The Typing of the Dead - Windows PC

DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPING OF THE DEAD WINDOWS

The Typing of the Dead is a fun and addictive typing "game" from SEGA, essentially taking House of the Dead 2 and replacing the player's gun with a keyboard.

This review of the Dreamcast version (which is identical to this PC download in every aspect except the PC replaces a couple of game modes with IPX multiplayer) at GameCritics.com says it all: "A perfect example of such creative, atypical game design is Typing Of The Dead—published by Sega and designed by in-house team Smilebit.

Typing Of The Dead is a bizarre little game, the likes of which has never been attempted before to my knowledge. [The game] takes the entire content and framework of the arcade-style shooter House Of The Dead 2, but replaces the light-gun with a keyboard as the main method of interaction. Players still progress through the game in a first-person perspective while countless hordes of zombies, monsters and various other enemies attack, but the twist here is that each creature has letters, words or phrases floating in front of them. Players eliminate the unsavory elements by typing the appropriate combination of characters in a speedy and (hopefully) error-free manner.

To add some spice, each stage contains one or two short challenges with special requirements in addition to the general task of zombie depopulation. The game also includes a full-fledged tutorial which instructs the virtues of touch typing, as well as a choice between Arcade, Original, [or multiplayer] modes for gameplay enjoyment once a sufficient level of secretarial skill has been mastered.

Typing Of The Dead is a crazy, irreverent game, and such madness needs to be cherished whenever it appears, in my opinion. There's definitely an intrinsic, enjoyable quality to blowing off a zombie's head by typing the words "Rhythm Method." While some may not immediately see the appeal or value of a game that is played by typing, all it takes is five minutes on the keyboard to turn a crowd of naysayers into party people having a good time.