I admit, I was initially sceptical. My zombiephobia is well documented but these are not, apparently, zombies so I figured I’d give the game a go and I freely admit to be pleasantly surprised.

If I had to come up with a subtitle for a game like this, overkill would certainly be it. It aptly sums up everything about the game from the swearing to the frantic pace to the almost kitsch atmosphere of mild peril. Technically the peril is much higher – you can and do die – but it’s a lot of fun.

House of the Dead: Overkill is an on the rails shooter meaning there are no controls to speak of, you go through the game in first person and it’s all about pointing and shooting. However don’t let this fool you into thinking the game is easy or lacking in skill. Far from it, it’s all about timing and killing zombies – sorry mutants – as accurately as possible so you can down them in one or two bullets and reload during the precious seconds between waves.

The game feels like a surreal mix of Planet Terror, Day of the Dead with a little Pulp Fiction thrown in for good measure. From the opening ‘feature presentation’ title card to the trailer like intro, it feels more like you’re playing a movie rather than a video game, even if the graphics are not as shiny as the ones in an actual film.

In keeping with the film feel, you have a generic cast each falling into a specific role. The mysterious Agent G and cocky African American cop, Detective Issac Washington who find themselves in Louisiana investigating strange reports of mutants. Along the way they run into a stripper with the amusing name of Varla Guns who is connected to the whole escapade and has some personal scores of her own to settle.

The game itself is very tongue in cheek but packs a punch when it comes to profanity. It feels like an odd title for the Wii (especially given it’s family reputation) and yet is also perfect for the console. Granted, as with all shooting titles, it’s easier with the Zapper accessory (which I don’t have) but it’s still a lot of fun, mainly because the game doesn’t take itself too seriously.