The House Of The Dead: Remake has been somewhat divisive among fans of Sega's classic light-gun horror arcade game from 1996. The new version makes changes and fails to make changes, that have frustrated some old fans. But others have been pleasantly satisfied with the final product despite its flaws.
The updated graphics are likely the most notable change in the remake. The jagged look of the original game helped to increase the scare factor of enemies and helped to provide a creepier atmosphere. But, there are still plenty of scary enemies in the remake, even if less so than their original versions.
9 Kenfis
Kenfis are fleshy dog-like enemies with small wings. Luckily they can't fly. They may not be as scary as dog-like enemies from other horror series such as Resident Evil, but their fleshy mass and exposed ribcage do make them a bit more disgusting than some others.
In the original game, most Kenfis had a white and grey color, making them look more ghostly and less scary, so their updated appearance in the remake is an overall improvement. They're far from the scariest enemies in the remake, but their updated appearance still helps them stand out.
8 Simon
Simon isn't all that scary looking at first compared to other creatures until you realize he's a relatively fit zombie, which means he's stronger and more resilient than your average undead human. It's similar to how zombies are scarier when they're faster than usual. Simon is capable of throwing barrels or even nearby civilians, so players should definitely start damaging him as soon as they can to avoid any collateral damage.
Simon's appearance isn't quite as ghastly as it was in Scarlet Dawn but is still an overall improvement compared to the version from the original House Of The Dead.
7 Bourbon
Bourbon are more resilient versions of the Kageo enemy and are most easily taken down when shot in the head. What makes them scary is how suddenly they appear, attacking the player as soon as possible.
Bourbon's arms can also be shot off, which helps make him less threatening but will cause him to switch to attacking with his head instead. The little hair he has on his head and his fleshy jaw also give him a more terrifying appearance. His updated design also looks less like some type of silly undead circus clown, which helps.
6 Chariot
Chariot is one of several bosses featured in The House Of The Dead Remake, but his default appearance isn't scary, given that his undead body is completely covered in metal armor at first. As the player takes down his health, the armor starts to come off, revealing a fleshy rotting skeleton that continues attacking until his health bar has been fully depleted.
Chariot is stronger when wearing his armor, but slow. He becomes faster and weaker as his health decreases. Chariot also vomits after being shot, adding another grossness factor to the hulking mass of flesh and bone.
5 Saruzou
Saruzou may just be Japanese Macaques infected by the Curien virus, but as anyone who has seen monkey-centric horror films like Dead Alive or Monkey Shines (or even some nature documentaries) can tell you, monkeys can be downright terrifying when they want to be. Because they're monkeys, Saruzou are relatively agile and can be aggravating to deal with. Saruzou also come in pairs, meaning the player has to deal with two swift and furious virus-infected monkeys simultaneously. Saruzou does have a stronger and more muscular human counterpart called Hanzou, but this appearance change ends up making them much less terrifying.
4 Murrer
Murrers are slimy worm-like creatures that usually appear in groups. They only take one shot to kill, but that doesn't make them any less creepy. Something about them appearing in groups makes them more terrifying than if they just appeared one at a time. Murrers also prefer to wriggle around and leap directly at the player one at a time, which may make them easier to get rid of but doesn't make them any less scary. Unlike some other enemies in The House Of The Dead: Remake, Murrers are much more terrifying now than they were in the original game.
3 Thalang
Spiders are always creepy, and House of the Dead: Remake's eight-legged foes are no exception. Thalang, or Taran as they're usually called, are virus-infected spiders in House Of The Dead: Remake with a sickly green color that typically appear in groups. Like other small enemies, Thalang are easy to dispose of, but they can be pretty elusive, jumping from ceilings to bite the player.
There's also the Hermit boss, which is one giant spider, but something about it makes it less scary than Thalangs, maybe because it's a much easier target to hit, and there's only one as opposed to several.
2 Ebitan B
While Ebitan A is already creepy enough as a slimy swamp creature, Ebitan B is an Ebitan with only the top half remaining. Why is Ebitan B scarier than Ebitan A? Well, despite being weaker, there's something about the fact that he hangs from ceilings and crawls on the floor that makes him so much creepier, probably due to its similarities to the antagonistic entities from horror films like The Ring and The Grudge. On the bright side, Ebitan B doesn't make creepy noises and is easy to dispose of, so players don't have to be too concerned about him.
1 Samson
The overalls don't exactly make Samson any scarier, but there's a good reason enemies with chainsaws are still commonly seen in survival horror games. Ever since Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, big men with chainsaws have been a repeated element in many horror films and games. And, why not? Chainsaws are one of the most life-threatening power tools around, after all.
Luckily, since The House Of The Dead: Remake is a rail shooter, players don't have to worry about Samson chasing them as they would for chainsaw-wielding enemies in other horror games. He's also weaker by comparison, with several weak points, especially his head, that players can target.