"Dead Or School" Switch Version Review: Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland Girl Gunfights

Hello everyone, I'm Lao Wang, a gamer with over a decade of experience with home consoles. Today, I'll be taking you on an in-depth look at "Dead Or School," a somewhat controversial side-scrolling action-shooter game on the Nintendo Switch platform. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the game tells the story of a girl fighting for survival and freedom. As a game that blends exploration, character development, and fast-paced action, how well does "Dead Or School" perform? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Let's take a look.

1. "Dead Or School" Game Introduction: A Post-Apocalyptic Girl's Survival Journey

The story of "Dead Or School" is set in the future, where the surface is occupied by zombies and humans are forced to hide underground. The protagonist is a girl named Hisako, who has lived underground since childhood and has never seen the sun. By chance, she hears about the existence of "schools" and dreams of returning to the surface one day to experience a normal school life. To realize this dream, Hisako embarks on a journey to the surface, fighting all kinds of zombies and monsters, and seeking hope in the ruins.

The core gameplay is side-scrolling action-shooting, where players control Hisako to explore different underground and surface scenes, collect resources, upgrade weapons and skills, and fight various enemies. The game has a rich weapon system, including swords, guns, explosives, etc., each with different characteristics and uses. In addition, the game also includes character development elements, where players can upgrade Hisako's abilities to improve her combat power.

2. "Dead Or School" Nintendo Switch Version Review: Gameplay and Operation Experience

2.1 Gameplay: Thrilling Combat, Rich Exploration

The core attraction of "Dead Or School" lies in its exhilarating combat experience. The game uses a fast-paced action system, where Hisako can perform various actions such as jumping, dashing, shooting, and melee attacks. Combined with different weapons, she can unleash gorgeous combos. The game features a wide variety of enemies, including ordinary zombies, mutated monsters, and powerful bosses. Each enemy has different attack methods and weaknesses, requiring players to flexibly use various weapons and skills to defeat them.

The exploration element of the game is also very rich. Players need to find various resources in the ruins, including money, materials, weapons, and equipment. These resources can be used to upgrade weapons and skills, enhancing Hisako's combat power. In addition, the game hides many secret areas and hidden items waiting for players to discover. Exploring these areas can not only obtain extra rewards but also learn more about the story of the game world.

2.2 Operation Feel: Slightly Stiff, Requires Adaptation

The control feel of "Dead Or School" is one of its most controversial aspects. The game's action feedback is relatively stiff, and Hisako's movement and attacks require some prediction. In addition, the game's operation is relatively complex, requiring players to master multiple buttons at the same time. For novice players, it may take some time to adapt.

However, once players are familiar with the game's operation, they can appreciate its unique fun. The game's combat system has a high degree of depth, and players can use different weapon and skill combinations to perform various gorgeous combos. In addition, the game also includes an "armor break" system, where players can attack enemy armor to break their defenses, making it easier to defeat them.

Considering the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, if the haptic feedback of the controller could be optimized with more precision and the ability to customize buttons was added, I believe it would greatly improve the game's control experience. Many people are following the nintendo switch2 first look, hoping that Nintendo can bring a better gaming experience on the new console.

3. "Dead Or School" Graphics and Sound Effects: Retro Style, Atmospheric

3.1 Graphics: Retro Pixel Style, Details Slightly Rough

"Dead Or School" uses a retro pixel style, and the overall picture is relatively rough. The game's scene design is relatively simple and lacks detail. The character models are also relatively simple. Although Hisako's image is cute, it lacks personality.

However, the game's graphic style is also in line with its post-apocalyptic wasteland background. The dilapidated city, the dark underground passages, and the bloody battle scenes all create an atmosphere of oppression and despair. In addition, the game's special effects are also excellent, especially the explosions and lighting effects, which add visual impact to the battle.

It is worth mentioning that if it runs on the future Nintendo Switch 2, with its more powerful performance, it may be possible to improve the picture performance to a certain extent through interpolation or other technical means. After all, everyone's expectations for the nintendo switch2 price also include better graphics performance.

3.2 Sound Effects: Tense Music, Qualified Sound Effects

The sound effects performance of "Dead Or School" is qualified. The game's music is mainly electronic music, with a tense rhythm that can set off the atmosphere of battle. The game's sound effects are relatively realistic, and the sound of weapons firing, the roar of enemies, and the background sound of the environment all bring a sense of immersion to players.

The voice acting performance of the game is also commendable. Hisako's voice actress is able to express her strength and bravery well. The voice actors of other characters also add color to the game.

4. "Dead Or School" Story: Simple and Direct, Slightly Cliched

The story of "Dead Or School" is relatively simple and direct, telling the story of Hisako fighting to realize her dream. The game's plot development is relatively flat and lacks surprises. The character development is also relatively stereotypical and lacks depth.

