After a disastrous start, No More Room in Hell 2 is finally starting to turn things around, picking up some positive reviews thanks to a free weekend and patches

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Games that initially struggled to find their footing have eventually regained momentum over time, and No Man’s Sky is an excellent demonstration of this. The anticipation for its release in 2016 was enormous, but the end product felt somewhat underwhelming. After numerous updates and countless new adventures, however, it began to receive the recognition it truly deserved. Similarly, No More Room in Hell 2 appears to have had a challenging debut, but following a free weekend promotion and some well-executed patches, it’s now garnering positive feedback.

Same name, new game. Why NMRIH 2 is so different

Originally released in 2013 as a free Source mod, No More Room in Hell quickly became extremely popular. It amassed an impressive following of over 2.9 million Steam users and received a “Very Positive” rating from more than 72,000 reviews. Remarkably, even after all this time, it still maintains a dedicated player base with approximately 900 people playing simultaneously. This is truly remarkable for a game that’s been out for such a long period.

Contrarily, the sequel to “No More Room in Hell”, titled “No More Room in Hell 2”, entered Early Access on October 22, 2024. However, things didn’t proceed as anticipated. The game had a promising start with approximately 15,000 players on its first day, but the momentum didn’t sustain. Steam reviews were overwhelmingly negative, earning a rating of “Mostly Negative”, and out of more than 7,000 reviews, only about 45% were positive. Here’s what the players had to say:

Rather than adhering to the original’s cooperative, mission-driven survival format, they transformed it into a solo extraction shooter, currently featuring a single map. The zombies pose minimal danger as they can be easily bypassed, and the melee combat feels somewhat awkward.

– LawMaker_

In its present condition, I consider the game practically unenjoyable. Frankly, I find it hard to comprehend the favorable critiques. At most, it seems like an idea or blueprint for a game, for which people are being asked to pay around $30.

– Silence

I’m utterly frustrated with issues such as having an inventory that feels unusable, a scope function that zooms in but fails to provide any iron sight, and let’s not delve into the annoyance of getting pummeled by zombies who are mere feet away yet seem to be facing the other way. It’s quite disheartening!

– The Spooky Dude

Essentially, the reason No More Room in Hell 2 was developed by a separate studio instead of Lever Games is because Torn Banner Studios, creators of Chivalry 2, acquired the original development team. Although some members remained and continued working on the sequel within Torn Banner’s company, there were significant changes. The game underwent a major transformation by switching engines from Source to Unreal Engine 5, and with a new setup for the team, this could account for the stark differences between No More Room in Hell 2 and its predecessor.

From buggy mess to work-in-progress

As an avid fan, I’m thrilled to share that Torn Banner Studios has listened to our community concerns and rolled out a series of solutions. With the April Reanimation update, they’ve brought in several improvements, including:

  1. Two new maps
  2. Revamped combat system
  3. New zombie types
  4. Stability improvements and various technical fixes

Following the launch of the game’s initial Free Weekend event, approximately 11,000 players joined in. Consequently, the game’s more recent reviews have been categorized as “Mixed”. Let me share some feedback from the current players:

Although it’s not perfect yet, with some lingering issues, and it can still be buggy at times, the latest upgrade seems to be moving us forward positively.

– Crango

Initially, this game appeared quite unrefined. However, after six months of development, it’s evident that the creators have poured considerable effort into it. It excels remarkably as a zombie-shooting game focusing on rescue missions.

– mustardwhale9

As a gamer, I relish the challenge that permanent death brings – each game feels significant, whether I’m starting afresh or continuing with an experienced character. What truly matters is collaborating effectively with my team to accomplish objectives and endure our journey together.

– Yeti

Despite some lingering negativity about No More Room in Hell 2 due to issues like suboptimal performance and balance, it appears that the developers are making significant efforts. The free weekend has undoubtedly given the game a much-needed boost, attracting more players and, most importantly, a wealth of valuable feedback. However, it seems that the path towards a full resurgence could still be quite lengthy.

Many folks understand that NMRIH 2 is currently in Early Access, but the initial influx of game-halting glitches was somewhat excessive. On the upside, it’s gradually garnering more favorable opinions than unfavorable ones on a daily basis, which is more than can be said for Civilization 7. That debut was chaotic, and despite a promising plan for future updates and fresh patches, the reviews continue to plummet overall.

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2025-04-22 17:02