Deadlight

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 588 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 317 out of 588
  2. Mixed: 209 out of 588
  3. Negative: 62 out of 588

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  1. 6EQUJ5
    Nov 2, 2012
    4
    While all can agree that the game has good background atmosphere there is a lot more to be desired by Deadlight. You would expect much more for a game that costs only about $15 but you will be in for disappointment so save your money and don't buy this game. This game is basically a very bad version of Contra mixed with The Walking Dead theme mixed in a combination with an even worseWhile all can agree that the game has good background atmosphere there is a lot more to be desired by Deadlight. You would expect much more for a game that costs only about $15 but you will be in for disappointment so save your money and don't buy this game. This game is basically a very bad version of Contra mixed with The Walking Dead theme mixed in a combination with an even worse version of Pitfall/Prince of Persia style with short puzzles. Controls are not the best because when you try to jump over certain areas you either (A.) Over-jump or (B.) Under-jump and fall to your doom. The weapons are very limited and in the end you only get a fire axe, a .38 Revolver, and a shotgun. Konami's 1987 release of Contra had more guns than that which makes you think where the developers had gone wrong. With limited weapon choices the replay-ability of the game is poor since Nightmare mode is unlocked after completing the game in normal. Nightmare mode is only available on the PC version. Upon the limited choices the worst part is that the zombies are extremely tough to take down using the fire axe. The fastest way to kill any zombie is using either the .38 revolver or the shotgun with limited ammo. This game was rushed as you can tell because there wasn't enough testing involved. In certain parts of the games if you didn't solve the puzzle fast enough you get swarmed by the infinite zombies and it would lag your PC out so bad because there were too many zombies on the screen. I would also have to agree that the voice acting is bad or not congruent with the theme they're trying to pull off. The main character sounds more like an old school Max Payne narrating the story which doesn't really fit into the theme of a Zombie Apocalypse. Voice acting overall was terrible and unbelievable.

    Don't feel bad to hit the uninstall button after you finish your first run through because that's exactly what I did.    … Expand
  2. ColdRage
    Apr 4, 2013
    3
    This game has a nice atmosphere and looks great on paper. Even the first steps are fun. Until the really bad controlls kill all the fun. It is extremly annoying how often you die due to bad control. Best example is probably trying to climb over a fence...In it's current state I don't understand the score even remotely...
  3. greywolf00
    Aug 24, 2013
    4
    Good game, albeit short. All of the good is wiped out by the horrible controls though. There are a bunch of areas that can only be passed via rolling (Sprint Crouch). The problem is, the character rarely rolls when you press the buttons. Instead, the crouch button seems to override the command and he'll start crouching instead of rolling, forcing you to replay sections endless till youGood game, albeit short. All of the good is wiped out by the horrible controls though. There are a bunch of areas that can only be passed via rolling (Sprint Crouch). The problem is, the character rarely rolls when you press the buttons. Instead, the crouch button seems to override the command and he'll start crouching instead of rolling, forcing you to replay sections endless till you get lucky and the controls proc the correct move. Have had the issue with both a controller and keyboard controls. Very frustrating and not worth the price.… Expand
  4. philodox87
    Mar 24, 2013
    4
    I really wanted to like this game. I love the zombie/post-apocalyptic genre and have been looking for a game that isn't an FPS. I've been gaming for a long time and this thing just really let me down. The graphics and atmosphere/environment are top notch. But the control scheme and "puzzles" are just too frustrating. There are plenty of times where it just is not clear what you areI really wanted to like this game. I love the zombie/post-apocalyptic genre and have been looking for a game that isn't an FPS. I've been gaming for a long time and this thing just really let me down. The graphics and atmosphere/environment are top notch. But the control scheme and "puzzles" are just too frustrating. There are plenty of times where it just is not clear what you are supposed to be doing, so you end up doing a bunch of trial and error as your character falls into pits/spikes or gets swarmed by zombies. It's hard to tell when zombies come from the background onto your "plane" so you can attack them this is by far the most frustrating since you can't plan attacks. Just lots and lots of "WTF do I do here?" deaths and repeats of sections until you figure out what you are supposed to be doing. That and crappy controls for combat and fast movement really ruin it. Trying to run away from something but having to quickly get over a fence the control scheme doesn't allow for fluid continuation, you have to execute the proper unintuitive commands... Anyway, if the Prince of Persia style platform puzzles were better executive and the control interface were better, this game could easily be a 9/10.… Expand
  5. GoibonUdenLo
    Jul 18, 2013
    3
    The atmosphere is decent and the writing is great. But that's where the good parts end.

