The World

Multiple universes
(Main series and Spin-offs)

The World - Type-β
Basic information
Featured in	The House of the Dead 4 Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX
Encounters	The House of the Dead 4 Chapter 6
Weapon	Cryokinesis: Ice Ice axe Ice stars Ice dragons
Protection	The House of the Dead 4 Icy body Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX Fiery wings
Weak point
Unknown to the PDA, The World's weak point is its heart in the middle of his chest.

I am the ultimate being... There is no hope...
My hammer of death shall rain down upon you!

The World to James Taylor and Kate Green.

Type-β, codenamed "The World" (ワールド, Wārudo), was an insectoid creature with ice manipulation powers. He is the final boss in The House of the Dead 4.

The World was created by Caleb Goldman to succeed Emperor, awakening three years after both were deceased. Wielding ice projectiles, hatchets, and ice dragons, he could grow into new and stronger forms upon defeat. Although the PDA could not identify his weak point, it was actually his glowing-red heart in the middle of his chest.

History

Main article: The House of the Dead 4

The World was created by Caleb Goldman, the financier of Dr. Curien's research. To protect nature from humanity, Goldman developed creatures with Curien's research to slaughter humanity. He staged a 2000 outbreak in a large unnamed city, with a creature named Emperor intended to rule over mankind. with its successor, The World, grew beneath the courtyard of Goldman's headquarters.

In 2003, three years after Emperor's defeat and Goldman's suicide, the latter posthumously staged another outbreak. In the opening of "Pandora's Box", The World awoke to battle investigating AMS agents James Taylor and Kate Green. Upon realizing that The World never stopped growing, James set his PDA to self-destruct, killing himself as well in the resulting explosion to destroy the creature.

Appearances

The House of the Dead 4

The World is a massive humanoid with dragonfly-like wings and eyes. Frozen from the waist down, the creature uses his hands for support. His entire body (with the exception of his heart) is invulnerable to gunfire.

Every time he is seemingly defeated, The World grows into a seemingly endless line of stronger forms. In his second form, the creature's posture is upright and his wings become tendrils. His attacks are more aggressive.

In his third form, The World molts his skin and emerges as a levitating full-bodied creature (this form, however, is only battled in Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX).

Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX

The World's third form is the final boss of the non-canonical The House of the Dead spin-off Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX. Here, after pursuing the player(s) atop a train, The World develops fiery wings and horns. He uses flames and crystals as projectile attacks).

Gameplay

Overview

The World is a two-stage fight, with each stage ending after the creature dropped into the ground, seemingly killed. In both stages, The World is an immobile boss whose weak point, the heart, is always exposed to gunfire. The creature will perform random attack phases until he is at low health, at which point he will repeatedly perform a final aerial-based attack. The stages increase in difficulty: in the first stage, the player can escape most of the World's attacks by completing Quick Time Events, while in the second stage, all of the creature's attacks are inescapable in this manner and are more difficult to stop.

Phases

• Phase 1: The World's first stage includes several ice-based attacks:
  • Attack 1: With either the left or right fist, The World's fist glows bright and punches the ground, sending ice pillars after the player(s). Shooting the pillars in time stops the attack. Failure to do so requires completion of a Quick Time Event in order to avoid damage.
  • Attack 2: Similar to the previous attack, except that The World sends two ice pillars from both fists. Shooting both pillars in time stops the attack. Failure to do so requires a a completion of a Quick Time Event in order to avoid damage.
  • Attack 3: A giant axe made out of ice materializes in The World's hands. Shoot the head of the axe to destroy it before The World uses it to damage the player(s).
  • Attack 4: If The World lose around 60% of his health, he will sends four ice projectiles into the sky. The projectiles will spin around before combining to form a massive projectile, which will drop on the player(s) for damage. Player(s) need to shoot down the four smaller projectiles before it combines to form the larger projectile. The more the small projectiles get shot down, the easier it is to shoot down the larger projectile when combined. The World will continue this attack until the player(s) deplete its health bar.
• Phase 2: The World's second stage consists of various attacks utilizing ice dragons. The head of the ice dragons must shot repeatedly in the heads in order to destroy them:
  • Attack 1: With a glowing fist, The World sends an ice dragon which flies in a spiral towards the player(s) for a bite, in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
  • Attack 2: The World sends two ice dragons past the player(s). The camera then turns around as the dragons fly behind the player(s) to deliver a bite attack. Depending on the player's position when The World uses this attack, the ice dragons will sometimes go behind a pillar before lunging at the player(s), resulting in a smaller window to shoot them down.
  • Attack 3: The World summons up to six ice dragons to fly directly at the player(s), one at a time, alternating left and right. He also covers his weak point with his arms.
  • Attack 4: If The World lose around 60% of his health, he will create an ice dragon which flies upwards and ultimately downwards to the player(s) in a spiral motion. The World will continue this attack until the player(s) manage to deplete its health bar.

Strategies

• With good timing and accurate aim, it is possible to damage The World with grenades.
• Although the player(s) can simply shake out of The World's grab-based attacks in the first stage, it is still beneficial to stop them because this causes the creature to recoil, thus allowing the player to inflict more damage.
• Unlike previous bosses in The House of the Dead 4, the only way to deplete The World's health is shooting its weak point. Interrupting the World's attacks does not involve shooting its weak point, nor will slowly deplete its health bar, therefore the fight is an endurance test to wear down The World's health as much as possible after successfully repelling its attacks. Keep this in mind as you fought the creature.

Trivia

• The World's type number (β) is also a Greek letter similar to that of Emperor (α), as they were both creatures that Goldman intended to rule over the planet.
• It is unknown how many forms The World could morph his body into.

Gallery

The House of the Dead 4

Official artwork

Screenshots

The World preparing to battle James and Kate.

Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX

Official artwork

Art of The World's true form.