of love went in to making it. This is the kind of game that deserves to be purchased, as the makers of this game should be rewarded for doing something this over the top and ambitious. The one mistake they made, in my opinion, was not giving this some kind of unique title to separate it from the mobile versions, as I think it has contributed to confusion and a lack of attention. If you try to search for reviews, for example, engines will most often take you to mobile reviews of the old game (which is getting some poor reviews). They should have called it Splatterhouse "insert something here (what could be debated)" to denote this is a separate game that reboots the series for current generation consoles. Full Review »