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. RennocYackam94
    Oct 29, 2015
    5
    Deadlight is a visually striking and addictive side scrolling game that is let down by a nonsensical plot, poor controls and weak second half.

    Positives: - Excellent art style - Fun parkour gameplay - Exciting first hour Negatives: - Boring, cliche storyline - Poor cutscenes - Terrible, unnatural controls - Occasional Frustrating Level Design Overall, Deadlight is a somewhat    Deadlight is a visually striking and addictive side scrolling game that is let down by a nonsensical plot, poor controls and weak second half.

    Positives: - Excellent art style
    - Fun parkour gameplay
    - Exciting first hour

    Negatives: - Boring, cliche storyline
    - Poor cutscenes
    - Terrible, unnatural controls
    - Occasional Frustrating Level Design

    Overall, Deadlight is a somewhat enjoyable side-scrolling post apocalyptic zombie game that impresses with its visuals, but disappoints in storytelling and mechanics.    … Expand
  2. bobviolence
    Sep 7, 2013
    5
    Pros: Atmosphere is set nicely and the art style looks really good. Musical score and sound effects in general are pretty good. Animation of the humans and zombies is really smooth. Game is about the right length (about 5 hours) for what I paid for it.

    Cons: Some of the cutscenes are lacking sound, while others have it. Probably a bug, however since it didn't directly affect the    Pros: Atmosphere is set nicely and the art style looks really good. Musical score and sound effects in general are pretty good. Animation of the humans and zombies is really smooth. Game is about the right length (about 5 hours) for what I paid for it.

    Cons: Some of the cutscenes are lacking sound, while others have it. Probably a bug, however since it didn't directly affect the gameplay I never looked into it. Voice acting varies between cheesy and downright bad. I got really tired of "The Rat" referring to himself in third person. Prior to playing Deadlight, I had just finished Tomb Raider 2013, and controlling Lara was flawless which really made the horrible controls in this game stand out. The controls are so bad that your character will die repeatedly, even though you know what to do to get past the screen you are on. Then you have go back and replay a good 5-10 minutes of game just to get back to where you died. Sometimes you will die 10 times just trying to get your character to do what you want. Game is also obviously a console port, as the graphic adjustments for PC are VERY limited. Not being able to turn on Anti-Aliasing made for lots of jaggies when playing at 2560x1440.    … Expand
  3. GolovA
    Nov 9, 2013
    6
    Extremely short (finished in 5.0 hours), pathetic Console Port. Thanks again, Consoles! Cannot change key-bindings. Just try pressing 'D' and 'E' at the same time (moving an object) or performing a grouped jump ('D'+SHIFT+CTRL+SPACE) and you will understand what i mean. Lame story. Weak gameplay, which is mostly jumping puzzles hence the 5 hour gameplay. And a ridiculous size forExtremely short (finished in 5.0 hours), pathetic Console Port. Thanks again, Consoles! Cannot change key-bindings. Just try pressing 'D' and 'E' at the same time (moving an object) or performing a grouped jump ('D'+SHIFT+CTRL+SPACE) and you will understand what i mean. Lame story. Weak gameplay, which is mostly jumping puzzles hence the 5 hour gameplay. And a ridiculous size for such a short lame Microsoft game. MAJOR FAIL.… Expand
  4. kotekzot
    May 23, 2014
    5
    There is little to recommend in this game. The graphics are quite nice for a 2D game. The difficulty is all over the place, going from laughably easy to ridiculously hard while somehow bypassing the golden mean of satisfying challenge. The combat system is rather poor and uninteresting. Aiming is obviously not optimized for mouse input. The story is eye-rollingly bad and hammy. The game isThere is little to recommend in this game. The graphics are quite nice for a 2D game. The difficulty is all over the place, going from laughably easy to ridiculously hard while somehow bypassing the golden mean of satisfying challenge. The combat system is rather poor and uninteresting. Aiming is obviously not optimized for mouse input. The story is eye-rollingly bad and hammy. The game is also very short. Overall it is a passable distraction, but barely so.… Expand
  5. ave
    Oct 23, 2015
    7
    Mixing puzzle/platform genre with zombie shooting wasn't an easy task, but Deadlight does a fair job in blending them. The atmosphere and pacing of the first hours is captivating, nicely oscillating between tension an relief.

    Unfortunately for me, the "platform" part of the game became too hard during the underground survival tutorial, where I couldn't manage to execute properly an    Mixing puzzle/platform genre with zombie shooting wasn't an easy task, but Deadlight does a fair job in blending them. The atmosphere and pacing of the first hours is captivating, nicely oscillating between tension an relief.

    Unfortunately for me, the "platform" part of the game became too hard during the underground survival tutorial, where I couldn't manage to execute properly an (apparently) simple roll action to avoid blade traps on walls. It's a little sad because previously the game was really challenging and forced me to retry many times until the rewarding "eureka" moment.

    So, if you're really into platformers, give it a try.    … Expand
  6. Knotsie
    Aug 5, 2013
    6
    This is an incredible looking 2d game, with a nice theme of a zombie apocalypse. I enjoyed most of my time with it, although sometimes the controls were a bit clunky if you were facing multiple enemies. The bad thing however, is that the game only lasted 4 hours. That is just too few for its normal price (so get it in a discount if you really want it), especially since the experience wasThis is an incredible looking 2d game, with a nice theme of a zombie apocalypse. I enjoyed most of my time with it, although sometimes the controls were a bit clunky if you were facing multiple enemies. The bad thing however, is that the game only lasted 4 hours. That is just too few for its normal price (so get it in a discount if you really want it), especially since the experience was kind of fun to me, but not exceptionally fun. My last point of critique is that the story ending was a little disappointing to me, it felt like there should be more after it.… Expand
  7. dumle
    Dec 29, 2012
    5
    Deadlight have an interesting story, cool graphical-novel like cutscenes and absolutely beautiful visual design. The gameplay however isn't all that good. The platforming works alright and the game shines when you are running away from horde of monster in an open street. The visual design however can make it hard to tell the difference between stuff you can grab and stuff you cant whichDeadlight have an interesting story, cool graphical-novel like cutscenes and absolutely beautiful visual design. The gameplay however isn't all that good. The platforming works alright and the game shines when you are running away from horde of monster in an open street. The visual design however can make it hard to tell the difference between stuff you can grab and stuff you cant which can be a bit annoying in a tight spot to say the least. The combat in the game is quite bad. The melee weapons in the game feels clunky and the firearms are annoying to control. Throw in some endlessly respawning enemies and some annoying checkpoints and you are in for a nasty treat. Some levels works better than others but the gameplay is average as best when everything works. I should also mention that the games campaign is rather short (around 3 hours). The games story and atmosphere manages to pull the score up to an average five but know that the gameplay could be improved to say the least.… Expand
  8. dOOmShrOOm
    May 13, 2014
    6
    The game starts off well with the difficulty ramping up progressively. The visuals are excellent, however, the cutscenes become a bit of a nuisance when you want to simply keep playing as they are very much an eyesore.

