No More Room in Hell 2 review: Permadeath Extraction and Zombies done properly

Image: GameReport

Some quick context. NMRIH 2 is the sequel to the beloved free 2011 Source mod (the name is literally the Dawn of the Dead line about hell running out of room), built this time by Torn Banner Studios of Chivalry fame alongside Lever Games, the original mod team. It’s an 8 player co-op PvE zombie shooter with permadeath, and as of August 11th it’s finally hit 1.0 and consoles with full cross-play, which is how i’ve ended up here on my Series X.

First things first, the menu, is very janky. Now, i’m putting this down to early day issues and little glitches, but for me customisations weren’t applying and loadouts weren’t equipping. It’s not game breaking, but i won’t deny it was a little frustrating. Then again, it isn’t a menu simulator. It’s a zombie game.

Graphics, are good. They’re nothing to write home about, and on the Series X i’d say they’re equal to other zombie games such as Back 4 Blood. A good middle ground. It’s not lacking in any way, but it’s not going for design awards either.

Image: GameReport

Gameplay wise, i can appreciate the dedication to realism, or at least to the small humdrum things games usually overlook that would absolutely get you killed in a real outbreak. Take ammunition. You hold Y to check how much you have left and the ammo type, because there isn’t a handy dandy HUD somehow built into your character’s corneas. Then there are attachments. You don’t just pick one up and you’re done. Nope. You pick it up, and if it’s compatible, you then manually equip it. The interface for equipping mods is very finicky, but i’m going to assume that was intended, because you’re not supposed to be messing around with mods when there’s a horde on your tail. Suspense. It’s all about building suspense, the little tiny things that turn a small mistake into a big problem. i love it. Also, i need to add: if you have your torch equipped and you throw a grenade or pipe bomb, your character puts the torch in their mouth to hold it while pulling the pin and aiming, which is an incredibly fun little addition i can’t remember seeing anywhere else.

Which brings me to permadeath. Oh boy, i love permadeath games. State of Decay 1 and 2 are up there as some of the holy grails of zombie survival for me. A character dies? Well, tough luck. They’re dead. Dinner with the reaper. No more. Gonzo. It makes every single encounter more meaningful, more impactful, because there’s something on the line now. You can lose everything you’ve put into this character, all your stuff, and that makes you double check things, it makes you stealthy. This isn’t Call of Duty. Gun-Ho leads to KO.

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And let me tell you, it gets intense. You start running out of supplies, out of ammo, you’ve gotta go melee, but you’re not the Dovahkiin, you can’t take on hordes solo. You either run, or start swinging and hope you’ve got enough left in you to survive extraction, because there’s only one rope, so it’s one at a time. And when it starts to get nuts on a mission, that’s when you really learn if your teammates have got your back.

For those who squeal at the thought of losing a character and their levels, don’t worry, there are Rescue Beacons. You can buy one and it takes up a loadout slot, and in the case of your death your Responder gets rescued, though you lose all your loadout items. Now, the Beacons are rather expensive and single use, so this isn’t carte blanche to go full Rambo without fear of consequence. You need to actually complete missions to gather enough supplies to even afford one, so keep that in mind. (The 1.0 update also added a Solo Mode for learning the maps without permadeath, if you fancy training wheels before the real thing.)

i’m impressed at the amount of weaponry available from the get-go. Various rifles, shotguns and pistols across different calibres, and numerous melee options which, depending on size, take up more stamina and more inventory space but deal a heckin lot more damage. Not to mention the bladed versus blunt choice, and close quarters or more polearm-esque options.

Image: GameReport

Elias Toufexis serves as the voice in your ear during missions, playing a fella called Sam Foster. Known for his great work as Adam Jensen and as Rémi in Hell is Us, i’ve always been a fan of his VA work, so i was excited to hear him in the trailers, and his presence in the game doesn’t disappoint.

i need it on record here that i genuinely despise extraction shooters. i think they’re some of the worst multiplayer games available. However, NMRIH 2 is different. Yes, it’s technically an extraction shooter, but it feels more like a survival game mixed with Left 4 Dead, a zombie mission game with real weight behind tactical decisions, instead of being like Tarkov, where you sell ashtrays to buy ammo.

Is it worth it?

It scratches that zombie itch i’ve had since running out of things to do in SoD2 and B4B, and it’ll keep me going until State of Decay 3 finally shows up. It’s a fun time with friends or randoms, the permadeath is exactly what i was looking for, and at £19.99 in the launch discount, it’s an easy recommendation.

Reviewed on Xbox Series X. ~10hours played. Review copy purchased independently via the Xbox Store (£19.99).