The hallmarks of the series so far have been frantic, fast-paced shooting, terrible acting and odd storylines underpinned by serious undertones of life, death, morality and mortality. You don’t get any of that with HotD: Overkill. Instead the franchise has been given a trendy ‘reboot’ by Headstrong Games. They have been given the opportunity to make a game from the ground up, specifically for the Wii, and this time there is no bigger arcade brother to compare to. Overkill will stand or fall on its own mutated feet.

Before even taking the game out of the box it begs to be played with a lightgun ‘shell’ attachment for you Wii remote. There are plenty of third party products on the market (as well as the official Nintendo Zapper) but, released on the same day as the game, the “Hand Cannon” is a licensed peripheral to match the game’s style. It is completely over the top and a great indicator of things to come. Overkill is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it is all the better for it.

The visuals have been given a grained 70’s effect reminiscent of the cult B-Movies that were popular at the time and the currently fashionable ‘Grindhouse’ cinema feel. It’s clear where Headstrong games have taken their inspiration from. Each loading screen is labelled the ‘Feature Presentation’ and the game itself is divided into 7 chapters, each with its own title, imaginative movie poster, cheesy voiceover and fantastic set of cut scenes. The style portrayed throughout the game is so intentionally bad that it never ceases to delight and entrance. The cut scenes have been edited so that missing props are replaced and then removed from one scene to the next and characters jump inexplicably out of shot from time to time. It’s like that because this is how B-Movie horror flicks were: full of continuity errors, to which Overkill is a fitting homage.

Special mention must go to the soundtrack. The track list is composed of swinging soul tunes, rocking country beats and hip retro-chic tunes. That might sound awful but they fit the style of the game perfectly and all the tracks have a vocal version that plays when the game is idle in a menu screen. Classic lyrics have been replaced with ones all about [strikethrough]zombies[/strikethrough] mutants, and they are genuinely hilarious. From necrophilia to incest, no taboo is left untainted; even the music in Overkill is worthy of its mature 18 rating.

Before getting started it is important to properly calibrate your Hand Cannon. Although initially extremely frustrating, the eventual results work like a charm. It took about 10 minutes to finally and accurately configure the controls but sitting further away from the screen gives markedly improved results. Once set up you can have faith that your virtual gun will be pointing where it is supposed to and let the carnage begin.

The two main protagonists, returning character Special Agent G and, starring in his first feature presentation, Detective Isaac Washington manage to conjure up some genuinely witty banter between them. Washington is clearly based on Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction. He has a fondness for expletives that is unrivalled in the video game world and it actually manages to add depth to the character purely by association. It is typecasting at its best and at its worst simultaneously. The two cops have some genuinely funny one-liners, to the extent that to repeat any of them here would be to detract from the experience and feel of the game. Suffice to say that there are some moments that might actually evoke the old Internet meme from players, the lol, and there aren’t many games that can lay claim to that.

Played through a first-person perspective, the first thing that series veterans will notice is that the game lumbers along at a much slower pace than any previous HotD game. At first this is disorienting and cumbersome. Bullet fire rate and reload times appear to be forcibly slow and the mutants seem so slow and unthreatening that you feel as if you have time to make a snack before they even reach you. The first impression of the actual gameplay is poor.

But (and this is a huge but) this is not an arcade game and first impressions are often misguided. Headstrong have applied some thought to what console gamers want in the long term and provided a mechanic that stands up to repeated plays. It is the “Umbrella Chronicles” of the HotD universe if you will, only better. To play Overkill properly you need to be accurate and measured. The aim of the game is to gradually link your shots and fill a combo meter by chaining every bullet you fire. There are various stages of bonus points available and if you can hit enough targets without missing you will achieve an earth-shaking ‘Goregasm’. This not only increases the bonus points you get as you play through the level, but also affects the rewards that you receive at the end of each level. The returning mechanic of offering shiny things to shoot at, allowing the player to score additional points, returns along with health pick ups, grenades and a new slow motion power up. Shooting these items won’t break your combo but the rush to pick them up might destroy your concentration long enough to force you into player error. This is classic risk and reward gameplay used to excellent effect.