    The game is killed by a horrible control scheme that is inconsistent at best and downright unresponsive, no matter if using keyboard/mouse, gamepad, or even an Xbox 360 controller (that the game was originally designed for). For example, if you want to jump vertically (which is very necessary in    The atmosphere is decent and the writing is great. But that's where the good parts end.

    The game is killed by a horrible control scheme that is inconsistent at best and downright unresponsive, no matter if using keyboard/mouse, gamepad, or even an Xbox 360 controller (that the game was originally designed for). For example, if you want to jump vertically (which is very necessary in parts), it is not enough to simply let go of the control stick/stop pressing movement keys. No, you have to do that AND wait for your character run/walk animation to completely halt before pressing the jump key, else you'll make a forward leap that would make a track and field star proud. Trying to climb a ledge immediately after making a sprinting leap? Better let go of the control stick completely, because if it's even a single degree toward the ground, you'll just climb down from the ledge you just jumped onto instead. It's pretty clear the development team of this game didn't do much/any testing prior to the release of their PC port, and not just due to the controls.

    This game is so terribly optimized for PC that even the pause menu has issues. I'm running a gaming PC that I built with mid-to-top-end hardware (as of a year ago, anyway) that has no problems running current-gen games of any kind, I've got an ASUS gaming notebook that's only 3 months old, and my girlfriend has a run-of-the-mill Toshiba laptop. After spending a combined total of 4 hours playing the game across all 3 machines, I feel like I need to call Terminix. The game crashes to desktop upon the first time running it (except, ironically, on my girlfriend's Toshiba). It'll freeze randomly after loading into a new zone. If you alt+tab or ctrl+alt+delete, the game will steal focus back unless you're quick enough to end the process before it does. You can't even pause the game without it freezing for about 30-45 seconds before the pause menu even comes up. I'm also not entirely sure if the cutscenes are supposed to have audio, as there was none, but that's also the only place where subtitles appeared, despite there being plenty of spoken dialogue during actual gameplay that wasn't subtitled.

    Final verdict? Tequila Works, S.L. must've been trying to live up to their name a bit too much, as it's pretty clear that they were way past the Ballmer peak when putting this game together. It's not even worth the $3.74 I paid for it during the Steam Summer Sale, and especially not the $14.99 that is normally charged. Avoid this game altogether.    … Expand
  6. MrDeeds
    Jan 22, 2014
    2
    !!!Spoiler Alert!!! I believe we can all agree this game has quite a stunning setting, but the flaws of this game far outweigh it's positive features. While i was impressed with the game's graphics and ominous backdrops, I was not impressed with the sluggish and extremely imprecise control the player has over Randal, the protagonist. This fact is all too evident at times where you (the!!!Spoiler Alert!!! I believe we can all agree this game has quite a stunning setting, but the flaws of this game far outweigh it's positive features. While i was impressed with the game's graphics and ominous backdrops, I was not impressed with the sluggish and extremely imprecise control the player has over Randal, the protagonist. This fact is all too evident at times where you (the player) are forced to make fast, "Parkour-like" actions to escape certain death. The harshest of these examples being the collapsing building that you barely (and i really do mean barely) have time to escape from before being crushed to death. To proceed beyond that point you are forced to retry countless times until you have "perfected" your technique. Much frustration and disappointment could have been easily avoided if grand oversights, such as the ridiculous obstacle course constructed by a hobo (not joking), the needless rooftop escape from the helicopter, or of course the collapsing building. With such a strong start to the game, I was quite disappointed when I finally made to the end and I won't be the only one. Because of decent graphics, setting, and occasional combat (although combat is NOT the focus of the game), I am forced to give this game a 2. Sorry Tequila Works, better luck next time I suppose...… Expand
  7. ForestGoblin
    Aug 25, 2013
    2
    Controls suck, story sucks, puzzles suck. Cut scenes were broken for me.
    The game doesn't flow well. Voice acting was really annoying to listen to.
    Visual style wasn't executed well. The art style often caused confusion with game play. eg. distinguishing between foreground and background.
  8. kovenary
    Aug 30, 2013
    3
    Pros
    - Good atmosphere
    Cons - Cheesy dialog and voice acting - Horrible controls/response - Who the hell is the Rat? Why can't I kill this bastard? What is wrong with the god damn soldiers? Am I playing a zombie apocalypse game, or am I going to fight aliens as well? The story is way out there. I cannot put myself in the character's shoes, instead I felt like I was watching a zombie    Pros
    - Good atmosphere

