Touch the Dead

Touch the Dead (also known as Dead 'n' Furious) is a rail shooter/survival horror game for the Nintendo DS developed by French company Dream On Studio. The game was originally published by Virgin Play in Europe as one of their first published games, and was later co-published by Eidos Interactive (under the Secret Stash Games brand) and V.2 Play (being the only game Virgin Play released in North America) in North America. The game's North American box art was created by artist Arthur Suydam, famous for his work on the Marvel Zombies line of comics.

Touch the Dead
Developer(s)Dream On Studio
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Allister Brimble, Anthony N. Putson, Paul Carter
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • NA: May 16, 2007
  • EU: November 5, 2007[1]
Genre(s)Shooter/Survival horror
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Touch the Dead is a rail shooter. Players use the stylus to point at oncoming zombies on the bottom screen. Pointing fires the weapon Steiner has equipped. Shots can be delivered to the head, arms, legs, and stomach.

To reload, players must simply grab a clip icon (located in the bottom right-hand corner of the touch screen), and drag it to the bottom left hand corner which has an image of the 'magazine'.

The D-pad and face buttons of the console are simply used to switch weapons. Both serve the same purpose, and work for both right-handed and left-handed players.

Health and ammunition can be recovered by shooting crates and cabinets. The player also has the option of shooting switches to open doors and choose a left or right path when a fork appears. Either path chosen will still yield the same bonuses.

Weapons
  • Handgun: The first weapon Steiner obtains. It is the weakest of the game's firearms, doing the least amount of damage. It does, however, have unlimited ammunition. The handgun does not allow belly shots. Steiner finds the handgun on the floor in Chapter 1. Resembles the Beretta M9/92F.
  • Shotgun: A standard pump-action shotgun. The shotgun is most effective at close range, and can blow off heads and stomachs. Steiner finds the shotgun in a control room in Chapter 1. Resembles the Spas 12 shotgun.
  • Submachine Gun: Steiner's only fully automatic weapon in the game. He obtains it while stopping in a shack, located in the swamps of Chapter 3. Resembles the MP5 type K.
  • Crowbar: Steiner's only melee weapon, also used to break down certain doors. Steiner gets it from the boss of Chapter 2. Resembles a crowbar.

Storyline

Protagonist Rob Steiner, or Prisoner #1809, has been transferred to Ashdown Hole State Penitentiary. Steiner has been accused of and sentenced for a murder that he did not commit. The intro movie shows him being transferred, and his mugshots. Resting in his cell, Steiner's cell door opens. Seeing his chance for escape, Steiner flees his cell into the Penitentiary, which is mysteriously occupied by zombies. By the game's end, Steiner has gone through the entire prison, the sewer system, the prison hospital, and the rooftops of the prison. Steiner eventually escapes, but realizes that there is much more to go. He finds an airboat that he uses to dredge through a thick swamp, until he eventually comes to an abandoned military base. Steiner fights his way through the zombie-infested base, and is ultimately rescued via helicopter. It is also implied, though not mentioned directly that Steiner was placed there on purpose by the military or whoever it was that rescued him. The moment Steiner is saved, one of the men tells him that they did not believe he would make it out and that Steiner is more dangerous than they had previously thought. It ends with Steiner being placed in handcuffs and the choppers leaving what appears to be an island.

Reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] It was heavily criticized for its "blocky" graphics and repetitive sound; however, it received great appreciation for its innovative gameplay which makes excellent use of the touch screen. Most complaints stemmed from its reloading system which requires the player to move a magazine from one side of the screen to the other to reload, wasting precious seconds in an already difficult game. IGN cited its mediocre graphics and poor originality.[10] GameSpot also criticized the graphics, but still appreciated its original gameplay.[7]

References
  1. Orry, James (April 27, 2007). "Virgin is Dead and Furious". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  2. "Touch the Dead". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  3. Donahoe, Michael (May 31, 2007). "Touch the Dead". 1Up.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  4. Parkin, Simon (July 3, 2007). "DS Roundup (Page 2)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  5. Reiner, Andrew (June 2007). "Touch the Dead". Game Informer. No. 170. GameStop. p. 117. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  6. Long Haired Offender (May 15, 2007). "Review: Touch the Dead". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  7. Davis, Ryan (May 21, 2007). "Touch the Dead Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  8. Stratton, Bryan (May 29, 2007). "GameSpy: Touch the Dead". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 1, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  9. Grabowski, Dakota (June 8, 2007). "Touch the Dead - NDS - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  10. Harris, Craig (May 23, 2007). "Touch the Dead Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  11. "Touch the Dead". Nintendo Power. Vol. 217. Nintendo of America. July 2007. p. 95.
  12. Jordan, Jon (July 2, 2007). "Touch The Dead (aka Dead N Furious)". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media Ltd. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  13. "Touch the Dead for Nintendo DS (2007) MobyRank". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  14. Dahlen, Chris (June 4, 2007). "Touch The Dead". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
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