No More Room in Hell 2 is an 8-player co-op action horror game set in a zombie apocalypse. Developed by Torn Banner Studios, it's an upcoming horror game that seeks to give players a realistic zombie survival experience set within a massive, replayable map. It puts players in the shoes of Responders trying to survive and fight back as the apocalypse unfolds, starting both alone and vulnerable with limited supplies and the ever-present threat of death.
The Best War Games recently played a little of No More Room in Hell 2 ahead of its upcoming early access launch. In addition to hearing a presentation by Game Director Leif Walter, we played around an hour of No More Room in Hell 2's first map in a development build. During that time, we managed to survive for around 40 minutes before dying and later launching back into the action for a short 15 minutes, giving us a taste of the game's intended experience.
No More Room Hell In 2 Players Start with a Torch and an Iron Pipe
Before jumping into the action, Walter went through several tips and strategies to help us survive and hopefully avoid an early exit with No More Room in Hell 2's permadeath. This included strategies such as:
- Avoiding and running from zombies as much as possible.
- Conserving health, ammo, and choosing what we carry wisely, with Supply Items not taking up inventory space compared to regular items.
- Utilizing the environment, like closing doors, making barricades, and setting traps.
- Working together and treating searching for other players as much a priority as completing the main objectives.
We dove into action at the Fishing Spot, a creepy location south of the Power Plant on No More Room in Hell 2's massive map. Except for the brief sound of our CRC radio contact indicating an emergency at the Power Plant, we were alone in the dark with nothing but a torch, iron pipe, mustang pistol, and compass to help us find other players. The surroundings were incredibly dark, with nothing but the moonlight and a small light on a nearby building to illuminate our path unless we turned on the torch - an action that carries its risks and drains the battery. While Walter mentioned that players only start No More Room in Hell 2 with a torch and an iron pipe, it seems we had some extras for our preview mission, which involved gearing up and disabling gate security at either the Sawmill or Ranger Station before attempting to reach the Power Plant. If we didn't succeed, thousands of lives would be lost.
Walter also described No More Room in Hell 2 as a classic horror film experience set in an active zombie apocalypse, with several map locations inspired by classic George Romero zombie movies. At least for our time with the game, it passed that vibe check.
Tentatively examining our surroundings before proceeding, we soon realized we weren't alone and spotted a zombie through the door of the house in front. We took it out with several smacks from our iron pipe, remembering to double-tap just in case. Pressing on, we decided to head to the Sawmill for our first objective as the nearest option. The journey involved quite a lengthy run in the dark as fast as possible, being cautious to conserve our flashlight power and stamina while avoiding running straight into any zombies loitering in the shadows. While it was a bit tricky to sometimes distinguish one type of zombie from another, especially while sprinting past, we encountered one that relentlessly howled and chased us across the map. While we were focused on not dying, No More Room in Hell 2's Unreal Engine 5 visuals seemed impressive even within its nighttime setting and limited lighting. As players might expect, the graphics looked a considerable leap from its predecessor.
Working together Is Crucial To Survive No More Room In Hell 2
Once we reached the Sawmill, we were relieved to spot another player and work together to sneak past zombies and restore power, completing our first objective. However, as this player didn't take advantage of No More Room in Hell 2's proximity chat, we decided to fly solo for the next objective when we came across a couple of players surrounded inside a house and requiring medical aid. After jumping through the window and helping them fight back against the undead, we barricaded ourselves inside a small supply room using wooden planks and made a plan of action. After replenishing our health with med kits or bandages and topping up ammo, we escaped by hacking down the barricade and throwing a Pipe Bomb into the horde before exiting the building from above.
Running to the next landmark, one of our group sadly perished while traversing down a cliff, leaving just the two of us. This led to an intense moment where we became trapped on a tight walkway in front of a locked gate we thought we opened. We had to think fast to find an escape route because we were surrounded, and our plan involved using obstacles in the environment to jump the fence and into the adjoining building. Inside, we also came up against another realistic environmental hazard - electricity. Puddles of water became electrifying death traps, and being low on health, our teammate managed to switch off the power to make a safe path forward - or so we thought. Once again, the building soon became infested with zombies as we got separated and couldn't escape fast enough, so we both died trying to climb away.
It was our first taste of No More Room in Hell 2's permadeath, which re-emphasized how crucial sticking together is to the experience - just how much, though, is up to players to decide. While players are free to do what they like as a co-op zombie game "with consequences," it did feel like a game formula encouraged us to work together, which felt refreshing.
Our second attempt was much shorter, with us lasting only around 15 minutes before dying. This time, we started with a different character at the Warehouse, northeast of the Power Plant, with objectives focused on the Field Hospital and Sluice Gate. We ran through the pitch-black darkness cross-country and spotted another player by their flashlight. After disabling several power sources, our teammate led the way to the Field Hospital where the zombie numbers quickly became overwhelming. We died and lost a Responder for a second time.
No Prior Zombie Game Has Trained You For No More Room in Hell 2
Overall, we were incredibly excited by what we played in No More Room in Hell 2's map, which is massive, and we only experienced a small portion of it. While the fear factor is entirely subjective, we felt the most frightening thing was not necessarily the zombies, but not always knowing where they were. Alongside that, the tension built up with the threat of zombies around nearly every corner and facing scenarios that could potentially happen, rather than just shooting zombies for the sake of it.
Of course, Torn Banner also plans on adding even more zombie types into the game as part of No More Room in Hell 2's early access roadmap, something which has the potential to add even more thrilling and potentially terrifying encounters. Altogether, what we saw was equally promising and terrifying.
- Released
- October 22, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Mild Sexual Themes, Language, and Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Torn Banner Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Torn Banner Studios, Lever Games Inc.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Early Access Release
- October 22, 2024