    However, as the difficulty increases so does frustration. Gimmicky placement of objects and enemies keeps you on your toes as well as slamming your fist into your desk    The game starts off well with the difficulty ramping up progressively. The visuals are excellent, however, the cutscenes become a bit of a nuisance when you want to simply keep playing as they are very much an eyesore.

    However, as the difficulty increases so does frustration. Gimmicky placement of objects and enemies keeps you on your toes as well as slamming your fist into your desk attempt after attempt after attempt. Sometimes you'll be right on the verge of a new checkpoint during a chase moment only to get to the end and have seconds to figure out how to progress.

    If you can get it on sale it's great but I've found myself playing less and less of it each time I pick it up simply because it went from a fun challenge to a very frustrating cluster of cheap challenges.    … Expand
  9. Nataraja
    Feb 4, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a beautiful slider that has some really interesting puzzles and decent voice acting. I am giving this a 6 however for the level of unfairness involved in some of the platforming and the control scheme for mouse and keyboard. Not having the ability to toggle crouching and sprinting make certain sections, such as crossing the roofs while being chased by the helicopter not only completely unrealistic (like I would stop sprinting in real life having to hold down shift is moronic) and the lack of response in the controls for climbing fences which means you continually get killed by that damn helicopter only to rerun it again and again and die again and again with no effective cover and A LONG DISTANCE between checkpoints where just earlier they were only a couple of feet apart makes finishing this game not a joy but an exercise in futility and frustration. When and if Tequila Works makes another game I truly hope they will rethink some of this. The art and the sound are wonderful the game play mechanics are not.… Expand
  10. Klewer
    Aug 17, 2013
    6
    A solid game with an enjoyable setting and challenging game play at times. Gets quite repetitive and is not helped by some poor voice acting. I wouldn't call the game hard as the puzzles aren't challenging, only thing making them difficult is the limited time for a lot.

    Worth a look if you can get it cheap.
  11. Inhanzt
    Dec 28, 2012
    5
    The game's use of the third dimension is neat, as is the fact that the game is a zombie platformer. Other than that, though, Deadlight exudes failure. Game mechanics frequently work together to unfairly kill you. As an example, early on in the game i was walking through waist high water and there was a zombie behind me. The zombie started sprinting, which is a random chanceThe game's use of the third dimension is neat, as is the fact that the game is a zombie platformer. Other than that, though, Deadlight exudes failure. Game mechanics frequently work together to unfairly kill you. As an example, early on in the game i was walking through waist high water and there was a zombie behind me. The zombie started sprinting, which is a random chance occurrence, but I quickly found out that the main character can't sprint in waist high water and died. There was nothing I could have done to live there, and I just had to reload, repeat some of the game, and hope the zombie didn't sprint this time.

    The games controls and mechanics are frequently hit or miss. What's the difference between a door that has to be knocked down by kicking, with a fire axe, or by sprinting through and tackling it? Visually there's often nothing to go on, but eventually some kind of helper contextual action will let you know. Even then, it doesn't tell you what to press, just provides some abstract image of the action; I'm like 3 hours into the game and how no idea how to kick down a door; i just spam buttons until it works (they told me once, so it's partly the fault of alcohol, but w/e). In the same vein, you'll find a number of occasions where obvious scripting kicks in so you can make a jump of a distance that you'll find impossible later, where your character will frequently refuse to reach the extra .008 inches to make the grab onto a ledge, forcing you to solve some puzzle that seems unnecessary.

    To top it off, zombies aren't really threatening at all. If I had to guess I'd say that 90% of my deaths were to the environment, and maybe 10% to zombies. This is exacerbated by an extremely boring sequence in a trap ridden labyrinth where there are no zombies, just environmental hazards and trial and error gameplay. Enjoy re-spawning 20 or 30 times until you can get back outside to the actual fun part of the game.    … Expand
  12. Lustikurre
    Dec 13, 2013
    5
    If you ever played the old Flashback game or maybe prince of persia you know how this game plays. It's like that but with smoother movement and with zombies. The world looks gorgeous and the gameplay is fun, but it's lacking in several other departments. The gameplay at first seems fine, but the longer u get the more trial and error puzzle it becomes.

    Some parts of the game feels more    If you ever played the old Flashback game or maybe prince of persia you know how this game plays. It's like that but with smoother movement and with zombies. The world looks gorgeous and the gameplay is fun, but it's lacking in several other departments. The gameplay at first seems fine, but the longer u get the more trial and error puzzle it becomes.

    Some parts of the game feels more like a QTE than an action platformer and will have you die again and again just to repeat a section that begins with an unskippable cutscene, just to progress a bit further each time.

    One part was so bad that I went to check how to get through it. Turns out I did everything exactly as I should had, but I had vsync turned off, making it impossible for me to progress, so I had to go back to the main menu just to turn it off, thereby resetting all of my progress on that level. Yes if you stop playing the game you lose ALL progress you've made since the last loading screen.

    All in all it's an ok game with gorgeus graphics and design that suffers from gamebreaking bugs and trial and error events that are way harder than needed.    … Expand
  13. azeitona
    Dec 6, 2014
    5
    I was willing to like so much more of this game... Let me get to the pros, cons, and then I'll sum up some ideas.

