).The plot is kind of simple, you play as Rick who is a geeky guy who along with his girlfriend Jenny go into a doctor's house to do some research for a journal. Turns out the doctor is insane and he summons a lots of demons and lots of monstrous stuff, he kidnaps Jenny and a monster stabs you. Then a mask appears and you grab it before you die, transforming you into a big, muscular guy that receives messages from the mask itself (Which haves some amazing lines). So in obvious game logic you need to rescue your girlfriend.
The gameplay is pretty decent, it's a standard beat 'em up with some great special abilities, upgradeable moves, weapons like chainsaws, cleavers, shotguns, swords, pipes and 2"X4"s, great boss fights and some fairly tough boss fights and normal fights. There are also some puzzles which are fairly simple but at the same time they work fairly well.
The biggest problem I encountered with the gameplay is that it can get fairly repetitive and that blocking is barely functional, thankfully you can also roll and that replaces blocking fairly quickly. The loading times after you die can also become a bit annoying.
The graphics are a mixed bag, while the ammounts of blood and cel-shaded graphics are impressive there is also a big problem: the game suffers from some BIG framerate issues. Is it game breaking? No, but it's definetely noticeable and it happens frequently (Usually when lots of enemies appear on-screen or when there are lots of blood and dismembered limbs) and it doesn't feels smooth at all. The game is also a bit blurry (Probably due to low resolutions or even the Anti-alising it's using).
The sound is impressive featuring songs by Mastodon, Five Finger Death Punch and Lamb Of God which works extremely well with the horror theme of the game. The sound effects are great and some are incredibly disgusting. The voice acting is pretty good too.
Also included are the original Splatterhouse games in their unedited form and while they are fun they are also frustatingly difficult and they feel a bit clunky. Are they bad? No, Is the emulation good? Yes (Even with some sound issues), Is it better than buying each game individually? Yes
So yeah, the game is pretty fun and it haves a lot of content, you get an average length beat 'em up, 6 survival arenas, lots of collectibles and 3 classic games that are more or less rare.
Is it worth 60 bucks? No, but it's definetely worth 30-35 dollars. I recommend it.
) At any rate, though I can agree with the OP's mention of some poor control issues, a bit of choppiness, crappy camera... I have to say I really REALLY like the new Splatterhouse. I just feel like it's such a great piece of fan service -- for fans of the series, and fans of 80's horror really. Just the opening cut scene amazed me, with Rick's guts spilling all over the floor. Agh, so awesome. Though I wasn't sure I'd like the new artstyle, I really feel that the cell-shading looks great. Personally, I'm thrilled to be back in the West Mansion. I can't wait to play the original game for TR with you guys, but I might be in that small percentage who has fingers crossed that there will be another Splatterhouse on the PS3.
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, just the thought of it or the though of playing the PS3 Barney-purple mist version makes me shiver.