Preview: Deadlight - XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade)

 

 

Deadlight - (XBLA Exclusive)

Developer:Tequila Works

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Release Date: August 1, 2012

ESRB: Rating Pending

Website: http://deadlightgame.com/

The world has come to an end, again, and one man is fighting for survival in the rubble environment of a post-apocalyptic Seattle, circa 1983. Randall Wayne has abandoned hope on humanity. Rather, he needs to nestle up any bit of hope on his own survival. Zombies are hungry and quantifying immensely as Armageddon is risen.

Randall Wayne

This is the premise for Tequila Works forth-coming side-scrolling platform post-apocalyptic zombie survival game, Deadlight, for the Xbox Live Arcade, which will be hitting the marketplace very soon. Another post-apocalyptic survival game! Almost anything post-apocalyptic will catch my attention and my eagerness to play a game with such an environment is like a zombies need for brains. I have been into post-apocalyptic settings since Fallout made me a heavy fan of its on-going series. When I first heard of Deadlight, I was interested in its creative style, but I also thought, maybe this type of setting may be overdone and if not played out correctly, might lessen the sub-genre type. Another zombie game, really? It does seem a bit overdone, but Deadlight seems to bring some interesting features and captivating storyline to the table. This game definitely seems to have an environment similar to Fallout with a twist of Shadow Complex. Side-scrolling platform games do also tend to be hitting a risky margin since most players might feel that these mechanics are a bit dated and should have been left in the past with Classic Mario games or Contra. We have come to a time of age where3-D open world navigation is an essential part of a great game that does things right. Tequila Work’s, Deadlight,hopes to deliver, and it probably will.

From what we can see from the previews, it seems that the main protagonist will have to adapt to changing environments, as well as survive hordes of flesh-ripping zombies. It is defined as a “puzzle game with zombies” more than a “zombie game”.  If this is true, this game should prove to be a challenge to hard thinkers who like puzzlers. That will definitely be a twist we do not see much of in zombie games. It has also seemed apparent that the protagonist will also be limited in protection with scarce ammo and can also alert hordes with the sound of gunfire if not careful.  Randall Wayne, the protagonist, seems to be narrating his own story portraying himself as a hero and there will be times where he tries to justify his own actions, but the player will sometimes not be convinced of that story. The world looks beautifully detailed, although a lot of it will not be explored, it does seem to add to the grim context of the game. It is not detailed on how the zombie virus is spreading or if it is even recognized, but giving the era of its time, 1983, during the Cold War, Russians might be to blame. Who knows?

This game does seem to live up to its hype, and as an Arcade game, I am sure it will be a satisfying experience. That day has yet to come though, and as days near in, my anticipation will grow for Deadlight. Armageddon has never seemed so far away!

Coming Soon!