I dont usually review indie titles and as of now I am in the midst of university exams so I should really get back to studying. But anyhow, here's a mini-review of Tequila Works' new title Deadlight, now ported to the PC which I recently got a free copy from Steam. If you've played the 360 version of this than really there's no point getting this game on Steam. Its exactly the same 360 and I have played the 360 version but really never finished it. In terms of graphics, there no major graphical discrepancies between this and the console version apart from the higher resolution. For an indie title using the unreal engine, theres really not much a PC can do to beef up the graphics - its a 6 year old engine. Nevertheless, from a visual standpoint, it looks brilliant and conveys one of the best zomvbie-apocalypse moods Ive seen in recent years. The side-scrolling gameplay design is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing: It feels fluid when you have gotten used to the controls and it can be a bit of a niggle in the first hour or so. The controls are a hit and miss at times, especially for the PC with horrible mapping and the fact that the mouse is just under-utilized (though of course this can be changed). Trying holding E while using WASD or using WASD, Shift and Space at the same time. Its a **** and surely you can bind more actions to the mouse instead of just 'ATTACK'? (esp when most of the game is spent running away with limited weaponry use). Its weird playing for 15 or so minutes and suddenly you have to switch to your mouse and than leave it to again to collect dust as you control to whore the keyboard for the rest of the time. Performance-wise, on PC that runs Crysis 2 on max settings at a decent fps, I experienced stuttering and framerate drops when there's open spaces and at random times when zombies are appearing on screen. Like many other console ports out there, its evident of the developer's poor dedication to optimizing the game well for PC i.e. for all range of hardwares we have. Instead we have a rush job - the menu echoes console - you cant change graphic settings except for resolution, v-sync and an ambiguous graphics sliders. Even the control screen has the 360 controller instead of the keyboard and mouse bindings. And in that regard, I recommend using a controller if you have one cause this game plays like a **** with a keyboard and mouse. As aformentioned, all thanks to the poor binding design. Despite its issues, the rich atmosphere and its simple yet enthralling game mechanics kept me going for a while before I had a break from its elements due to repetition but just plain boredom from its storyline. The ending (dont worry, no spoilers here) is a letdown and while it doesn't feel rushed, it does feel like they just did a ME3 - its not a satisfying or emotional ending you'd expect, even for a zombie title. The overall plot is a bit of a letdown ultimately. You have the weird, hermit, zombie-killer characters. You have the evil military dudes (WHY THE FCK do they always make the military/government the bad guy?). You the douchey, dumbass bandits and scavengers. And than you have the sidekick who's just happened to be useful because he/she is a pilot/doctor/specialized in some form that will benefit you in this apocalypse. Dont expect anything fancy. Its all standard zombie horror been-there-seen-that stuff we've all seen in movies and games already. Had it been optimized better for PC as well as had a longer, deeper and more compelling plotline with more deeper gameplay such as more weaponry choices, more mission varieties etc, Deadlight would've succeeded. Instead, its an indie title feels like the developers worked their asses off for the first few months and then decided to give up on the dedication and later decided to have a quick, crappy port to the PC (2 months to port a game to PC is pure slackness - average console-to-PC conversions if they weren't release alongside the console versions already or were intentionally delayed, usually take around 4~6 months for good quality e.g Alan Wake) that costs way to much for an indie title ($20 for an delayed, indie game that lasts only around 9 hours+...srsly? If it had been say $10, it would've been much better in my books). So should you get Deadlight? It depends. I wouldn't recommend this game unless you're into zombies and post-apocalyptic titles (like me). Otherwise, Limbo is a much better game that better value for your money. Pros: +Fantastic atmosphere and presentation +Gameplay design
Cons -Shallow, uninteresting plot -Horrible voice-acting -Its a crappy console port: Controls, Menu and Performance optimization are utter garbage. -Too expensive for an indie title. Better Than: Dead Island On Par with: The Walking Dead Season 2: Good for the start and end, crappy in the middle. Worst Than: Limbo
OVERALL: 68%
VERDICT: Wait for a price-drop and only get it if you're into zombies and survival post-apocalyptic world stuff. A title that could've been a lot more for a lot less.
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Deadlight is probably one of the best Indie games I have played this year! It reminds me of LIMBO, but with improved gameplay, physics, action, weapons, story, soundtrack and ZOMBIES. I just couldn't let it go had to kee... Read Full Review
