DEADLIGHT DIRECTOR’S CUT review

PS4 / X-One / PC

“…and the dead will walk the earth.” Although in this case, you will be glad to hear they can only move from side to side in this 2.5D platformer.

Originally released in 2012 for the PC and Xbox, developers Tequila works have decided to spread the zombie virus onto the latest generation of platforms, which works out a treat for PS4 and Xbox One gamers. This is what is known in the trade as a ‘hidden gem’. A side scrolling platformer, this is both a beautiful game to look at and play.

Zombie games may be two a penny these days, but what sets this out from the rest is the thoughtfulness that has gone into developing each level, with the just-one-more-go gameplay perfectly balanced. Deadlight is a very simple game to play – you’ll pick up everything you need to know in five minutes – but the level design and the unique atmosphere it presents makes it stand out from the undead hordes.

You play as Randall Wayne, a zombie outbreak survivor in the 1980s. Your mission is to find your wife and daughter, and to do this you must make your way through a puzzle strewn landscape, filled with objects to move, platforms to jump and collectables to find. The artwork in each location is a visual feast, and it is very easy to get distracted by looking at the background instead of avoiding being eaten alive at points.

Along the way you will pick up weapons to help defend yourself with, including fire axes, guns and a slingshot. The amount of action versus puzzle solving is roughly 50/50, meaning you will never get broiled down into one style of play for too long.

This is a game with a strong horror element too. As you have limited ammo and the constant threat of dying looming over you. The brooding soundtrack and slobbering noises from the zombies us the icing on the undead cake.

The only quibble I can stake at this game is that it is just too short. It is roughly six hours of gameplay, although the dedicated will complete it before that. Still that is a minor fault in what is otherwise an excellent game. This is one virus that you wouldn’t mind catching…

Mark Pilkington