    PROS: +Great visuals +Atmospheric scenery +Stylish cutscenes +Platform sections are kinda nice +Nice collectibles +And a nice soundtrack CONS: -Repetitive -Controls suck, with controller or keyboard, take your pick -The combat sucks -The story and the voice    I was willing to like so much more of this game... Let me get to the pros, cons, and then I'll sum up some ideas.

    PROS:
    +Great visuals
    +Atmospheric scenery
    +Stylish cutscenes
    +Platform sections are kinda nice
    +Nice collectibles
    +And a nice soundtrack

    CONS:
    -Repetitive
    -Controls suck, with controller or keyboard, take your pick
    -The combat sucks
    -The story and the voice acting... ugh...
    -Too short
    -Almost zero replay value
    -Nightmare mode is a joke

    Deadlight it's a game that is better to look and than play. The visuals are really engaging, and the cutscenes have that Saturday morning cartoon feel to it, and that's a nice touch.

    Some platform sections feel pretty solid, but some of the jumps must be super accurate -but the controls don't help at all. Both the keyboard and the controller suck at this game. And the combat sections... yeah, I get it, the focus is to escape, not to fight back, but the combat (especially the melee combat) should not be so clunky.

    Also, people praising the story and the characters... Is this a joke? The story is clichéd in a bad way, and the characters feel so... bland. And the protagonist, Randall Wayne, is just a typical, stereotyped hero, that tries so hard to be deep and have cool dialogue lines, but it all just falls flat. The game tries to have some kind of commentary on human behavior, but it's more laughable than anything.

    And the game could have some replay value if the nightmare mode wasn't such a joke. For those who don't know, nightmare mode is the regular game without saves. If you die, you respawn from the beginning. I can see this work in a much better game, but with flawed platforming and bad controls, it will just piss you off. Oh, yeah, and it unlocks an alternative ending that makes no sense. Go figure.

    The collectibles are a nice touch, but they're not something that will keep you interested at the game for more than 5 minutes.

    Sure, it's a really cheap game, but it could have been so much more. If the platforming was a little bit more solid, and there were some more levels, this review would be really different. Even with its story being all over the place, the game would have scored much higher. But, to me, it's just a really mediocre title, barely passable, and you should only play it if it's on sale, or if you like zombies and platformers.    … Expand
  14. Gibbon
    Feb 14, 2015
    6
    I love cinematic side-scrollers and this promised to scratch that itch... but it didn't. Overall though the game didn't deliver despite a wonderful art style that captures the visuals of a city dissolving.

    It lacks in a few areas: controls, writing, and loading. The controls feel loose and there are strange inconsistencies. For example when you hold down SHIFT to sprint, the    I love cinematic side-scrollers and this promised to scratch that itch... but it didn't. Overall though the game didn't deliver despite a wonderful art style that captures the visuals of a city dissolving.

    It lacks in a few areas: controls, writing, and loading.

    The controls feel loose and there are strange inconsistencies. For example when you hold down SHIFT to sprint, the character takes off at a slow lope and gets to full speed after a few steps. A problem starting out is that when you need to sprint and jump off a ledge, it looks like you don't have the speed you need. You actually do, it's just that the animation is out of sync with the physics. Fighting has dramatic pauses and a pulsing visual when the character is low on stamina. These sound great but the tricks get really old really fast.

    The writing is quite bad. The lines are cliche and the character has no depth to speak of. It wouldn't have taken much to create a good script for the game and I suspect it was done by game developers who fancied themselves writers. On the plus side, moving it from English to any other language would be quite easy: melodrama is a universal language.

    Loading: When your character falls of a ledge, or gets eaten, or suffers another grisly fate the game prompts you to hit a button. Once you do that you have to wait anywhere from a few seconds to several for the game to pull up the last auto-save. Why this design choice? If auto-saves are so common and the character is not in the middle of a scripted scene why not just place them back on the ledge? Perhaps it's an attempt to make the player feel something over the character's doom. Problem is this game suffers from same challenge to a lot of video games - how do you make players feel the death of a character when all you have to do is hit a button to revive them?

