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DEAD 'N' FURIOUS (DS)
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a.k.a. Touch the Dead
Publisher: Virgin Play. Developer: Dream On Studio. Released: November 2007 (Europe). Genre: On-rails Shooter. Posted 17th July 2023. By Shane Battams © 2023 |
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Dead ‘n’ Furious is one of those handheld titles that would benefit from its novel hardware. While console lightgun shooters like House of the Dead were abundant, Dream On Studio was able to take advantage of the Nintendo DS’s unique touchscreen controls and deliver a surprisingly enjoyable portable take on the genre. It’s an experiment which, while innovative at the time, also suffered from some setbacks, mainly regarding its control issues, difficulty balancing and some seriously ugly visuals. However, for those willing to shoulder these burdens, you’ll find a decent horror shooter that just could have done with more meat on the bones.
Rob Steiner is Prisoner #1809, sent to Ashdown Hole State Penitentiary at the start of this story. He is accused of a murder he didn’t commit, but seemingly in a spot of luck, his cell door is open for his escape. Unfortunately, it’s a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire, as he is greeted by a cavalcade of zombies who have overrun the prison. As he traverses the cellblocks, a sewer, a hospital and other parts of the prison, Steiner must fend off hordes of mutated nasties to escape. The story is told sparingly through a handful of voiceless cut-scenes, including some with noticeable typos which leave you confused, but it does the job. The comic panels which bookend the game are appealing at least, with the rest told through the game’s in-engine scenes.
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Dead 'n' Furious is a great concept: utilising the stylus to make for a novel and incredibly fast paced shooter
The quickest way to summarise Dead ‘n’ Furious is that it’s a portable version of House of the Dead. While the lack of a peripheral might set alarm bells ringing, Dream On would instead opt to utilise the touchscreen entirely, with all the action taking place on the lower screen and the status shown on the upper instead. After quickly finding a pistol, you then tap the screen to shoot the zombies. You eventually gain access to a shotgun, crowbar and machine gun, and upgrades collected along the way add damage buffs. Let baddies get too close, and they’ll take off a health square (shown with a heart symbol). Lose all of these and you’ll be sent back to the start of the chapter. Crates hold both ammo for later weapons and health, proving worthwhile to seek out. The pistol comes with infinite bullets but is naturally the weakest in the game. Players could probably finish the twelve levels in a single sitting, but as is the case with competing games in this genre, that’s easier said than done.
Furious proves a novel take on the genre, and tapping to gun down zombie hordes is satisfying thanks to potent weapons that take chunks out of the undead. However, some of the other control functions feel less natural. Reloading requires you to drag a clip across the screen, and feels like a pace killer at times, especially when multiple zombies are approaching. It’s a tough game as is, but this adds to the woes. For some reason, the game was set to left-handed as default, putting the swap weapons buttons on the face buttons, but changing to right-handed moves this to the D-Pad which is much better. It can be immensely satisfying to nail a level, but some cheap moments such as randomly appearing zombies can dampen the fun. It’s worth mentioning that there are also survival elements here in the form of scarce ammo, which can leave you stuck if you progress to a new level with minimal firepower. It’s a challenging one, but patience does yield satisfaction.
Furious proves a novel take on the genre, and tapping to gun down zombie hordes is satisfying thanks to potent weapons that take chunks out of the undead. However, some of the other control functions feel less natural. Reloading requires you to drag a clip across the screen, and feels like a pace killer at times, especially when multiple zombies are approaching. It’s a tough game as is, but this adds to the woes. For some reason, the game was set to left-handed as default, putting the swap weapons buttons on the face buttons, but changing to right-handed moves this to the D-Pad which is much better. It can be immensely satisfying to nail a level, but some cheap moments such as randomly appearing zombies can dampen the fun. It’s worth mentioning that there are also survival elements here in the form of scarce ammo, which can leave you stuck if you progress to a new level with minimal firepower. It’s a challenging one, but patience does yield satisfaction.
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The only shame is a lack of incentive to return. An initial completion unlocks Furious mode, which adds more fuel to the already fiery difficulty for the masochistic. Completing a second playthrough does unlock God mode which, while featuring the powerful enemies of Furious mode, gives you fully upgraded and infinite ammo weapons. But it’s replaying the same content over, with only hidden artwork tucked in each level offering anything ancillary. It would have been nice to see some extra modes, though in a neat twist, you can play the entire game in co-op using Wi-Fi.
You’ll probably spot quickly that Dead ‘n’ Furious is not an attractive game. The overly blocky visuals would make the original PlayStation blush, coating everything in a dated paint job that’s rotted on arrival. Levels look flat, character models unflattering and performance is shaky, and while expecting more from a handheld is perhaps foolish, many DS releases prior to this one looked far better. Audio fares a bit stronger, with a creepy soundtrack that mixes ambient sounds with unsettling music to good effect. Zombie groans feel spot on, and weapons pack a punch.
You’ll probably spot quickly that Dead ‘n’ Furious is not an attractive game. The overly blocky visuals would make the original PlayStation blush, coating everything in a dated paint job that’s rotted on arrival. Levels look flat, character models unflattering and performance is shaky, and while expecting more from a handheld is perhaps foolish, many DS releases prior to this one looked far better. Audio fares a bit stronger, with a creepy soundtrack that mixes ambient sounds with unsettling music to good effect. Zombie groans feel spot on, and weapons pack a punch.
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Dead ‘n’ Furious is given some life by its novel concept, though an unrefined execution does render some of its qualities inert. The touchscreen-tapping shooting starts really well, and though difficulty spikes and control oddities can dampen the fun, those who have patience may bear the fruits of this action title. It’s just a shame there weren’t a few extra modes to keep you busy, as replaying the story mode only holds the interest for so long. But those wanting some zombie blasting goodness on the DS should find this satisfactory.
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VERDICT
"Dead 'n' Furious is given some life by it’s novel concept, even if difficulty spikes and control oddities can dampen the fun." OVERALL: 6/10 |