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Touch the Dead

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6.3 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 31 critic reviews
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Based on 3 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Dream On Studio

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: May 15, 2007

Summary

(Also known as "Dead 'n' Furious") Touch the Dead is a fast-paced, first-person shooter that takes gamers on a daring journey through a world taken over by zombies. Gamers play as Rob Steiner (a.k.a. Prisoner #1809), a man who wakes up to find himself the lone human in a jail teeming with zombies. Players use a deadly arsenal of melee and projectile-based weapons and come face-to-face with the never-ending swarm of zombie-captors, none of whom have avoided the icy cold touch of the undead. Along the way, gamers use the DS touch screen to destroy anything - from inmates to prison staff - that stands in the way of the escape route that leads to safety and a new living world. And for gamers too weak to fight the good fight alone, they can take advantage of the DS wi-fi and bring in reinforcements. [Eidos Interactive]

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameFAQs

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Hugely enjoyable, if a touch short, but with enough replay value and atmosphere to make it work really well. [Oct 2007, p.88]

Digital Entertainment News

Touch the Dead might give some loyal Nintendo-owning parents a heart palpitation; this isn’t a Mario title, Mom and Dad. So save it for when the kids are asleep and the two of you want to get scared-n-cozy!

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GamingTrend

Luckily, Touch The Dead manages to overcome its shortfalls simply by being utterly tongue-in-cheek and letting you get lost in the fun of killing zombies in true HotD fashion.

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Game Informer

This is a game every zombie fanatic could love, but only the hardest of hardcore gamers can excel at. [June 2007, p.117]

Cheat Code Central

What I would hope for this title is for a sequel with improved graphics, sound, and control. If this one is just the first and spawns an entertaining series, then I can forgive the pilot's mishaps. So, here's hoping!

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GameDaily

The two-player mode feels tacked on and the presentation has its hitches, but Touch the Dead still provides enough bloody joy to warrant a recommendation.

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Thunderbolt

If you are too chicken to go through it yourself, there is always the co-op mode to have a partner hold your hand.

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IGN

It's a straight-forward, fun, intense action game that does a decent job of what it sets out to do...even if that's just to steal the House of the Dead idea before Sega decides to port it officially itself.

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Games Master UK

Despite interesting controls, this quickly outstays its welcome. [Oct 2007, p.85]

Gaming Target

While Touch the Dead is fun for a short while, it quickly becomes frustrating due to the cumbersome reloading controls and the designer’s cheap attempts to make the game more difficult.

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Pocket Gamer UK

A cheap and cheerful shooter, Touch the Dead isn't revolutionary, but it's a relatively well put together game that will satisfy your lust for zombie zapping.

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Modojo

Just make sure to keep the improper touching to a minimum -- you don't want to be completely freaky like these guys. It is still a prison, after all.

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Extreme Gamer

Unless you are desperate for some portable zombie blasting, I would recommend keeping this title on the rental list.

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GameZone

The replay value of Touch the Dead is limited. Players will either get frustrated with the checkpoints or they’ll be able to sit down and finish this in one day if they put focus their time in completing it.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

The shuffling, drooling hordes of zombie fans will enjoy this pared-down, unpretentious shooter.

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Console Gameworld

The concept was great, the only thing working against it was the fact that using the touch screen to shoot zombies could have proven to be too easy compared to its light gun cousin. To make up for this the developers seemed to go out of their way to make the game unfairly difficult when instead they should have increased the strategic elements of the game.

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Nintendo Power

For all the frantic zombie-blasting and murky environments, however, the game fails to generate much suspense of horror. [July 2007, p.95]

GameSpot

Replacing a light gun with touch-screen support doesn't make up for Touch the Dead's contrived gameplay or its stiff, boxy presentation.

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GamePro

Touch the Dead is like a decent B-grade horror movie: sure it's laughably bad at points but there's a loveable camp quality to it that makes it worth enduring through.

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Eurogamer

Graphically bland, the game still manages to create some tension through its rudimentary presentation with some clever pacing.

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GameCritics

It's too bad that by over-complicating everything, Touch the Dead gets this simple formula so very wrong.

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Deeko

The firing mechanic is supremely functional, but everything else that remains within is not and that's what takes this game for being for the supreme light gun gamer and turns it into a no brainer.

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Game Almighty

If some varied gameplay and better graphics had been utilized, Touch the Dead could have been something cool, as the DS is perfectly suited for a game of this type. Unfortunately, it looks like this received minimal effort and even less of a budget.

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Game Chronicles

A decent enough game for short bouts of zombie slaying, but at its brief length, players may want to wait until it shows up in their local bargain bin, or simply save your money and blow some quarters on a true light gun game.

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1UP

The act of reloading requires you to physically slide the bullets into the gun with the stylus. Sounds simple (doesn't it always?), but it's not. In fact, it's frustratingly unresponsive.

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GameSpy

If you go into Touch the Dead with low expectations, they'll probably be met. If you're expecting something on the level of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence or the House of the Dead franchise, prepare for disappointment, because this is one zombie game that will make you want to eat your own brain.

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WHAM! Gaming

Sadly, Touch the Dead is like a zombie crashing a dinner party. It's ugly, it's annoying and after a while you feel like your brain is being chewed on.

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VideoGamer

Problems with the reload system and a general lack of excitement or surprise mean this is a shooter almost as lifeless as the zombies you're shooting.

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Gaming Age

Touch the Dead is a mixed bag—I like where the developers were going, but the end result is horrible. A simple remap of reloading to the L button could have improved the title tenfold, and a less random feeling damage system could have lead the game to greatness.

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games(TM)

Dead ‘N’ Furious never scares or repulses, and neither does it attempt to be anything more than a shooting gallery with targets dressed up in bloodstained clothes. [Oct 2007, p.124]

G4 TV

It moves really slowly through some of the most boring levels in the history of the genre, and constantly drops new enemies into the scene completely out of nowhere. It’s just not fun at all.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.3 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Desmond H. gave it a1:
This game is very boring.

Rob S. gave it a10:
Even though the reviews basically screamed 'THE GAME SUCKS' I still really wanted to play it so I bought it...and to be honest, I dunno what all the bad reviews are talking about! It's a tonne of fun and has that arcady feel to it. The music and sound effects are great. I hooked up my DS to my speakers and subwoofer (not sure how many of you do that! lol) and damn does it sound good! Reviews seem to complain about reloading and how you have to drag the ammo to the clip. I reckon it's a great idea and perfectly implemented as it makes use of the DS touch screen. If you simply press a button to reload, then where's the originality in that! I have yet to finish the game but so far it's great fun. It's very easy to pick up and play so it's great for when your mates want to have a quick game of something on your DS. I'm a big fan of the 'undead/horror shooting' genre like Resident Evil so for anyone else like me, give it a try!

CSM gave it an8:
Not a bad "House of the Dead" style shooter. Limited lives and difficulty combine to make it a challenging game. The locations it decides to auto-save can be a bit frustrating (fighting through a level, only to die at the boss and have to fight back through most of the level again). The interface is pretty simple, use the stylus to touch the dead and you shoot them....a lot. I like the "shooter on rails" aspect, as I like the shotting gallery style, but never wanted to shell out the cash at the arcades. It's a fun diversion in it's likeness to a cheap zombie flick (complete with "kind-of-funny-but-not-quite" one liners), but not exactly a great plot. But, who needs a plot when there are hordes of undead to shoot.

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Touch the Dead

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