Deadlight

Deadlight follows down the same tired/tried and tested route of survival horror that many other games have gone down in the recent past, but it aims to do so in the guise of a 2.5D platformer. Randall Wayne, survivor of the zombie invasion, is on a mission: find his friends, reunite his family, avoid the undead, blah blah blah.

Whilst the storyline might not excite, the premise does. Almost as soon as the game starts, potential oozes from the screen. It's atmospheric, dark and moody. Narrative is delivered by motion-comic cutscenes and via Randall's internal monologue. The essence of Deadlight is captured very early on, and it's an effective narrative style.

The first thoughts to flow through my brain were those of comparison. Early exchanges remind me of Shadow Complex, which is in no way a bad thing. The puzzles, the mature theme, the style of the game, all evoked feelings of familiarity. But there's also undertones of Rush'n Attack in there too, with characters joining the action from the background and a strong sense of linearity - not in itself a problem, but that game didn't exactly rub itself in glory.

In truth Deadlight sits somewhere between the two. Whilst it doesn't have the polish and refinement of Shadow Complex, it is an undeniably better game than Rush'n Attack was.

The opening chapter is superb. By the time I had it finished I was convinced that this was a title of the highest quality. Whilst the story is a tad generic, it's fit for purpose. Randall (or Randy to his friends) is shacked up with some fellow survivors, but the undead horde is a knock, knock, knocking on the door. The group make good their escape, but accidentally leave Randall behind. Thus he is forced to make his own way to the promised "Safe Zone"; conveniently only a few miles outside of town.

And so he departs, running through buildings, along rooftops, manipulating the environment as he goes and solving puzzles in the process. Randall moves through the world clutching just a fire axe, each swing depleting his stamina until nought is left and each attack is nothing but a tired hack. Later he gets a gun, and later still a slingshot (although the latter is for puzzles). It's not earth-shattering stuff, but it works. It satisfies.

Once the superlative first chapter was done and dusted (it didn't take long), it was onto the second. Sadly it turned out to be a massive anticlimax. The warehouses and streets of the first chapter made way for dark and dank tunnels hidden deep underground. We also meet a crazy old man living in this labyrinthine crypt who tasks Randall with navigating his overly elaborate assortment of traps.

It was here that Deadlight began to feel less than sum of its parts. The arrangement of the tunnels is completely ridiculous; it's an excuse to platform and nothing more. The context behind it - the idea that a crazy old man built this trap riddled lair for whatever reason - holds little water.

At this point, and from here on in, niggles start to frustrate. The controls just aren't as sharp as you'd want from a game that demands tight platforming skills. Several times the frustration boiled over, leading to red-faced expletives. If a game asks precision from you, the least it can do is offer it back, but Deadlight is lacking in this key area. It's not game-breaking, but the handful of times that it pops up is enough to sour once positive thoughts.

Combat, whether it be with a gun or an axe, can border on infuriating at times. The system employed by Tequila Works just isn't responsive enough to handle multiple enemies. It leads to many frustrating exchanges, most of which end with Randall flailing his axe around before submitting to the inevitable onslaught. Gunfights are a little more precise, and therefore less annoying.

Perhaps the most terrifying opponent you'll face in Deadlight is the environment around you. Whether it's spikes, long drops or even a carefully placed cardboard box, there's always something around to challenge your progress. For the most part, navigating the world is fun and exciting, but there are moments where poor design lets the game down. For example, a side-effect of the otherwise fantastic art style is that it's hard to distinguish at times between interactive scenery and background art - the aforementioned cardboard boxes often look like they're part of the background decor, yet there's times when Randall will trip over them. Alone the inconsistency is already stupid, but when it leads to becoming zombie lunch, and a restart, its becomes aggreavating to the extreme.

When back on the surface things return to something close to normal. Randall once again takes to the rooftops, dodging zombies and an organization known as The New Law as he seeks out those close to him. But despite the quickening pace, once again the controls frustrate a little too often.

It's a real shame because there is so much going on here that is worthy of praise. The mood is splattered on the walls, and the distinctive aesthetic compliments the tone and content of the game superbly. This visual backdrop creates a tense atmosphere, with zombies (or shadows as they're called here) often meandering around in the background, only to amble into your path upon spotting/hearing you.

Deadlight is set in Seattle in the 1980's, and this scenario allowed Tequila Works to really fashion out some individual style in a crowded, tired genre. That said, it looks and feels a little like Alan Wake, only in 2D, and with less chatty bollocks.

Equally, the soundtrack is commendable. A rich tapestry of sounds have been woven together to compliment the action. It only adds to the carefully assembled atmosphere created by the studio. Sadly the voice work isn't of the same high standard, serving only to jar you from the wonderfully evocative ambience of the game.

The folks over at Tequila Works are obviously a talented bunch, and although their first game may be a flawed one, it's still pretty good. Early promise may well lead to frustration and disappointment later on, but that shouldn't detract from what is a decent title on so many other levels.

Although Deadlight is a little on the short side (a full run will take you less than ten hours), there is still much to admire. It avoids enough cliches, and retains enough of its own identity to be worth a look. Just don't be too disappointed when the high standards aren't maintained, and you'll likely get along fine.