Deadlight which is developed by Tequila Works and published by Microsoft Studios is an intense storytelling experience that will end in a way you never expected. This game is definitely a suspenseful thriller with twists and turns similar to Alan Wake and even the classic television show Twin Peaks. And what do these all have in common? The Pacific Northwest, that’s what. Makes me think twice about every wanting to live in that area. Tequila Works really put some time and passion into this game taking into account games like Another World, Flashback and Prince of Persia. And I will say this game plays very similar to all of them. I was a huge fan of Another World and Flashback.

The game is presented in a side scroller fashion similar to the games I had mentioned. It’s a cinematic side scroller that will have you leaping, ducking and solving puzzles galore in order to proceed further into the game. While the main game storyline may only be 2 hours or less in the end, it will take you longer than that to finish the first time through. You can then go back and play section by section to better your finishing time. When it’s all said and done, the leaderboards will probably reflect the game as being under 2 hours long. Don’t let that deter you from experiencing this great game though.

You play the role of Randall Wayne. He is in search of his family and friends that have been captured during an apocalyptic plague that has engrossed the city of Seattle. Zombies are everywhere even though they are referred to in the game as shadows. You’ll have very little in the way of weapons to fight off the zombies and you’ll have to do more running and climbing to keep yourself alive than anything. You will obtain weapons as you proceed through the chapters.

The game is very appealing visually and many modern gamers will compare it to Limbo with the use of greys and shadows. The backdrops of Seattle are fantastic and since this game takes place in the 80’s you’ll notice a lot of very cool touches to keep the game in that era. Remember, a lot of the technology we have today such as cellphones were pretty much nonexistent to the regular Joe back in those days. I especially enjoyed the hockey arena that is represented in one of the segments. Folks familiar with the Seattle area will probably recognize a lot of the scenery and I have to say it’s very well done. The chaos and sense of being alone is recreated not only through the emotions of the character but through the scenery and environments you’ll run across.

Now unfortunately I ran across some major framerate issues here and there. It wasn’t a huge problem throughout the game but when it did happen man was it terrible. Also there were times when the controls for wall jumping wouldn’t exactly match up with what was taking place on the screen. This could add for some frustrating moments for sure. Over and above those issues those the game looked and played great visually.

The story is really good and will keep you wondering what is going on the whole way through to the end. And even when you finish you’ll still think back about what you went through and try to put together pieces. It’s definitely a storyline that keeps you playing the game and you’ll actually connect with Randall on many levels as well as a few of the other characters in the game. The voice acting mostly consists of Randall speaking to himself and then occasionally some of the other characters. But this story is mostly about Randall’s trials and tribulations.

There are a ton of collectibles for you to find from journal pages to items left behind from Seattle residents. You’ll also find 3 handheld games (one per Act) that are playable during the main story or from the main menu. This is a great touch as back in the 80’s the LCD handhelds were hugely popular for kids. It was our portable videogame console at the time. There are even achievements attached to these.

As I mentioned earlier, the game is all time based and not score based. You’ll run through the storyline and set your initial time which will appear on the leaderboards. The leaderboards are broken down into overall time, Act I, Act II, and Act III. You’ll see the total time and the percentage complete. There is also an achievement tied to the leaderboards so be sure to get your friends to play the game.

The gameplay is very similar to the games I previously mentioned as well as Limbo. You’ll be required to solve puzzles at times like hitting switches, moving boxes to get some height or making your way through areas that require precise accuracy and quick paced movements. For instance, there is one scene that you have to run through the level as a helicopter bares down on you. If it catches you with its gun you’ll be dead. One wrong move and it will catch you guaranteed. This can be a bit frustrating but again this is the type of game it is. It’s not meant to be all easy.

Even though you have a gun at times and even a shotgun, this game is not all about just shooting zombies. It’s more about surviving and making it to the end of the story. Ammo is very limited and you’ll have to keep your eye out for glowing objects which will contain ammo or collectibles. Other glowing objects such as windows or doors will show you the way to go if you are stuck. Keep an eye out for blowing strands of cloth as these also show you areas that you can access or jump to. There are plenty of hidden areas as well scattered throughout the levels. And there is a decent checkpoint system for those of us that die or mistime our jumps.

Now keep in mind before you read this that I am playing the game before its released and maybe there will be a patch. I ran into a few instances where the game would not recognize my hard drive and I actually got a message on screen to remove the HDD and reinsert it to try and save my profile. When you proceed further in the game it will save fine so no need to do that. It just happened at weird times and there was no real rhyme or reason to it. I also got a little frustrated with the fact that when playing through a section again and grabbing the collectibles I missed there were a few times it didn’t register that and I had to do it over again. I did play the whole level and this still happened here and there. Do not quit out of a level once you acquire a missed collectible as it does not autosave at that time like most games do.

While the game does have a few glaring issues here and there and the issues with its framerate and the controls I do honestly think it’s a solid title. I am not sure if this should be a $15 title though as it is quite short and there is no replay value to it once you have completed it. It definitely provides you with and easy 400 Microsoft Points for those achievement hunters out there. And about the only replay value that is associated with this game is trying to better your time on the leaderboards. If you are a fan of survival horror, sidescrollers or just a games with a great story then this is an excellent choice for the money. Others may want to check out the trial first and then make a decision from there. I will say this though. The story should definitely be experienced by anyone as its very good.