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I'll go on fighting. As long as we have the will to live.

James[src]

James Taylor (ジェームス・テイラー, Jēmusu Teirā?) was a special agent of the now-defunct American government agency AMS. He is one of the main protagonists of The House of the Dead 2, its upcoming remake, and The House of the Dead 4.

The older[note 1] brother of agent Ryan Taylor, James helped neutralize a 2000 citywide incident involving hostile biologically-engineered creatures. He fought the mastermind Caleb Goldman's posthumous efforts three years later, ultimately sacrificing himself to defeat Goldman's final creation, The World.

Biography

James was approximately born in 1965.[1] As an AMS special agent, he was known for having a calm composure and a "computer-like" mind.[1] He was often worried by rookie agent Gary Stewart's recklessness.[2] James' younger brother, Ryan Taylor, respected him.[3]

2000 events

Main article: The House of the Dead 2

On February 26th, 2000, an outbreak of creatures hit an unnamed city. James and his partner, Gary Stewart, were sent by the AMS to neutralize the threat. After defeating the enormous Judgment and fish-like Hierophant, they met up with fellow AMS agents Harry Harris and Amy Crystal.

The group learned that the perpetrator was Caleb Goldman, the wealthy financier of Dr. Curien's research that resulted in the 1998 Curien Mansion incident. After Curien's death, Goldman used his work to organize the citywide attack. He left the agents a phone message, inviting them to a meeting at the Colosseum on the city's north side.

Fearing a trap, the group split up; James and Gary ventured underground, defeating the large multi-headed, snake-like beast Tower. They arrived to find Goldman taunting them on a screen, with Amy and an injured Harry trapped by Strength, a chainsaw-wielding beast. After defeating Strength, Harry gave the agents the key to a car so they can travel to Goldman's headquarters.

On the drive there, James and Gary encountered Judgment and Hierophant again. Arriving at Goldman's headquarters, the agents fought a revived Magician. They finally confronted Goldman, who calmly explained his actions and unleashed his greatest creation: Emperor, a being meant to rule over humanity. James and Gary managed to defeat Emperor after a long fight.

Telling the agents that "in time, a successor will come", Goldman committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the building. When asked by Gary if they did the right thing, James was unsure, declaring that they must "find the answer by [themselves]". He bid Goldman farewell and left the building.

2003 events and death

Main article: The House of the Dead 4
The House Of The Dead 4 James Taylor in Chapter 1

James Taylor In Chapter 1.

Three years later, James and new AMS agent Kate Green were trapped in fifth basement floor of the agency's European branch office following a sudden earthquake. James, still thinking about the events three years earlier, believed that the ordeal had not yet ended.

While waiting for backup to arrive, James' PDA went off. Upon checking the security cameras, he and Kate spotted swarms of creatures waiting for them. The pair gathered all the weaponry they could find and escaped. Travelling to the sewers, they battled the four-armed Justice and a pair of mutant tarantulas known as The Lovers.

In a Classified Information Room, James and Kate uncovered a plot to fire nuclear missiles worldwide within 24 hours' time. Taking the subway to an underground shopping district, they defeated a double-ended chainsaw-wielding assassin, The Empress. Arriving at the surface, they battled the obese, nearly impervious Temperance.

James and Kate found the city to be completely obliterated. The former received a PDA message from Goldman, who was responsible for the infestation; the nuclear missile launch was to occur in one hour. The agents set out for the abandoned Goldman Building. James was wounded after a battle with The Star, a levitating humanoid, but he and Kate managed to halt the missile launch.

In a pre-recorded message, Goldman claimed his intention of reverting humankind to its "natural state" in order to prevent them from harming the planet any farther. As such, his final legacy, The World, was released in the opening of "Pandora's Box" to fulfill its role as the successor to his original Emperor project in 2000, having developed underground since his death. Noticing that The World continued getting larger and stronger each time it died, James set his PDA to self-destruct. After telling Kate not to "give up hope", he sacrificed himself, destroying The World in the following explosion at the cost of his life.

James was later mentioned by G when he visited Goldman's headquarters, with the latter telling him to "rest" as he "fight this back to the source", before walking away.

Legacy

Ever since James' death, Kate, the last person to see him alive, has vowed to never give up hope and she has referred to his parting words multiple times. She has also described him as "someone dear to [her]".[4]

In 2006, his brother Ryan became an AMS agent and partnered with Kate to learn about James' work.[3] During an investigation at Scarecrow Manor, Ryan expressed fears that he would join his brother in death. After Ryan impaled Moon, a massive creature, it was struck by lightning. Kate believed that this was James' divine intervention. Ryan also stated that he is tired of "people close to [him]" becoming victims, to which Kate reminded him of a saying from James: "No sacrifices anymore. It's too late for regrets. Something like that".

Appearance

In The House of the Dead 2, James has short black hair in a brown shade. He wears a light gray formal suit jacket and pants, a white long-sleeved button shirt, a gray-silver neck tie, and black shoes. In the spin-off The Typing of the Dead, James gains a Sega Dreamcast which was powered by a gigantic AA battery, which was connected to a keyboard; he kills creatures by typing words beneath them.

