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A Look at The House of the Dead 2: Remake Demo

Steam Next Fest 2025 was an opportunity for gamers to try out a variety of games coming soon. Among the titles I got to play was one that will take you back to the House of the Dead. The House of the Dead 2: Remake was among the many games available to demo during Steam Next Fest 2025.

The House of the Dead 2: Remake is the follow-up to the acclaimed horror shooter. Players take on the role of AMS Agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart as they must save a city overrun by the undead. It should be noted that this coverage of the demo is a preview and should not be considered a review. I plan to publish a full review once the game officially launches.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD

The story mirrors that of its predecessor—shoot through waves of zombies and defeat the boss at the end. AMS Agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart are dispatched to locate Agent G. Upon arrival, they find the city overrun by the undead, with Agent G wounded. Armed with his intel and their guns, they fight their way to the city’s core. Their mission is simple: stop Caleb Goldman from continuing Dr. Curien’s work by unleashing the Emperor upon the world.

Playthrough of The House of the Dead 2

The demo begins with players configuring the game mode for their playthrough, adjusting the difficulty, scoring system, and character selection. During the session, players will experience the game’s first stage. Agents Taylor and Stewart arrive in the city, only to be greeted by Judgment. They then proceed to shoot their way into a library, where they encounter Agent G. After receiving a notebook, they fight their way through the city.

Multiple paths can be unlocked depending on whether civilians are saved. Regardless of the path, it all ends with a battle against Judgment. When the boss is defeated, you meet up with Agents Harry and Amy.

Its gameplay remains the same as the original, whether you played it in the arcade, on the Dreamcast, or on the PC. You blast through waves of zombies and other undead creatures that attack relentlessly. The visual updates intensify the horror, while the remastered soundtrack heightens the nostalgic dread. With its multiple paths, the demo highlights the game’s strong replay value.

Thoughts on The House of the Dead 2

In a unique way, The House of the Dead 2: Remake demo is itself a remake of the original PC version’s demo. Both let players experience the entire first stage of the game, but the Remake demo offers more customization options for performance. While the graphics are more detailed and performance has improved, it still feels like the same game I played at the arcade back in the day. Overall, if you played The House of the Dead: Remake (2022), you’ll know what to expect from this remake.

The House of the Dead 2: Remake will launch for all major consoles and the PC sometime in Spring 2025. No launch date has been set, but that information will be announced in the future. The original game was released for the arcade in 1998 followed by a Dreamcast and PC launch.

8Bit/Digi is an independent news outlet that provides insight into the video game and fandom community of the San Francisco Bay Area.