As a seasoned survivor of numerous zombie apocalypses, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of familiarity when I hear about Torn Banner Studios’ No More Room In Hell 2. Having spent countless nights huddled behind barricades, watching friends turn into the undead, and fighting tooth and nail to stay alive, I can tell you that this game is not for the faint-hearted.
Occasionally, people discuss zombie video games with a sense of weariness, as if they’ve had enough and are ready to move on from the idea, but I’m never going to sound that way. In fact, I seek out as many zombie games as I can find, and the ones I enjoy most in this genre often share a particular feature that I consider crucial.
The Second Installment of the Acclaimed Zombie Game “No More Room In Hell 2” (NMRIH2)
But exploration must be done carefully and with great consideration for every action. In my time with the game, stamina was quite limited, especially in combat, where I could only get in about four swings with my metal pipe before I had to retreat while I caught my breath. Early on in my demo, as I scoured picnic tables, outhouses, and campgrounds for flashlight batteries, ammo, and medkits, I carefully crouched, lights off, around small packs of undead. My time in the original game had primed me to expect an unforgiving experience, and that kept me from having to learn that the hard way early on.
In this particular universe, the zombies are reminiscent of the traditional lumbering type, unlike the swift-moving ones depicted in more contemporary works such as 28 Days Later and World War Z. To explain differently, they’re more akin to the zombies from Dawn of the Dead (1978) compared to those from Dawn of the Dead (2004). Nevertheless, even a solitary zombie poses a significant close-combat risk. They possess an alarming speed and those with red eyes are particularly robust, often withstanding multiple melee attacks and even some powerful shotgun blasts that would remove body parts. As I frantically hacked at these tougher undead, chunks of flesh and bone dropped to the ground as if a ceiling was collapsing due to severe water damage. Although this gory effect is not unique–Dead Island 2 and Dying Light 2 also employ it–it’s always appreciated in zombie games that can deliver it.
In the upcoming sequel during its early access phase starting October 21st, the original game’s mechanic of certain injuries leading to a timer before transformation into a zombie will be included. However, even in this preliminary version, the consequence of death is permanent and can erase all your character’s advancements. Upon demise, your character transforms into a zombie, losing control, forcing teammates to eliminate you like any ordinary undead creature. This then necessitates starting a new character from the beginning.
The game design makes each hit you sustain expensive due to the restricted inventory space and scarcity of healing items, leaving you with fewer essential resources if you do have them. The gunplay is equally unfavorable. In my gaming experience, I only had a revolver initially, then found a shotgun later, but ammunition was scarce, and using either weapon frequently seemed to attract more zombies than any headshot was beneficial. It didn’t take long before I started checking every corner upon entering a room. Additionally, I learned to keep moving constantly, and if necessary, I would climb onto a truck or some elevated structure for a short respite before healing or managing my supplies.
In NMRIH2, teamwork is crucial and one of the most exhilarating moments during my initial playthrough was discovering another survivor. Navigating the forest solo and spotting another light flickering among the trees was a moment of relief in both my long endeavors to complete the game’s challenging mission. With only a few survivors on each map, you can hardly survive without assembling your team. Although it’s not mandatory to collaborate with other players, going solo is usually lethal, and yet, the game encourages you to test your luck if that’s your choice.
In the universe of NMRIH2, as Torn Banner Studios explained to me, it’s not a “post-apocalyptic” scenario. Instead, the narrative unfolds during the tumultuous phase of societal collapse. Picture a vehicle veering off a slick, storm-drenched highway, not one that has crashed and burned. The game revolves around your band of survivors, all dressed as first responders, who are striving to regain control, such as restarting essential facilities like a local power plant. There’s still optimism in the air. The world hasn’t plunged into utter chaos just yet, which gives context to your missions as crucial for the survival of your community – and potentially humanity as a whole.
The assortment of these characteristics serves to embody the primary and pivotal emotion in zombie video games: hopelessness. Unlike most games that offer power fantasies, horror games, particularly zombie ones, are crafted with a different intention. Imagine witnessing four companions being eliminated, another pleading for resuscitation. Would you risk your character to save them? What if you’re exhausted, moving too slowly, or simply not strong enough anymore? What do you when two zombies were challenging, but now there are 30 or more surrounding a vital location? You can battle, but it won’t last forever. You can hide, but they will eventually locate you. You can wait it out, but the undead don’t rest.
Overcoming insurmountable odds and surviving (with loyal allies by your side), much like in horror films, is what could catapult Torn Banner’s sequel into the elite echelon of zombie games. After the first game spent over a decade relatively unnoticed as a flawed yet captivating hidden gem, my early-access sneak peek at No More Room In Hell 2 has me believing it’s poised to gain significant recognition.
commencing on October 22, you can explore No More Room In Hell 2 by visiting its release on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
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2024-10-16 18:39