    Cons
    - Cheesy dialog and voice acting
    - Horrible controls/response
    - Who the hell is the Rat? Why can't I kill this bastard? What is wrong with the god damn soldiers? Am I playing a zombie apocalypse game, or am I going to fight aliens as well? The story is way out there. I cannot put myself in the character's shoes, instead I felt like I was watching a zombie movie designed by a 12 year old.    … Expand
  9. proteinfolder
    Sep 4, 2013
    1
    The beginning of the game is very fun, but as soon as you get to the sewers it's all downhill. Insta-death situations that you cannot hope pass on the first tries. The game just feels like a very unforgiving quick time event that does not show the button you should press.
  10. Southernhammer
    Aug 22, 2014
    3
    Is this game terrible? No. Is this game worth buying? Definitely not.

    Unfortunately this game is one of the most frustrating titles I own and for all the wrong reasons. At heart, this game is a very aesthetically pleasing 2D Puzzle Platformer. It could have been one of the best on the market if it wasn't for one thing. The jumping. Why have a platformer with jumping as bad as this? It    Is this game terrible? No. Is this game worth buying? Definitely not.

    Unfortunately this game is one of the most frustrating titles I own and for all the wrong reasons. At heart, this game is a very aesthetically pleasing 2D Puzzle Platformer. It could have been one of the best on the market if it wasn't for one thing. The jumping. Why have a platformer with jumping as bad as this? It defies all belief. It is a massive shame. He will launch himself forwards when you press jump even if you're standing perfectly still and not touching any directional button. I will give them credit for trying to implement a nice wall jump mechanic but unfortunately it only works when and if it wants to.

    I have also had numerous problems with the game not working properly. Pausing the game will take about 60 seconds to load and has even crashed the game before. Objectives sometimes will not show up until I've died and tried it again. I'm not entirely sure why these things happen but it is truly remarkable.

    These things disappoint me most because it is actually a promising game. The graphics are incredible and it is something that we've not seen much of in the past. The story is a bit lacking but that's not usually that important in a game like this. The melee combat is dreadful but I actually found myself enjoying the shooting mechanic. It fit the style the game was going for perfectly and I wish there was more of it.

    The puzzles in the game are very very basic puzzles and shouldn't tax your brain too hard if you're used to this type of game. However the game does utilise the use of beginners traps which is kind of a shame. They are to platforming and jump scares are to horror games. They just feel cheap and unnecessary.