    I digress. Overall, if you're into side scrollers this may be picking up some day when it's on a deep discount but for $15 it just isn't worth it.    … Expand
  15. Jackermy
    Jul 27, 2020
    7
    The game is quite ambiguous. On one side we got a quite dynamic and filled by some fresh ideas platformer but on the other side we got quite monotonous project.
    The storyline is cool and we got some real good twists in it. Gameplay is fun but only for first chapter.
    It is very hard to say something good or bad about this game, so if you want to play some platformer that will not take a    The game is quite ambiguous. On one side we got a quite dynamic and filled by some fresh ideas platformer but on the other side we got quite monotonous project.
    The storyline is cool and we got some real good twists in it. Gameplay is fun but only for first chapter.
    It is very hard to say something good or bad about this game, so if you want to play some platformer that will not take a lot of time - Deadlight is your choice.    … Expand
  16. punkandglamour
    Nov 4, 2012
    6
    I think I was expecting something else entirely. The good first: For a side scrolling platform game the DIMENSION to the world is phenomenal. Just amazing how the zombies come from the depths of darkness or one moment when they move from the distance into the foreground. There's a great almost puzzle-like section underground I liked a lot. The bad: The pretty much quicktime events. YesI think I was expecting something else entirely. The good first: For a side scrolling platform game the DIMENSION to the world is phenomenal. Just amazing how the zombies come from the depths of darkness or one moment when they move from the distance into the foreground. There's a great almost puzzle-like section underground I liked a lot. The bad: The pretty much quicktime events. Yes there's a sense of urgency when there's a plane shooting at you but I just got tired of dying over and over again for not button mashing fast enough to climb a fence or run ahead of a problem. I couldn't stand the voice over narration from the main character. However I appreciated a fresh approach to my favorite genre. It's a genre now right? "Zombie killing"… Expand
  17. Funksatron
    Nov 10, 2012
    5
    Very well developed atmosphere, good visual style, derivative/predictable plot and sluggish controls that obstinately sit between you and your enjoyment of the game. Deadlight is one of those games that you find irritating not because it is a complete failure, but because some of its elements were executed so well while others fall flat on their face. The 2.5D scrolling environment worksVery well developed atmosphere, good visual style, derivative/predictable plot and sluggish controls that obstinately sit between you and your enjoyment of the game. Deadlight is one of those games that you find irritating not because it is a complete failure, but because some of its elements were executed so well while others fall flat on their face. The 2.5D scrolling environment works well most of the time, although it's irritating that enemies approach from outside your plane and you can't attack them until they enter into it. The jump mechanic is irritating (straight up, 8 ft leap and maybe 16 foot leap with nothing in-between). Weapon switching is sloppy and slow. Many 'puzzles' will kill you the first time you approach them, rather than presenting intriguing situations that can be solved with skills that have been encouraged to develop. Many sections involve infinitely spawning enemies, but extremely limited ammunition. Checkpoints often precede narration, meaning that if you find a section difficult, you'll be hearing the same monologue several times. No replay value.… Expand
  18. Roeyl
    Aug 18, 2013
    5
    Not much to say here. The gameplay mechanics are very simple, conventional and sometimes frustrating. I guess the game needed some more testing. The story is so basic it's almost a trope, so are the stereotypical characters. The voice acting wasn't very good, for every character. I didn't play it twice since it would bring nothing new and I know all the "puzzles". As you would have guessedNot much to say here. The gameplay mechanics are very simple, conventional and sometimes frustrating. I guess the game needed some more testing. The story is so basic it's almost a trope, so are the stereotypical characters. The voice acting wasn't very good, for every character. I didn't play it twice since it would bring nothing new and I know all the "puzzles". As you would have guessed it is quite short too. What makes this game playable are the atmosphere and the settings which are of the same tone as The Walking Dead, which I am found of. This is amplified by the satisfying graphics the Unreal engine brings out. Although I'm not sure it can run well on lower-end PCs. In conclusion, Deadlight is somewhat fun but in no way a must-play. If you like this type of game or just zombie-apocalypse then I suggest you buy it on sales on Steam.… Expand
  19. Lockinvar
    Jan 7, 2013
    5
    Not a good game. Save your money. While there are good points, such as the animations, atmosphere and certain gameplay sections, the majority of this game is either frustrating or disappointing.

    The controls make many sections more difficult than they should be. The dialogue is absolutely diabolical - both in content and voicing. The cut-scenes are horribly grating. The puzzles are    Not a good game. Save your money. While there are good points, such as the animations, atmosphere and certain gameplay sections, the majority of this game is either frustrating or disappointing.

    The controls make many sections more difficult than they should be. The dialogue is absolutely diabolical - both in content and voicing. The cut-scenes are horribly grating. The puzzles are both obvious and slow making them an all-round chore. Checkpoints are occasionally badly placed. The game works best when you're running and jumping (the sense of movement is well done when the controls are not hampering you) or killing zombies, however the experience overall is one of frustration and I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone.    … Expand
  20. MANDRiL
    Nov 1, 2012
    6
    It could have been much better. The graphics are nice, backgrounds look particularly good. The gameplay is just OK and very easy. The story is quite dull and uninspired, like put together at the last minute. Also it's only 3 hours and a half long, but it costs 10
  21. BomberManDan
    Feb 10, 2013
    6
    This game is absolutely beautiful. The atmosphere is amazing and the gameplay is pretty fantastic. Don't let this game fool you though, there is much more to a game than its looks. This game has a lot of glitches. The game completely glitched in rendering an area where I promptly died due to nothing being on the screen. Another time it didnt render and I fell into an abyss that wouldntThis game is absolutely beautiful. The atmosphere is amazing and the gameplay is pretty fantastic. Don't let this game fool you though, there is much more to a game than its looks. This game has a lot of glitches. The game completely glitched in rendering an area where I promptly died due to nothing being on the screen. Another time it didnt render and I fell into an abyss that wouldnt kill me, so I had to resume from the last checkpoint. There are a lot more glitches than this and its really a major turn off. The next thing is the plot and writing. They are both completely trash. The voice acting is pretty good but the characters say the most ridiculous things. The game really had potential and I which that they would have spent a little more time on the game and actually polished it a little.… Expand
  22. Farskies
    Jul 17, 2013
    6
    This game is both excellent and just okay depending on what you're into. If you're the person who likes to really feel the atmosphere and enjoys when the game makes you feel like you're there; this is the game for you. However the controls are awful and the game is way too hard. Sometimes the game is just too fast and you don't have enough time to react.

    The game features small puzzles    This game is both excellent and just okay depending on what you're into. If you're the person who likes to really feel the atmosphere and enjoys when the game makes you feel like you're there; this is the game for you. However the controls are awful and the game is way too hard. Sometimes the game is just too fast and you don't have enough time to react.

    The game features small puzzles which are mediocre, i.e. nothing special.

    The weapons of choice are a shotgun, a handgun, and a slingshot. However you don't get to use the weapons through the entire game, and the shotgun doesn't appear until very late in the game.

