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The mechanics are better, but not finished. Some elements, like zombie spawns and item placement, still feel askew. This idea that every videogame needs to be ‘balanced’ is a curse, and No More Room in Hell 2‘s lopsided difficulty is fundamental to its identity. As it stands, however, it’s frustrating more often than it is affecting. But Torn Banner has a vision, and thanks to the latest No More Room in Hell 2 update, that vision is increasingly clear. Dying Light The Beast is on its way and State of Decay 3 is going to do its thing, but NMRiH 2, more and more, seems like it can and will stand apart.
Since the early access launch in October, No More Room in Hell 2’s shortcomings have been well documented. What works here – and is working much better now, six months later – is the pacing. This is a methodical, oppressive, punishing zombie game. Forget looting a house or firing a gun – every time you choose to even swing a weapon, or stop to pick up some more batteries for your flashlight, it feels like that choice will have repercussions. At its very best, NMRiH 2 reminds me of Project Zomboid. In Zomboid, there’s no such thing as ‘just try it and see.’ You have to think about everything. Each decision is loaded with peripheral and inscrutable factors, and you have to do your best to take them into account. No More Room in Hell 2 has that same sternness and gravity.
And it looks great, more evidence that you should never underestimate the power of an intricate gore system. That crushing sense of responsibility that hangs over the macro design elements is also threaded into the smallest details. You don’t just ding a zombie on the head and keep running. You really have to wrestle it to the ground, bashing open its skull, exposing its brain, and jamming your boot into its chest to keep it at a safe distance. Too often, zombies feel like the context or vector for slapstick game mechanics. No More Room in Hell 2 treats the undead with a perverse kind of dignity. Even if it’s just one, on its own, you have to take it seriously.
There’s a way to go here. The number of zombies is still too high (or at least, they respawn too quickly and too close to you), and so it feels like you don’t have time to truly explore No More Room in Hell 2’s world, and just…take in the atmosphere. I’d also welcome some more reliable gear spawns. You might go into a two-story house and find zip all, but a perfectly anonymous shed contains medikits and a rifle. Nevertheless, the new No Room in Hell 2 update feels like another stride in the right direction.
The big change here is the new extraction system. If only three players are left alive, rather than cooperate to activate the single, main extraction at the end of the level, each person can choose to exit instantly and individually. You don’t keep anything you’ve found and you don’t earn any experience, but your character will live to fight another day, and if you’ve been leveling them for days or weeks, that’s likely worth the trade off.
Zombies have a new ‘weakened’ state, which means they take 100% more damage when they’re knocked onto the ground. There’s a new gun, the .22 caliber Gruber rifle, and an additional character called Lynch who provides radio support from CRC headquarters. Back in April, Torn Banner added two new maps, Pottsville and Lewiston. Next month, Broadway, from the original NMRiH, finally makes its way to the sequel. In combination with this week’s update, I’d say No More Room in Hell 2 deserves another chance.
Otherwise, try some of the best survival games, or maybe the best co-op games available today.
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