Gratuitously fucking miserable, and it extends to more than just the plot. Each level has a time limit that doesn't necessarily kill you if you fail to reach it but rather your wife and then child will get killed off in the story, and it really rubs it in your face if you fail to save them. The problem is that the timer is also insanely strict, forcing you to plan out your routes as you'd go along. But when you do, you usually want to make the shortest route, right? What would seem to be the shortest routes in each level are filled with ridiculously annoying enemies with way too much health, turning them into the longest routes. How the fuck is anyone supposed to know that? Are you punishing me for planning ahead when you prompt me to?? Why??
I got the worst ending. I only completed the first level in time, and even there I had just 13 seconds remaining. I really don't think I would care as much normally, but for being so uninituitive and throwing so many enemies that take years to kill (they start reusing the stage 1 boss as a regular enemy in stage 2, by the way) it sure does punish you hard for failing to come through in time. I guess it could be worse? I guess it could kill you when the timer reaches zero? But it's not really about if it could be worse, it already is just so aggravating the way it is. Maybe it's like this in order to incite you to replay and make it through faster, but it really doesn't make me want to when the gameplay is already so unsatisfying compared to many other beatemups.
Splatterhouse kinda sucks overall. The presentation doesn't really make up for how agonizing and tedious it can be, and for whatever reason as they improve the presentation the gameplay gets worse, resulting in a trilogy that starts out just passable and steadily decreases in quality. Maybe I had to be there? Maybe I could've been playing one of the many better beatemups at the time? I don't know, man. If it isn't really clear, this game pissed me off. I think I should just lay down or make some food or something.
I got the worst ending. I only completed the first level in time, and even there I had just 13 seconds remaining. I really don't think I would care as much normally, but for being so uninituitive and throwing so many enemies that take years to kill (they start reusing the stage 1 boss as a regular enemy in stage 2, by the way) it sure does punish you hard for failing to come through in time. I guess it could be worse? I guess it could kill you when the timer reaches zero? But it's not really about if it could be worse, it already is just so aggravating the way it is. Maybe it's like this in order to incite you to replay and make it through faster, but it really doesn't make me want to when the gameplay is already so unsatisfying compared to many other beatemups.
Splatterhouse kinda sucks overall. The presentation doesn't really make up for how agonizing and tedious it can be, and for whatever reason as they improve the presentation the gameplay gets worse, resulting in a trilogy that starts out just passable and steadily decreases in quality. Maybe I had to be there? Maybe I could've been playing one of the many better beatemups at the time? I don't know, man. If it isn't really clear, this game pissed me off. I think I should just lay down or make some food or something.