In The House of the Dead 4, James' hair is pale brown, cut shorter, and spiked. He wears a long gray trench-coat with a large collar and matching pin-stripped pants in a shades of gray, a black long-sleeved collared shirt in an extended collar, and brown shoes. However, during the flashback scene to the second game, James wears his classic gray formal suit. His hair is dark brown with a half fringe on the left side.

Quotes

The House of the Dead 2

Quote Audio
"Only man himself can control its fate. You're nothing!"
"It's finally over. Goldman... I don't care if a successor comes or not. I'll go on fighting. As long as we have the will to live... [Walks away] Good-bye, Goldman."

The House of the Dead 4

Scripted dialogue

Quote Audio
"It's all happening again, but it's much worse this time..."
(After killing Justice) "This is exactly how it happened three years ago. The battle is starting again."
(After killing The Lovers) "I kinda like being an action hero."
(After killing The Empress) "Looks like you missed your stop!"
(After killing Temperance) "Temper this, buddy!"
(Confronting Goldman in a flashback) "Is that all you have to say, Goldman?!"
(Before fighting The World) "Kate, this is it. Give it all you've got!"
(Last words) "This is our last hope. This is will stop it. Kate, don't... give up hope..."

Throwing a grenade

  • "Chew on this!"
  • "How's this?!"
  • "Take this!"

Grenade missed

  • "I'm losing my touch..."
  • "Missed!"
  • "That's not good."
  • "Oops."

Grenade kill

  • "Yeah!"
  • "That's gonna leave a mark!"
  • "Die!... again!"
  • "That did it!"

Grabbed by an enemy

  • "Get off me!"
  • "Out of my way!"

Taking damage

  • [Two lives remaining] "I... I've failed."
  • [One life remaining] "I don't feel too well."

Stage Result Rank

  • [S Rank] "Not bad, if I say so myself!"
  • [A Rank] "Alright, looks like I've still got it."
  • [B Rank] "I've got to concentrate a little harder."
  • [C Rank] "I'm losing my touch..."
  • [D Rank] "I can't believe it..."
  • [E Rank] "Maybe I should retire..."

Partner's Stage Result Rank

  • [S Rank] "You're better than I could have hoped!"
  • [A Rank] "Well, at least I know you've got my back!"
  • [B Rank] "You're doing good! Keep it up!"
  • [C Rank] "Maybe you're just getting warmed up?"
  • [D Rank] "I think you need a little more practice."
  • [E Rank] "We'll never make it if you keep this up!"

Player Ranking

  • [Rank 1] "Finally, the recognition I deserve!"
  • [Rank 2] "I think I did better than Logan[sic]!"
  • [Rank 3] "Not bad, if I say so myself!"
  • [Rank 4] "Alright, looks like I've still got it."
  • [Rank 5] "Maybe you're just getting warmed up?"
  • [Rank 6] "I think you need a little more practice."
  • [Rank 7] "I can't believe it..."
  • [Rank 8] "Maybe I should retire..."

Trivia

  • He is the agent shown in The House of the Dead 2's Training Mode.
  • James' death was foretold by Goldman in The House of the Dead 4's intro, with Goldman saying "There is no way to avoid your fate, James".
  • He was mentioned by Kate before and after the final boss fight against Magician in The House of the Dead 4 Special (the latter will trigger if the player plays as Kate (2P) in single player or the 2P player delivers the killing blow on Magician, during co-op play).
  • If the player plays a 2-player game in The House of the Dead 2, the ending is different. After James says that the crisis is over, Gary asks James if they "did the right thing". James replies that "he doesn't know" and they must "find the answer themselves", for as long as they try to keep on living.
  • James may be an ambitious man or a man with high expectations on himself, as when the player plays as him in The House of the Dead 4 and earns a C Rank or lower, he'll complain that he loses his touch, even considering his retirement if the player receives an E Rank.

Gallery

Wiki-wordmark To view the James Taylor gallery, click here.


Notes

  1. In House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn's Japanese subtitles, James is referred to by Ryan as Aniki (兄貴, Aniki?), which is an informal Japanese honorific for an older brother.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 The House of the Dead 2 Sega Dreamcast manual, pg 2
  2. The House of the Dead 2 Sega Dreamcast manual, pg 3
  3. 3.0 3.1 ハウス・オブ・ザ・デッド ~スカーレットドーン~ | HOUSE OF THE DEAD ~SCARLET DAWN~ | セガ (Japanese). Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. “数年前の事件で命を落とした兄ジェームズの実弟兄を尊敬し、同じくAMSのエージェントとなった。今回の任務でケイトとパートナーを組み、兄の仕事ぶりを知ることとなる。”
  4. Sega Wow Inc. (2005). The House of the Dead 4 Special. Arcade and Playstation 3. Sega. Level/area: Level 2 (Magician fight). Kate Green: Someone dear to me has been taken from me... I've had my fair share of pain...
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