In No More Room in Hell 2, you and up to seven other players must work together to survive against hordes of zombies. During early access... you're able to play in a massive map in rural Pennsylvania, and your objective is to complete various tasks assigned by the CRC (Civilian Response Corps) to progress and escape the nightmare. Considering the fact that the game is still in early access, keep in mind the gameplay seen in this article is not the final results. Updates with improvements continue to roll out.
One of the aspects I found challenging was coming into contact with allies. In my first run, I didn't encounter any, which made the experience even more intense. While I appreciate the need to work for such a thing, I believe it should be optional. Starting with an ally by your side might not be as rewarding as finding someone after going through hell, but... not everyone will be able to manage alone before coming across allies on such an expansive map. I have to keep it real, especially with so many zombies on deck. They aren't the type where you hit them once and they drop, it's going to take effort to take one down unless you use a firearm. So when it comes to taking on a slew of them... you can't just slug it out.
When the gang's all together, you feel a lot more confident because eight people fighting for survival instead of a one-man army is a no-brainer in this permadeath co-op horror game. You aren't just fighting zombies; you have various objectives from the CRC to... progress and escape. The zombies react to every sound they're close enough to hear, so you have to be careful and strategic. Sounds can draw them near you, but you can also use sound to your advantage.
I can't lie, playing No More Room in Hell 2 with hi-res headphones (i.e. 1More Sonoflow Pro) was incredibly nerve-racking. The game, developed by Torn Banner Studios, is a co-op horror experience that places you in a world overrun by the... undead. The immersive sound design is as important to the gameplay as other features, and playing with headphones amplifies this aspect to a whole new level when you aren't playing with a surround sound system. Grab popcorn for this first run + commentary!
With surround sound... you can hear zombies coming from various angles. This is beneficial because it gives you a heads-up on what's coming, but it also adds one helluva layer of paranoia. I found myself tucking my neck and feeling constantly on edge during the entire gameplay. Torn Banner Studios is headed in the right direction with this second installment.
Overall, my intial experience with No More Room in Hell 2 was both entertaining and nerve-racking. And I highly recommend something more than standard stereo speakers to enjoy the game's sound design. It adds a layer of immersion that makes the horror elements even more effective. While there are some aspects that could be added, such as the ability to start with an ally, the game shows great promise and is definitely worth considering if you're a fan of FPS multiplayer horror games.
You can get... No More Room in Hell 2 for $29.99 on PC now!