    Overall this game isn't the most horrible thing ever but it's such a shame that it let itself down so badly. Jumping is vital in a platformer and they failed to even get remotely close, especially in tandem with the dodgy running mechanic. This game could be worth picking up cheaply in a sale but it definitely doesn't deserve to be high on your wishlist. If ever they decide to make another game like this though, honestly look out for it. If they get it right then it will be a masterpiece.    … Expand
  11. x2495iiii
    Mar 22, 2013
    3
    Deadlight is an almost good game. However, several huge, glaring flaws stop it from being anything but a chore to play. The dialogue is stilted, awkward and doesn't match up with the subtitles. The controls are floaty and often unresponsive. The collision detection is similarly spotty, with zombies regularly phasing right through your fire axe and barrels seemingly reaching out to trip youDeadlight is an almost good game. However, several huge, glaring flaws stop it from being anything but a chore to play. The dialogue is stilted, awkward and doesn't match up with the subtitles. The controls are floaty and often unresponsive. The collision detection is similarly spotty, with zombies regularly phasing right through your fire axe and barrels seemingly reaching out to trip you as you try to jump over them. The plot is weak and nonsensical to the point of irritation, with characters doing inexplicably stupid things for no real reason. For example, one character takes your weapons because he's not sure if he trusts you. He soon becomes an ally, but your weapons are never seen or mentioned again. Another example is a radio that the hero decides must be stopped. His solution? Hit the off switch. He has a fire axe and two guns, but rather than destroy it, he simply turns it off and walks away. I don't consider it much of a spoiler to say that, lo and behold, bad guys come along and turn it back on almost immediately. All in all, this game is an excellent example of both wasted potential and the dangers of writing a script without actual writers present.… Expand
  12. Lacuentadejoako
    Dec 26, 2012
    4
    The game has a good atmosphere and graphics but thats all. The controls are not responsive,you cant do what you want when you want.The story is boring and uninteresting,besides unoriginal. The game is unfair in many things,when you die you dont feel like you lost because the game is hard, but because its badly designed. The game is basically very easy to, the only hard parts are the onesThe game has a good atmosphere and graphics but thats all. The controls are not responsive,you cant do what you want when you want.The story is boring and uninteresting,besides unoriginal. The game is unfair in many things,when you die you dont feel like you lost because the game is hard, but because its badly designed. The game is basically very easy to, the only hard parts are the ones that are not well designed,basically the whole game is jumping from one place to the other with a bad story and voice acting in between with poor level designed, I got it just for 7,50. But is still a waste of money.… Expand
  13. SonOfGiants
    Aug 15, 2013
    0
    Horrible platformer experience. Is zombie in front of you? Is he at background? Is that piece of architecture an active element? Who the hell know?
    And controls and respond is another song...
  14. Hamlsh
    May 27, 2013
    4
    It starts off really well, with comic book cut scene cards, and a great atmosphere of a ruined Seattle, excellent 3d backgrounds, you get a pistol and you gotta "shoot em in the head", very promising, after this though it turns into a lame puzzler, you'll be reloading a checkpoint after checkpoint for the umpteenth time.
  15. Mongo6294
    Dec 29, 2012
    2
    Graphically, the game looks amazing. Very smooth. Game play is very fast, and it will get intense at times. But the biggest fallback is lack of story and length of game play. After beating it, Steam displayed I had played it for 3 hours. You can imagine then how the story is if the game only takes 3 hours to beat. Even after beating the game, I don't feel the need to play it again. Yeah,Graphically, the game looks amazing. Very smooth. Game play is very fast, and it will get intense at times. But the biggest fallback is lack of story and length of game play. After beating it, Steam displayed I had played it for 3 hours. You can imagine then how the story is if the game only takes 3 hours to beat. Even after beating the game, I don't feel the need to play it again. Yeah, there is a new game mode afterwards, but pointless. My opinion, find a friend that was suckered into buying it and play theirs. Waste of money.… Expand
  16. fex
    Nov 16, 2012
    4
    Setting and atmosphere is good.
    But it is way to hard. You have no chance to complete riddles in one pass. You have to die several times (4 to 8 times) to understand what you have to do and to do it afterwards. The jump and run parts are also much too difficult. Mainly because the controls are imprecise and slow.
    What a pity. Could have been a great game. Play limbo instead.
  17. DeadLightsucks
    Aug 3, 2013
    0
    This game has decent storyline, voice acting and graphics. The one thing that killed this game is the control and gameplay. I have never been so frustrated playing a game in my entire life.
  18. Rockbottom_zh
    Nov 6, 2012
    3
    I wasn't expecting to much for a budget game but this one is critically flawed by buggy controls, ridiculous obstacles, and a bland story line. A game to avoid.
  19. winj3r
    Jan 27, 2013
    4
    A puzzle platformer, with very good graphics, design and atmosphere.
    Sadly, the gameplay is lacking. The controls are imprecise, the gameplay is punishing and based on trial and error until the player finds the correct action at the correct time.
    Although it could have a well developed story, like the Waking Dead, it does not.
  20. MrsWimple
    Aug 1, 2013
    3
    The game looks good and the atmosphere/story are intriguing. BUT the PC version has awful controls and it seems hit and miss if they actually work. You get through the game by luck of the controls rather than the game. The helicopter chase scene is all but impossible as the there is no room for error and he will do silly things like move back over the fence for no apparent reason.
  21. Zhorick
    Aug 1, 2013
    2
    Epic Games showed how to make platformers on their engine with Shadow Complex. Very good platformer. So creators of Deadlight decided to make their own. Poor clone in zombie setting. Atmosphere is good enough. But everything else is painful waste of ideas. Voice acting is emotionless. Storyline made me say "How stupid it is." every 3 to 5 minutes. Not the storyline itself, but variousEpic Games showed how to make platformers on their engine with Shadow Complex. Very good platformer. So creators of Deadlight decided to make their own. Poor clone in zombie setting. Atmosphere is good enough. But everything else is painful waste of ideas. Voice acting is emotionless. Storyline made me say "How stupid it is." every 3 to 5 minutes. Not the storyline itself, but various actions of characters. Complete absence of logic. Ok, storyline is not platformer's best friend. But gameplay is completely ruined by controls. Is very unresponsive. You have to mash buttons to achieve what you want. Very annoying during quick jump sequences. First you die several times to figure out what you need to do. But after that you continue dying because you miss a wall jump or hit crouch one millisecond earlier or later. Or you hit the button and nothing happens. One more annoying thing is "Press any key to load". Why did they do that, I wonder. Like you have any other choice. Or may be there are checkpoints in the middle of zombie hoard? I've started to play it after completing Mark of the Ninja. Better one more run through Ninja-masterpiece of platformers than Deadlight. Waste of money. Especially if you ever played Shadow Complex.… Expand
  22. rahlzel
    Oct 30, 2012
    0
    The controls kill this game for me. You have to mash buttons repeatedly just to get over a fence. Mash jump. Then press Up to climb it. Can't hold down the button. Gotta mash it. With thousands of obstacles that require this... No thanks.
  23. mmihajlovic
    Dec 23, 2012
    4
    The game is interesting, but the engine is horrible. I have all the latest games working quite well on my system, but while I can play Skyrim and Far Cry 3 perfectly, this game jitters like crazy. Sloppy dev.
  24. celestialViscer
    Mar 19, 2015
    3
    The only positive thing I can say about this game is it looks good in screenshots. That does not, however, mean that even the visuals are good. They aren't designed to work well in a game, they're cluttered, they're busy, and the developers decided to solve this by putting glowing indicators over literally everything you can interact with. Everything. This includes ledges. If, in yourThe only positive thing I can say about this game is it looks good in screenshots. That does not, however, mean that even the visuals are good. They aren't designed to work well in a game, they're cluttered, they're busy, and the developers decided to solve this by putting glowing indicators over literally everything you can interact with. Everything. This includes ledges. If, in your **** platformer, you have to put arrows over every **** platform just so the player knows where they are, maybe your visuals could use a bit of refining. None of the rest of my comments about this game are as complicated, the controls are **** the platforming is **** the combat is **** the ambiance would be pretty good if everything else wasn't so **** that it ruins the immersion, the story is cliché, the voice acting is (and this is not hyperbole) quite possibly the worst I've ever heard. This game tries, and fails so hard, to be Limbo with zombies.

