Players control AMS agents James Taylor or Gary Stewart , who are sent to investigate the disappearance of agent G.

Developed by Sega’s AM1 division, it was the first game to utilize the Sega NAOMI arcade board. This hardware allowed for 6 million polygons per second, providing visuals that were revolutionary for the time.

Set on February 26, 2000, roughly 14 months after the "Curien Mansion Incident" of the first game, the story follows a massive undead outbreak in Venice, Italy.

The game was directed by Takashi Oda and produced by Rikiya Nakagawa , with much of the original House of the Dead staff returning to refine the experience.

Each stage ends with a boss inspired by Tarot cards , including Judgment , The Hierophant , The Tower , Strength , and the return of the Magician . Gameplay Innovations

In arcades, players reloaded by aiming their light-gun off-screen, a mechanic that became a genre standard.