    I wish the game was a little longer, felt like i finished it in under 2 hours at most. Such a pity.    … Expand
  23. pokrishka
    Dec 4, 2012
    5
    Story is dull, voice acting is terrible and there's always a feeling of a good artistic direction executed in a limited budget making this game feel worse than it really is because you always followed by regret of what it could be. Basically, it's second Prince of Persia (The Shadow and the Flame) with zombies and less variety in environment and simplified tasks for modern gaming audience.
  24. birdman3
    Feb 20, 2014
    6
    Yes, the atmosphere is good. The action, though sparse, is actually pretty good. I enjoyed using guns to dispatch zombies, although I can almost guarantee that less than half of the zombies you kill will be killed with guns. Even less with the shotgun, which is only acquired after you're more than halfway through the game.
    The biggest downside to this game is the level design. There are    Yes, the atmosphere is good. The action, though sparse, is actually pretty good. I enjoyed using guns to dispatch zombies, although I can almost guarantee that less than half of the zombies you kill will be killed with guns. Even less with the shotgun, which is only acquired after you're more than halfway through the game.
    The biggest downside to this game is the level design. There are so many chase scenes that will spontaneously kill you if you don't perform all the moves that the game wants you to perform at just the right time. For example, you knock down a door to a warehouse. For some reason, that starts off a chain reaction that leads to the whole building collapsing, and the game will randomly kill you if you don't make all the right moves. Fortunately, the game is fairly forgiving with its checkpoints, but not necessarily with it's save points, if that makes sense. Whenever I quit the game and came back, I found myself much further behind where i thought I had left myself. I presumed that cutscenes would cue autosaves- this is not the case. So the game is unforgiving in how much of it you find yourself replaying over and over. Also, the story is very tripe and generic. Other than that, the game is positive; it's just far from epic. I can't think of a single person I would go out of my way to recommend this game to.    … Expand
  25. hassenpheffer
    Dec 26, 2012
    6
    Platformers will never die. There will always be a place in old-school gamers' hearts to jump and shoot. Deadlight is a nice update to the genre with some great visuals and action. The lighting is gorgeous and the level designs are clever and balanced well in terms of dimensionality. It has a lot of technical innovations but none of the creativity that it should pair with . The storyPlatformers will never die. There will always be a place in old-school gamers' hearts to jump and shoot. Deadlight is a nice update to the genre with some great visuals and action. The lighting is gorgeous and the level designs are clever and balanced well in terms of dimensionality. It has a lot of technical innovations but none of the creativity that it should pair with . The story is tired and corny with some truly horrendous dialogue and terrible voice-acting. It slows down the game with its adequate comicbook artwork instead of adding more gameplay. The controls are fine but cannot be remapped and are clunky at the most inopportune moments. The game is very short and very easy. It's all a matter of trial-and-error, repeating whatever problem-solving needed for obstacles. I finished it in a few hours and was let down by the ending. After finishing it unlocks the "nightmare mode" which makes the zombies/infected (or "shadows" as the game story calls it for some reason) tougher I guess. The replay value is nil. Visuals are great, gameplay is fun but the game is cheesy and short. Too bad...… Expand
  26. bancandrei
    Jan 2, 2021
    7
    Considering it came out way before inside (which is a similar, yet superior experience) I think it deserves encouragement. Pick it up if you are into this type of game
  27. jp182
    Feb 10, 2013
    7
    A short game but really good. Easy mechanics and only a couple of difficult spots. The story and ending were both worth playing. But if you just want to run around and shoot zombies; this isn't the game for you.
  28. Flash_Over
    Dec 28, 2012
    7
    I played this game and for a indie-horror game it was fairly good. There were obvious puzzles that were difficult because of the clunky controls, but with practice they are all completable. The graphics for this style of game is also very refreshing since most are 2d instead of 3d games. Doing some scenes over and over because of redundant objectives that take a while to figure out since aI played this game and for a indie-horror game it was fairly good. There were obvious puzzles that were difficult because of the clunky controls, but with practice they are all completable. The graphics for this style of game is also very refreshing since most are 2d instead of 3d games. Doing some scenes over and over because of redundant objectives that take a while to figure out since a mere second wasted during these events will lead to a restart. Though i really enjoyed this game, I feel is only deserves a 7/10. Reason being there are bugs, such as my character getting stuck inside cars and objects, clunky controls, and the limited amounts of game modes/ possibly co-op/zombie survival and the limited amount of weapons. In the game there are more weapons that are used by NPCs and in the environment that you cannot use which is disappointing. I also found the ending of this game to be expected, but at the same time very typical and disappointing. Another but I found to be very terrible is there is a warehouse full of unending zombie respawns. To complete this task you need to shoot a window. In order to shoot out with window there is a 1x1 pixel sized area you must hit to break it this took me an hour of restarting shooting 30+ bullets into this window to find that sweet spot. This game is VERY short, i completed this in 4 hours(1hour stuck on window bug.) Also this game is a obvious console port. With that said I will once again say I really enjoyed this game. A few problem here and there, but it is completely playable. If you enjoy zombie games or any zombie themed game. This is a must buy.… Expand
  29. jZero
    May 10, 2013
    7
    TLDR; Great art and atmosphere weakened by short game play and bad design. Just okay.

    The GOOD: The art and sound are very well done. Definitely captures a zombie apocalypse feel, it's fun to look at and the soundtrack is decent. The combat is sometimes satisfying with head shots and fire axe kills. The story is decent and the comic book cut scenes are pretty good. Also only paid $3.75.    TLDR; Great art and atmosphere weakened by short game play and bad design. Just okay.

    The GOOD: The art and sound are very well done. Definitely captures a zombie apocalypse feel, it's fun to look at and the soundtrack is decent. The combat is sometimes satisfying with head shots and fire axe kills. The story is decent and the comic book cut scenes are pretty good. Also only paid $3.75.

