Or “How Tequila Zombie”…
I can’t say that I played the original Deadlight, shame on me I know…but I was pleased to get the chance to see what all the fuss is about. The Director’s Cut is essentially the same game for Xbox One/PS4 and PC, but it also includes a new survival arena mode.
The story follows the survival of Randall after the zombie outbreak, which is set in the 1980s. Randall is searching for his family in Seattle, while holding off whatever gets in his way. The game is a 2.5D side-scroller…which isn’t the obvious choice of perspective for a zombie game, but it works well. There is a hint of Metroidvania about Deadlight, which is no bad thing…while the zombies can still be genuinely scary as they hide in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Randall can use weapons to fight back, but he has a stamina bar…so you can’t just go button-mashing and for some reason, he can’t swim in deep water and will instantly drown if he enters it…almost reminds me of old-school games where that was a thing, until the sequel where they could swim.
The game itself is on the short side, which is why I assume they added in the survival arena mode. I got through the main game in a few hours, while the arena added a few more. You may think it’s short, but it is on sale at a reduced price…even as a retail game. Despite it’s short length, Deadlight is definitely memorable and well worth picking up if you haven’t already. It’s hard to recommend for those who have played the original as the survival mode is the only added extra, but at least they actually added something new instead of just upping the visuals like most remastered games do these days.
The Verdict
Deadlight: Director’s Cut is a great game, even if it is brief. It’s memorable and enjoyable from start to finish, but it’s hard to recommend to those who already have the original…but for everyone else, it’s time to see what this is all about.