![The Typing of the Dead: Overkill [Download]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JOXYzP5dL._SY430_SX215_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
A friend and I both purchased this since we were looking for another multiplayer game to play together, and had previously joke-challenged each other to improve typing speeds. This game seemed perfect. Zombies seem to be the thing now (although the game references them as mutants, not zombies).
The storyline was meh. The game switches between two men (Agent G and Isaac Washington) and two women (Varla Guns and Candy Stryper). There is constant cursing, every woman so far has been a stripper, and Candy Stryper is an incredibly overdone dumb blonde stereotype. I wish that was an exaggeration. Profanity doesn't bother me in other games or comedy sketches (this game is a comedy), but the way they used it in Typing of the Dead just didn't seem funny or necessary to me. I tried playing it when I was in different moods to see if I could ever find it amusing. At the best, I just tolerated it.
The game controls your view, and as zombies come out, different words, phrases, or letters pop up over them. If you spell it correctly, the zombie is a one-shot kill (except for bosses). We got through more than 50% of the game in just two short sessions, so it's definitely a quick game. I thought the idea of typing for a FPS was interesting, and that part of the game was fun. It does challenge your typing speed and spelling, but not all skills. The game doesn't account for using the space bar or grammar (although the words/phrases will include both). The words/phrases gradually get harder, and for quick shots single letters are available. Also, in case you were wondering, the curse words aren't offered for you to type, it's just in the dialogue. The words that came out to type were amusing though.
If you're going to play this as a multiplayer, it works better as a competition rather than a teamwork game. It's possible that we just haven't figured out the controls yet, but some controls we found iffy...
- If you're typing a word, you can't "quit" trying that word. As a teamwork game, it was annoying, since sometimes we'd both accidentally start typing the same phrase, and then one of us can't exit the word. As a competition, it can get amusing though to see who finishes it first.
- Health packs and other items glow around the screen, but we haven't figured out how to access those at all yet. I'm sure you can, but I wish the game made it more clear how to use the items.
If you're into that kind of storyline and want to type really fast with little accuracy to shoot zombies, go for it. It can be a lot of fun that way. If you're buying this as a gift for someone learning to type, perhaps take a step back and think it through. This game is more interesting than Mavis Beacon software, but it's NOT going to teach you to type. While other software runs you through games/drills that practice different sections, this game just seems random to me. Also, since you're not penalized in Typing of the Dead for capitalization, spacing, or grammar, it's not great practice.
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