    The BAD: Even with that small amount, this game is a ssshooorrrttt 4 hours. For the most part I play games pretty slow and try to collect and complete everything, problem is this game forces speed so it is almost impossible to stop at times. There are also missions where it feels trial and error, where the answer isn't obvious and you have to die to figure it out (especially the end). Some of the voice acting is horrible.    … Expand
  30. ChoicestGames
    Sep 9, 2013
    6
    Deadlight is a decent enough platformer with a novel setting (if you can call another game with zombies, "novel") although its obvious console heritage may cause some frustration when played by us PC gamers. For the sake of your sanity, invest in a gamepad if you're going to play this game!
  31. Dune_Jumper
    Apr 14, 2015
    7
    Never seen a sidescroller zombie game before, and I was pretty impressed when I started playing it.
    It has a really good atmosphere, and fun gameplay. (although some parts were quite frustrating.)
    If you're a fan of zombie games, or sidescrollers, I'd highly recommend this to you.
  32. hazon78
    Apr 4, 2013
    7
    Lo stile della grafica mi piace davvero molto, atmosfera apocalittica ben creata. Il gioco abbastanza fluido nel gameplay, in alcuni punti ci si può trovare a cercare di superare un ostacolo più volte prima di riuscirci.
    Tempo utile per completare il gioco due ore.
  33. BioTox
    Jan 2, 2013
    6
    I liked the game but the pace seemed a bit slow for what I was expecting. Some of the controls would also get hung up while I was trying to jump to a ledge or roll out of the way from a falling roof. So, I would have to play the same section over and over until the right buttons were registered. The game is also very linear. I don't expect an open sandbox game but a little more to do wouldI liked the game but the pace seemed a bit slow for what I was expecting. Some of the controls would also get hung up while I was trying to jump to a ledge or roll out of the way from a falling roof. So, I would have to play the same section over and over until the right buttons were registered. The game is also very linear. I don't expect an open sandbox game but a little more to do would of been nice. The achievements are too simple as well. They don't provide and challenges.… Expand
  34. tmgius
    Jul 24, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Deadlight features great atmosphere and clever light dynamics. The game play is catchy, moderately difficult in general but a little bit repetitive at times. Although it has some minor glitches/bugs, it seems to have a solid technical background.
    However, the plot of the game is not well tailored. The ending is stupid, the main character prefers to let the “shadows” eat him alive instead of opening a bigger hole in the ground with his axe to escape (survival instinct is everything in a zombie apocalypse!). The “evil soldiers” plot is an already heard script. The same happens with the “damsel in distress” pattern. The game depicts female characters as unable to defend themselves, begging the main character for “piety” when it comes to commit suicide (again, lack of survival instinct, breaks atmosphere). An unexpected gem was the "hidden secret" where the game explicitly blames JFK for being weak against the communists, who, provided their evil plans are not countered, are responsible for the zombie apocalypse...    … Expand
  35. Xenon0207
    Oct 20, 2014
    5
    Very good atmosphere
    Good storytelling

    Over-priced for 4 hours of content
    Controls are difficult to manage sometimes
    I from time to time miss platform by a millimeter
  36. MightyThor
    Jan 4, 2014
    5
    This game has tons of potential, having amazing visuals, cool atmosphere and a good concept. While the whole zombie Armageddon theme is getting tired, the fact that this one places it in the middle of the cold war adds a cool dimension. However there are some major flaws with this game that keep me from rating it higher.

    First is length and consequently value. The game is $15 although I    This game has tons of potential, having amazing visuals, cool atmosphere and a good concept. While the whole zombie Armageddon theme is getting tired, the fact that this one places it in the middle of the cold war adds a cool dimension. However there are some major flaws with this game that keep me from rating it higher.

    First is length and consequently value. The game is $15 although I got it on sale for $4, it's literally 4 hours long. That's pretty poor value as far as video games are concerned these days, just not enough content.

    Second the controls are not precise. You'll be trying to climb a fence before a zombie eats you and end up jumping into it and bouncing off by accident and dying. Or you'll be trying to jump straight up to grab a ledge but jump into a wall instead. Really poor. The combat also quite frankly sucks. Either make this a full out combat game or a full out evade zombies game. Instead it tries to mix both styles, making zombies hard to kill since there's like zero ammo in this game and they're impossible to kill with your fireaxe, but also frustrating to avoid due to the poor controls.

    Third the voice acting is really, really bad. I thought the story was fine, the cutscences are presented in comic book style which I thought was cool, and the writing wasn't awful, but the acting is bad. It feels like a foreign game they had to translate and dub over. The story is extremely predictable and cliche but I like zombie tales so I didn't mind.

    Finally my last critique is the game itself is just kind of dull. It's like old school pitfall, jump from platform to platform over a bunch of spikes and zombies, just not that interesting. It probably wasn't more than 4 hours cus they couldn't design any more unique levels.

    So again, tons of potential, great atmosphere and concept, poor execution.    … Expand
  37. sticky-fingers
    Apr 1, 2013
    5
    même acheté 3€ sur Steam, ce jeu reste une petite déception.

    Graphismes et bande son très corrects, mais la maniabilité est perfectible. Mon plus gros reproche est que le coté ultra-linéaire, peu inventif, ne laissant que peu de choix au joueur quand la manière de faire la différence d'un Mark of the Ninja) ou de finir le jeu... La 2nde partie avec le rat est d'une lourdeur... les    même acheté 3€ sur Steam, ce jeu reste une petite déception.

    Graphismes et bande son très corrects, mais la maniabilité est perfectible.
    Mon plus gros reproche est que le coté ultra-linéaire, peu inventif, ne laissant que peu de choix au joueur quand la manière de faire la différence d'un Mark of the Ninja) ou de finir le jeu...
    La 2nde partie avec le rat est d'une lourdeur... les passages apprendre par cœur gâchent le peu de plaisir qu'on avait jusque là.
    Dommage il y avait quelque chose faire avec ce background.    … Expand
  38. Kvasi
    Jul 15, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An ok game.
    Very short.
    Story is mediocre.
    Ending is just horrible!
    Repressed memory, there's no such thing. Zombies aren't real either I guess but at least noone belives they are.    … Expand
  39. busbfran
    May 2, 2014
    7
    Deadlight is a 'different' game that attempts to portray its own display of "end of the world zombies". Its generally exciting with some very fast paced action sequences however, very clueless and predictable story wise. The writing was nothing but average although the music in the game, is just amazing! surprisingly. for its current $15 price i would wait for a sale like what I didDeadlight is a 'different' game that attempts to portray its own display of "end of the world zombies". Its generally exciting with some very fast paced action sequences however, very clueless and predictable story wise. The writing was nothing but average although the music in the game, is just amazing! surprisingly. for its current $15 price i would wait for a sale like what I did myself. All in all its a enjoyable game to play when looking to waste some time.… Expand
  40. acidizzy
    Jul 14, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think this game is a bit overrated. A lot of complaints have been made there before and sadly most of them are true. But for me it's not bugs, awkward controls or bad acting which is the most disappointing thing about Deadlight. The story is.