Further evidence that Overkill is no thirty-minute arcade blast comes from the gun shop. At the end of every level the player is given the opportunity to upgrade existing weapons or purchase new ones. Adding to this the fact that you have the option to add more mutants to any level in the game, it makes going back to previous levels with a tanked up arsenal a joy and, thankfully, more of a challenge. High scores will fall and any disappointment felt when starting out will be quickly wiped from the slate of your mind.

The player is afforded some small control over the camera. Pointing your Hand Cannon towards the edge of the screen will move the view slightly in that direction. This is where some criticism can be levelled at the game. Mutants will sometimes wander to the left or right of the screen or fall to their knees unexpectedly. This can make it difficult to chain hits properly and takes some getting used to. It can be frustrating when you miss what seems like a clear shot because of the unexpected and jerky reaction of a mutant. It is a small cross to bear however and players will soon learn how many bullets are needed to take down enemies and how they react to being hit in different parts of their rotting bodies.

Bosses have played an important part of the HotD series since its inception and Overkill is no exception. The only criticism that can be levelled at the end of level screen fillers is that they all border on the easy side. Ironically the first boss you encounter is probably the hardest to beat and the last the easiest. This seems to be a design choice consistent with the rest of the game though; infinite continues are available from the opening level, the only penalty for use being a points deduction. Overall the experience seems to be one that Headstrong seem to want players to enjoy and finish, rather than give up on before seeing it through to the end. Despite the initial lack of challenge the strong design pulls though and bosses are imaginative, grotesque and once again so far over the top that they can’t fail to please. Each boss fits nicely into the individual feel of the level and the final monstrosity culminates an overarching storyline in an ending that is sure to make players cringe and laugh in equal measure.

The content on offer doesn’t end there though: when the main game is finished a ‘Director’s Cut’ is unlocked. This resets the player’s weapon stockpile and stretches out each level, adding challenge and difficulty, restricting the player to only 3 continues. Much of the replayability comes from completing levels with a high degree of accuracy or using only a certain weapon. With Uzi’s, shotguns and automatic rifles on offer there is enough incentive to return to see the bizarre situations and fantastic imagination that has been lovingly poured into Overkill. Add to that a host of unlockable artwork and bonus content and the package looks meatier than you could ever have expected from a light gun game. It’s worth mentioning that repeated play also opens up a dual-wielding mode, which is something that has been repeatedly asked for in this type of game. Headstrong have delivered before they needed to be asked.

For those players who feel that multiplayer is an essential component of every new release, Headstrong have included a standard drop in co-op feature like you would find in the arcades of old. However there are also a selection of four player mini-games that provide a fairly meaty challenge, ranging from target shooting to "Timesplitters"-style waves of zombies, all of which must be despatched quickly and accurately. The challenge afforded here is actaully greater than in the main game if you opt for solo play; chaining huge scores becomes a dramatic and tense affair. Multiplayer however quickly descends into a battle of the quickest trigger finger and the loosest morals. Ruining a combo because your friend stole your kill will definately be the cause of fighting for anyone brave enough to try this with three other players.

It’s a great feeling when everything works in harmony to create something that is more than the sum of its parts. Overkill is just that. It takes the chassis of the light gun game and augments it with one of the most entertaining stories in years, a decent selection of unlockables, a brutally funny soundtrack and an overall level of attention to detail that is as refreshing as it is clichéd. None of the scenarios you come up against in Overkill have been mentioned here because to spoil them for you would be to do the title a disservice; it is enough to say that they range from the expected to the fantastic and do not disappoint. There is a reason why light gun games are still being made in 2009: they offer simple, undiluted fun and this one offers more than most. Oh, and in case that doesn't warrant a purchase for you - dual wielding mode is hands down the most fun you can have with a light gun game.