Deadlight is a 2012 sidescrolling cinematic platforming survival horror video game developed by Tequila Works and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was released for Xbox 360 in August via Xbox Live Arcade, and for Windows in October via Steam. In 2016, a Director's Cut version of the game was released for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, published by Deep Silver. The game is intended as a throwback and homage to classic sidescrolling cinematic platformers of the 1980s and early 1990s, such as Prince of Persia, Another World and Flashback. Set in Seattle in 1986, the game tells the story of Randall Wayne, a former park ranger who sets out to find his family in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Separated from the group with whom he has joined, Wayne must attempt to traverse Seattle to get to the "safe zone", where he believes his family will be waiting. On the way however, he must avoid both zombie hordes, and a group of vigilantes known as the "New Law", who have established themselves as the de facto authority in Seattle. As he travels across the city, he begins to question his memory of the events during the early stages of the outbreak. Deadlight is a 2.5D sidescrolling cinematic platformer/survival horror in which the player character, Randall Wayne, can move from left-to-right and right-to-left, but is unable to enter any environments off the aligned path. The character can walk, sprint, crouch, roll, jump, long jump, wall jump in narrow areas, climb fences and ladders, hang from wires, push and pull certain objects, and perform contextual actions such as using switches and examining bodies. Gameplay consists primarily of platforming and solving puzzles so that Wayne can avoid the many "Shadows" (zombies) populating the streets of Seattle. The levels are designed in such a way that players are encouraged to avoid Shadows as much as possible, rather than engaging them in combat. When combat is unavoidable, the player can use a fire axe to execute short-range melee attacks, which consumes stamina, or later, a revolver, and subsequently a shotgun, although ammunition for both weapons is extremely limited. The player also gains access to a slingshot. However, this cannot be used in combat, and is instead used for solving puzzles. There are only a few occasions in the game when combat is unavoidable, and generally, the emphasis remains on avoiding and outwitting Shadows. One method of doing so is the "taunt" feature, which allows Wayne to lure Shadows to their death by calling to them, leading them into environmental hazards such as chasms or exposed electricity. Even if the player is armed, if he is attacked by more than three or four Shadows at any one time, it means almost certain death. Wayne begins with three health points which can be replenished using first aid kits. The number of health points can increase by a single point if the player can find health power-ups. Sprinting, melee combat, and hanging from objects deplete the player's stamina meter, which causes the screen to blur, and Wayne to pause so as to get his breath back. As with the health meter, the amount of available stamina can be increased by power ups. Unlike health, however, the stamina meter refills over time. The game contains many hidden collectable items. Some are entries from the player's diary, revealing more about his backstory. Others are personal memorabilia lost by people during the outbreak. The player can also find three fully playable 80s-style handheld video games. A recurring collectible comes in the form of identification cards, all of which feature the name of serial killers (such as John Wayne Gacy, Aileen Wuornos and Jeffrey Dahmer), although the photo ID on the cards feature members of Tequila Works' staff.

Deadlight

Platform
steam

Region
Worldwide