    Since there's no background given, I felt a bit lost from the very beginning: who's this guy Randal? who he has just shot? who are those others? why they had to separate their paths? And then he started to talk about family. Uh? And those guys at the beginning just some friends or neighbors maybe? Too many names, too little explanations. And if you expect to get the whole picture at the end, you'll be disappointed for sure. It's getting even more ridiculous.

    The design team has clearly drawn inspiration from Remedy's games Max Payne and especially Alan Wake. As well as from some noticeable movies like 28 Days Later (zombie epidemic, ex-armymen luring survivors into a trap by a radio signal, etc.) and maybe even Shutter Island. These are good ingredients for sure, but it seems to me that the cook just not experienced enough to make something delicious out of them. Maybe if he has had more time...

    Apart from that, there's often no logic in Randal's decisions during the game. For example, The Rat takes away his possessions including an axe and a revolver. That's a very convenient excuse to make us run through several levels without being able to deal with the shadows. But seriously, the old man is right there all the time! I can't think of reasons not to take the stuff back and continue on the mission. Instead Randal decides to play madman's dangerous game and finally comes up with a realization that he has to find The Rat's son. OMG! Or take the episode after rescuing Ben. Randal needs something to patch up a wounded friend and heads to the hospital nearby. Soon he stumbles upon a medikit. But his reaction is usual: I'm perfectly healthy and don't need this at the moment. Oh, really? That's frustrating.

    If there's a sequel I hope developers will have enough time to spend on it. ‘Deadlight’ and ‘deadline’ sounds similar for a reason.    … Expand
  41. Xvidicus
    Nov 2, 2013
    5
    So much wasted potential. Atmosphere was pretty good, but believability was sorely lacking. Yes it is a video game, but as a survival game there has to be at least a shred of realism. Game mechanics and character responsiveness were poor at best. Voice acting needed improvement. Story was somewhat of a bright spot, but the best thing about this game is that you won't have to waste moreSo much wasted potential. Atmosphere was pretty good, but believability was sorely lacking. Yes it is a video game, but as a survival game there has to be at least a shred of realism. Game mechanics and character responsiveness were poor at best. Voice acting needed improvement. Story was somewhat of a bright spot, but the best thing about this game is that you won't have to waste more than 4 hours of your life.… Expand
  42. mitzle
    Nov 7, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The atmosphere of this game is just plane awesome! The creators took a little time on creating realistic 80th zombie apocalypse settings with crazy animations and sounds. The story telling is kept in a monologue of the protagonist and done well for the most. Sometimes though it is getting to be a little pain because of repetitions and this hard voice always summing in your ears nevertheless it has been done very well. In addition to that the "climbing" system is pretty neat: Sprinting long distances, throwing yourself out of a window, rolling around on the floor through obstacles, jumping and just being super trim and fast!
    But also the game mechanics is the point where you could curse all over and over again: Accidentally pressing "E" in certain situations will cause your character to kneel down without any chance to abort this so you get eaten by "Shadows", aiming is hard to manage because you first have to control your characters direction (left or right) with you arrow buttons and then aim (causing death multiple times) but sometimes enemies just are behind you and you might not realize that you should have just clicked LMB to push them away, the overall neat graphics design sometimes lets you down in finding the right path ending in numerous deaths; so does the helicopter scene!
    This game really has potential which unfortunately is crushed by lacking realization 6/10    … Expand
  43. Sonfang
    Nov 9, 2013
    5
    The game graphics and atmosphere are nice, but it was way to short and the story was predictable. I recently finished the game and was disappointed, You never really "meet" the characters so it didn't matter to me weather they lived or died, the game itself felt rushed and the ending left an empty spot where it could have been a jaw dropper. The game also lacked personality and replayThe game graphics and atmosphere are nice, but it was way to short and the story was predictable. I recently finished the game and was disappointed, You never really "meet" the characters so it didn't matter to me weather they lived or died, the game itself felt rushed and the ending left an empty spot where it could have been a jaw dropper. The game also lacked personality and replay value, I would classify it in the category of something to play when there is nothing else to do. If the developers had worked as hard on the story and levels as they did on the atmosphere it could have been a great game.… Expand
  44. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    6
    Deadlight was a satisfying gaming experience, although the campaign was fairly short….There are several bugs in the game mainly resulting in a lack of response from the character and glitches that basically result in death. This makes ‘Nightmare Mode’ pretty much impossible, because it would be extremely difficult to complete some chapters without dying… I did enjoy my experience withDeadlight was a satisfying gaming experience, although the campaign was fairly short….There are several bugs in the game mainly resulting in a lack of response from the character and glitches that basically result in death. This makes ‘Nightmare Mode’ pretty much impossible, because it would be extremely difficult to complete some chapters without dying… I did enjoy my experience with Deadlight, but I have no desire to ever play this again… It’s seriously down to the fact there really isn't much replay ability in there, but we can get games dirt cheap these days and have so many titles to play through it seems developers are clocking onto this and making good enjoyable one play games… If you like side scrolling platform shooters with zombies, this could be the game for you.… Expand
  45. wingedsnake
    Jan 1, 2014
    6
    This game displays the storytelling potential of the medium, and underlines the fact that games do not have to make your system hardware gasp for air to give you something that looks and feels really good while you play it.

    While playing the game, there is an impressive sense of depth and attention to detail that manages to not feel repetitive or reused like you would expect. For    This game displays the storytelling potential of the medium, and underlines the fact that games do not have to make your system hardware gasp for air to give you something that looks and feels really good while you play it.

    While playing the game, there is an impressive sense of depth and attention to detail that manages to not feel repetitive or reused like you would expect. For example, when breaking into what used to be someone's home, it convincingly looks and feels like a home. The use of motion comics for cutscenes, which were simple but well-drawn in a style crossed between The Walking Dead and 30 Days of Night, was very effective.

    Unfortunately, that’s about it in Deadlight’s win column. The story is not bad but the dialogue often is. Your character is a former park ranger (complete with Rick Grimes hat in some flashbacks and in Nightmare mode) who is attempting to find his wife and kid after a flu outbreak turns people into flesh-eating “shadows”. That’s really all you need to know, but should you want to suffer through 60 pages of overly-dramatic diary entries, it’s an option.