However, the game's plot is not without its merits. Although the game's plot is simple, its theme is clear: hope and courage. When faced with difficulties, Hisako never gave up hope and infected the people around her with her actions. In addition, the game also explores some issues about society and human nature, prompting players to think.

5. "Dead Or School" Comparison with Similar Games: Advantages and Disadvantages

Compared with similar side-scrolling action-shooter games, "Dead Or School" has certain advantages, but it also has some shortcomings.

Advantages:

• Exhilarating combat experience: The combat system of "Dead Or School" is excellent, and players can use different weapon and skill combinations to perform various gorgeous combos.
• Rich exploration elements: The game has rich exploration elements, and players need to find various resources in the ruins and unlock hidden secrets.
• Unique graphic style: The game uses a retro pixel style, creating a unique apocalyptic atmosphere.

Disadvantages:

• Stiff operation feel: The operation feel of "Dead Or School" is relatively stiff, requiring players to adapt.
• Simple and clichéd plot: The game's plot is relatively simple and direct, lacking surprises.
• Rough graphic details: The graphic details of the game are relatively rough and lack sophistication.

For example, compared with "Dead Cells", although the combat system of "Dead Or School" is exhilarating, the operation feel is not as smooth as "Dead Cells". Compared with "Hollow Knight", although the exploration element of "Dead Or School" is rich, the map design is not as ingenious as "Hollow Knight".

6. "Dead Or School" Nintendo Switch Version Score and Summary

Overall, "Dead Or School" is a game with both advantages and disadvantages. Its combat system is exhilarating, the exploration elements are rich, and the graphic style is unique, but the operation feel is stiff, the plot is simple and clichéd, and the graphic details are rough.

Score: 6.5/10

IGN: (Not included)

Metacritic: (Not included, but user scores are generally low)

Reasons for the score:

The advantage of "Dead Or School" lies in its exhilarating combat experience and rich exploration elements, but its operation feel and plot performance drag it down. If you like side-scrolling action-shooter games and can accept its operational shortcomings, then "Dead Or School" may bring you some fun. But if you have high requirements for operation feel and plot, then this game may not be suitable for you.

In short, I personally think that "Dead Or School" is a game that can be tried, but not a must-play game. It has certain advantages, but it also has some obvious disadvantages. If you are interested in this game, it is recommended to watch some game videos first to understand its operation feel and graphic style before deciding whether to buy it.

Of course, if we can see a remake or sequel of this game on the future Nintendo Switch 2, and optimize the operation feel and graphic details, I believe it can shine with new brilliance. After all, nintendo switch2 compatibility is also one of the focuses of players' attention. I hope Nintendo can bring a better experience to old games.

7. "Dead Or School" Beginner's Guide

For players who are new to "Dead Or School", here are some beginner's guides:

• Familiarize yourself with the operation: The game's operation is relatively complex, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the functions of various buttons first and practice more in the practice mode.
• Collect resources: Resources in the game are very important and can be used to upgrade weapons and skills. It is recommended to collect as many resources as possible during exploration.
• Reasonably match weapons and skills: The game has a rich weapon and skill system, and different weapon and skill combinations can produce different effects. It is recommended to reasonably match weapons and skills according to your game style and the characteristics of the enemy.
• Use the "armor break" system: Enemies in the game usually have armor protection, and you can attack the enemy's armor to break their defense, making it easier to defeat them.
• Pay attention to dodging enemy attacks: Enemies in the game have high attack power, so always pay attention to dodging enemy attacks to avoid being killed instantly.

8. "Dead Or School" Advanced Tips and Strategies

• Use dash to dodge attacks: Hisako's dash has invincibility frames, which can be used to dodge enemy attacks.
• Use jump to dodge ground attacks: Hisako's jump can dodge enemy ground attacks.
• Use melee to interrupt enemy attacks: Hisako's melee attacks can interrupt enemy attacks.
• Use explosives to deal with clustered enemies: Explosives can deal damage to enemies in a large area, making them very suitable for dealing with clustered enemies.
• Prioritize upgrading your favorite weapons and skills: Resources in the game are limited, so it is recommended to prioritize upgrading your favorite weapons and skills.

9. "Dead Or School" Speedrun Tips and Hidden Element Guide

• Choose the right weapons and skills: The key to speedrun is to quickly defeat enemies, so you need to choose weapons and skills with high attack power and efficiency.
• Familiarize yourself with the map: Familiarity with the map can help players quickly find targets and avoid getting lost.
• Use Bugs: There are some bugs in the game that can be used to skip some levels or quickly defeat Boss.
• Hidden elements: The game hides some special weapons, equipment and props that can help players complete the game better. These hidden elements usually need to complete specific tasks or solve puzzles to obtain them.

I hope this article can help you better understand the game "Dead Or School". If you have any questions, please leave a message in the comment area and I will try my best to answer them. I also look forward to the Nintendo Switch 2 bringing better performance to this type of game, allowing more players to experience the fun of this type of game!