Players assume the role of agents Thomas Rogan and "G" as they combat an army of undead experiments created by Dr. Curien, a mad scientist.

AM1's plans for detailed environments, non-linear level designs, and a gory aesthetic were challenged – and often limited – by the Model 2 hardware and other factors.

First-aid packs are available throughout the game which restore one point of health; some can be obtained from rescued hostages, while others are hidden inside certain breakable objects.

Players can score additional points by shooting enemies in the head, rescuing hostages and finding hidden items.

While supported by the DBR Corporation and its own team of scientists, Curien's behavior becomes more erratic and his experiments take an inhumane and gruesome turn.

On December 18, 1998, AMS Agent Thomas Rogan receives a distress call from his fiancée, Sophie Richards, from the Curien Mansion.

Rogan and his partner, "G", fly to Europe and arrive at the estate, finding it overrun with undead creatures, which Curien unleashed and the scientists there held as hostages by the zombies.

A mortally wounded scientist gives them a journal containing information about Curien's creations and their weaknesses, and urges them to rescue the survivors still trapped inside.

[11] The two enter the house, and later find Sophie, just before she is attacked by the Chariot, a hulking, heavily-armored mutant armed with a bardiche.

Fighting deeper into the mansion’s laboratories, the two eventually find Curien, who is protected by a massive, arachnoid creature called the Hermit.

What the developers have referred to as the "true ending" is only seen if the players get the highest rank: Sophie is alive, having survived her injuries.

[10] Anticipating that foreign markets, particularly Germany, would require the violence be toned down, they built in an option for operators to change the color of the game's blood, with green, purple, and blue available in addition to the traditional red.

The pre-installed trial version containing the game's first chapter was included with Vodafone V603SH in February 2005, and utilized the phone's accelerometer functionality to control the camera.

The House of the Dead: Remake was developed by MegaPixel Studio and published by Forever Entertainment under license from Sega.

[18][19] In January 2022 news outlets reported that the game was expected to launch in March 2022,[20][21][22] but it was ultimately released on April 7, 2022.

"[31][45] Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Overall, this is an excellent take on the light-gun genre - a sheer bloody scream."

[38] In a retrospective review, AllGame awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, likewise praising the story, graphics, and destructible environments, but particularly focused on the game's intelligent challenge.

[48][49][50] Nintendo Life felt that unlike the Wii, the Switch is unsuitable for light gun games due to its lack of a sensor bar, without which the gyro controls cause the cursor to twitch when firing.

[52] In 2013, George A. Romero said it was the video games Resident Evil and House of the Dead "more than anything else" that popularised his zombie concept in early 21st-century popular culture.