    In short, this game doesn’t have a great deal more to offer than how great it looks and feels, and that can be perfectly fine. Games like Hotline Miami and Limbo have shown us you can also have great games with little or no story at all. Unfortunately, Deadlight insists on trying to say a lot when all we really need it to do is be quiet and look pretty.    … Expand
  46. Tetsuro
    Feb 1, 2014
    7
    It's a survival horror with 2D mechanics. Nice game, nice graphics and sound, generally good design level (the Rat one being the worst one), nice atmosphere and story. Gameplay is generally decent beside a few useless complications (some moves could have been automatic). The lenght of the game is really short (a few hours) so I don't recommend it at more than 5, maybe 10, euros.
  47. Hack
    Jul 8, 2017
    5
    The game has a fantastic art style and overall look but it has some of the worst voice acting ever, truly laughable and the script is equally bad, this really hurt the game for me and made it feel very amateurish, I can only hope the devs used friends and family and those weren't actually professionals. Another issue is the controls, they're just not quite tight enough for this type ofThe game has a fantastic art style and overall look but it has some of the worst voice acting ever, truly laughable and the script is equally bad, this really hurt the game for me and made it feel very amateurish, I can only hope the devs used friends and family and those weren't actually professionals. Another issue is the controls, they're just not quite tight enough for this type of game and I died countless times because of it, sometimes they just don't respond quick enough. Overall it's OK, and I only paid £2 for it but there are better ways to spend your time.… Expand
  48. Tomle1202
    Jan 30, 2016
    7
    While Deadlight seems to be a promising platforming title at first, it does not actually offer anything extraordinary for gamers to truly remember what the game is all about.
  49. carlosgtardon
    Jun 10, 2014
    7
    Visual y conceptualmente interesante aunque algunos bugs hacen que la experiencia pueda ser más compleja. Pero sin duda es una buena compra en rebajas.
  50. gebagia
    Sep 25, 2014
    7
    Although this is a good game, with a very interesting story, excellent art direction(the game's plot is in 1986), beautiful graphics especially the lighting effects, there are some bugs that i can't forgive.

    For example the mission with the helicopter chase. I found some problems in the control especially the jump. If you are ok with this problems, the game has a good hero, some    Although this is a good game, with a very interesting story, excellent art direction(the game's plot is in 1986), beautiful graphics especially the lighting effects, there are some bugs that i can't forgive.

    For example the mission with the helicopter chase. I found some problems in the control especially the jump.

    If you are ok with this problems, the game has a good hero, some interesting characters, and a beautiful story. I suggest you to play this and i wonder why companies don't take advantage of the platform/zombie combination.    … Expand
  51. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    7
    Yes, I recommend Deadlight.

    Pros: - Simple and good gameplay (but not as accurate as other platformers) - Nice controller button mapping (as in consoles) - Beautiful environments and subtile composition postprocess and lighting. - Chromatic aberration FTW!! - Is kind of short, that's not good in this case, but at least it includes a variety of situations. Cons: - Problems with    Yes, I recommend Deadlight.

    Pros:
    - Simple and good gameplay (but not as accurate as other platformers)
    - Nice controller button mapping (as in consoles)
    - Beautiful environments and subtile composition postprocess and lighting.
    - Chromatic aberration FTW!!
    - Is kind of short, that's not good in this case, but at least it includes a variety of situations.

    Cons:
    - Problems with "binkw32.dll" wich mutes audio during cutscenes.
    (Solution: you have to replace this file for an updated one inside game's directory)
    - Lazy cutscene development. The style is good but if you take a look at "MGS Peace Walker" comic cutscenes you can understand what I'm saying. Even the ones of "Reverie & Resurrection" DLC from Castlevania LoS.
    - Some minnor glitches with ragdoll, collition data from environments and AI (It doesn't affect the experience much)
    - Awful voice acting. Story is not its strenght but it could have made it a much better game.
    - Price for it's short lenght.    … Expand
  52. RagingPoet
    Nov 30, 2017
    6
    Deadlight had a lot of potential but fell short mostly due to technical issues. Clunky animations and a lot bugs including game breaking ones. And this is in Director's cut version published 4 years after initial release. Cutscenes are fine, but the plot itself is terrible, full of deus ex machina and situations that just do not make any sense. Visuals are good, backgrounds are even great.Deadlight had a lot of potential but fell short mostly due to technical issues. Clunky animations and a lot bugs including game breaking ones. And this is in Director's cut version published 4 years after initial release. Cutscenes are fine, but the plot itself is terrible, full of deus ex machina and situations that just do not make any sense. Visuals are good, backgrounds are even great. Action felt really satisfying from time to time despite poor animation.… Expand
  53. Kotofon
    Aug 6, 2020
    7
    Мир рухнул. Надежды нет. Нельзя начать все с чистого листа. Остались только выжившие. Игра «Deadlight» рассказывает историю Рэндэла Уэйна — человека, ищущего свою семью в Сиэтле после событий 1980-х годов, во время которых вся жизнь на Земле была уничтожена. Этот ошеломляющий кинематографичный платоформер заставит вас бегать, прыгать, карабкаться по стенам и бороться за свою жизнь вМир рухнул. Надежды нет. Нельзя начать все с чистого листа. Остались только выжившие. Игра «Deadlight» рассказывает историю Рэндэла Уэйна — человека, ищущего свою семью в Сиэтле после событий 1980-х годов, во время которых вся жизнь на Земле была уничтожена. Этот ошеломляющий кинематографичный платоформер заставит вас бегать, прыгать, карабкаться по стенам и бороться за свою жизнь в поисках ответов на вопросы и в поисках тех, кого вы любите… Expand
  54. r03vg
    Apr 16, 2020
    7
    Игра выглядит стильно, имеет приятный геймплей. Концовка меня сильно удивила, потому что игра, как мне кажется, никак не намекала на нее.
  55. The_D4RknesS
    Jan 18, 2023
    6
    game is cool but when it's raining the game has very high frame drops even running well with everything maxed out only in the rain does it have this problem.

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]
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