    TL;DR
    Derivative unoriginal trash. A huge disappointment.    … Expand
  25. tronchaviones
    Jan 11, 2015
    1
    Good art, criminally wasted by the worse than amateur engineering. Terrible controls, bad and buggy scripting... They even don't know how to correctly read the keyboard state on Windows. When will they learn that mastering Photoshop doesn't make you an engineer? (seriously, I know one "digital designer" who signs her emails as "engineer").
  26. Cyber_Angel
    Jun 23, 2019
    3
    Wonky physics make this game unplayable. A shame, because the story, the thrill and artstyle are all great.
  27. drSpockwa
    Dec 5, 2014
    4
    This is essentially a point and click game. There is certainly a side scrolling platformer aspect, but there are a couple of spots where you have to power through a broken scenario. I got to the falling debris after the helicopter crash and I'm done. There is an interesting story but, after the 2nd session of ~ 15 attempts, I've given up on this game. It's not worth it.

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Best PC Game of 2012
47
#47 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
51
#51 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    84
    I could not tear myself away from the screen, during the five hours it took me to complete Deadlight. There are some design issues, mainly regarding the controls, but overall it was a worthy experience. [December 2012]
  2. Everyeye.it
    Jan 7, 2013
    75
    The PC porting of Deadlight does not disappoint the fans. Mixing platforming, action and survival in a wise manner, the title conquer all the favors of the public.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 21, 2012
    70
    Survival platformer suffers from some minor bugs but its atmosphere and gameplay elements are catchy and satisfying enough to give it a try. [Christmas 2012]
See all critic reviews »