The Typing of the Dead: Overkill

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Oct 29, 2013
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 52
  3. Negative: 7 out of 52

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  1. titlebreaker
    Nov 1, 2013
    3
    I thoroughly enjoyed the demo for the original Typing of the Dead, but was never quite willing to take the ~$50 plunge that the full game requires on eBay. So, I was quite pumped for the cheap $9.99 release of the sequel. Alas, I was too quick to purchase the game as its passable gameplay is overshadowed by its nauseating content.

    Having made it through the first two levels, I've    I thoroughly enjoyed the demo for the original Typing of the Dead, but was never quite willing to take the ~$50 plunge that the full game requires on eBay. So, I was quite pumped for the cheap $9.99 release of the sequel. Alas, I was too quick to purchase the game as its passable gameplay is overshadowed by its nauseating content.

    Having made it through the first two levels, I've already been exposed to tasteless cripple jokes (via a Stephen Hawking expy), completely unnecessary levels of swearing (Ex. "Are you ever going to tell me what that f***ing 'G' [character's name] stands for?), and a vomit-inducing fight against two zombified strippers. I'm no stranger to adult content in games, but I was quickly overwhelmed by the exploitative tone of this game.

    House of the Dead: Overkill pays homage to the genre of exploitation films. This serves to justify absolutely juvenile portrayals of everyone and everything involved. If you are unfamiliar with the genre of exploitation films, do a bit of research (tvtropes.org covers the genre about as well as anyone) and you'll have an idea as to what kind of tone you'll be dealing with.

    As for the gameplay, I detected no significant improvements over the original. While typing one phrase, you are locked into completing said phrase before you can respond to other threats, so if you begin taking down one zombie (er, sorry, "mutant") and realize that you must deflect a one-letter projectile about to damage you, you're forced to complete your current phrase, likely taking the projectile to the face. The words and phrases that you type are often humorous, either due to the context or the sheer absurdity of the phrase. Unfortunately the nasty tone bleeds into the phrases as well the stripper level has you typing plenty of innuendo, the worst of which probably being "viscous vixen" during the boss fight. See what I mean about vomit-inducing?

    The original Typing of the Dead featured blood, violence, and zombies. But the graphics, voice-acting, and cutscenes were so hilariously bad that the game never seemed to feel M-rated. Any sense of danger was immediately dispelled when a cutscene would commence, and you'd see heroes walking around with keyboard strapped around their necks.

    Between the original's absurd premise and the innocuous phrases that you were tasked with typing, the maturity of the content was pretty thoroughly disarmed, which served to expand the game's potential audience... perhaps even including people young enough to be learning to type? This sequel narrows its target audience significantly with its nauseating content.    … Expand
  2. ebinary
    Oct 30, 2013
    2
    I was a huge fan of the Original Typing of the Dead. Typing of the Dead (the original) is IMHO, the best way to become a fast typist without looking at your hands because you can't win and look at your hands.

    I bought Overkill on release day, despite it's M rating assuming that rating referred to gore and scariness. Nope: 'M' in this case refers to the most F-bombs per sentence of    I was a huge fan of the Original Typing of the Dead. Typing of the Dead (the original) is IMHO, the best way to become a fast typist without looking at your hands because you can't win and look at your hands.

    I bought Overkill on release day, despite it's M rating assuming that rating referred to gore and scariness. Nope: 'M' in this case refers to the most F-bombs per sentence of any game I have ever played. There is no setting to alleviate the constant barrage of F-bombery. There are single sentences with three or four curses. It's really just a lack of imagination.

    However, it begs another question: who is this game for? In today's typing-oriented world... how many people are still trying to learn to type by the time they are old enough for M rated games? I bought the game in the hopes of replacing my ragged old copy of the original, that my two kids (10 and 12) are using. Nope. No way I can let them play this. I can't trade an increase in words-per-minute for an increase in curses-per-minute.

    The typing itself doesn't include any swearing, though it has some suspect phrases such as "Gimp Suit" and "I hate old people" (really).

    It's a real shame, because it seems like the game-play is all there: a solid on-rails shooter, driven by typing. Had they offered an option to decursify the game, I'd probably be rating it an 8 or 9 (haven't finished it yet, and I'm not sure I will).    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. CD-Action
    Jan 10, 2014
    65
    Lacks polish and shows obvious signs of cuts, compromises and overall unfavourable circumstances in which the game was made. [01/2014, p.64]
  2. Level7.nu
    Jan 2, 2014
    70
    Everybody probably doesn’t love grindhouse humour and rail shooters in 2013. But there is no game like Typing of the Dead: Overkill. Together with the upcoming co-op mode it might be a future cult classic.
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  3. Games Master UK
    Dec 25, 2013
    81
    It's incredibly dumb, yes, but it works. [Jan 2014, p.82]
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