I do love a good zombie game, the whole walking dead premise is something that has been done in both film and gaming for generations. Every once in a while, we get new takes on the genre where the zombies act differently or have some mutations that grant them abilities, but thankfully in No More Room in Hell 2, we get the more traditional zombies, and I’m okay with that.
Thankfully, No More Room in Hell 2 doesn’t try to reinvent the zombie apocalypse. Instead, it focuses on what makes these games so much fun in the first place, surviving when everything is trying to kill you. I managed to get a hold of a copy on the PS5, so after a small installation, it was time to take on the hordes of the dead.
No More Room in Hell 2 is an intense 8-player zombie shooter that throws you into a world overrun by the undead. You deploy as an emergency responder into the eerie darkness of various zombie-infested locations. Join up with others and complete vital missions to aid humanity’s survival. Though you’ll have to stay cautious, as every encounter with the horde can lead to infection or even permadeath for you, the responder. Every fight is a struggle; every victory is another step back from the brink of the apocalypse.
There are two distinct game modes in No More Room in Hell 2. These are scenario mode and survival mode. In scenario mode, responders will journey deep into the heart of the outbreak to arm themselves, tackle critical objectives and extract supplies. You’ll get to experience six richly-crafted maps based on the northeast coast of the United States. Each one of these locations offers a different time of day as well as themed objectives to complete. You’ll have to gear up along the way, as this is the only way to increase your odds of survival.
The other mode lets you survive rounds of zombies before being extracted at the end to safety. This one is a lot of fun, and I find myself leaning toward this one a bit more than the scenario mode. Though both modes are solid and have something that everyone will enjoy.
Kind of like Hunt Showdown, where you get characters that you level up and unlock skills for, No More Room in Hell 2 follows this kind of formula with its responders. You get to unlock new responders, each with a unique class system. Though you want to be careful when taking your responders out into the world, as any missions could be their last. That’s right, No More Room in Hell 2 has a permadeath mechanic. Meaning once your responder dies, they are gone for good. Not only that, but the undead can infect you and twist your mind.
Though this doesn’t mean that your responder is lost for good you just need to find pills or a gene therapy cure to cure you of the infection. This needs to be done before your dead body rises up against your allies. By completing missions, your odds at survival improve as you are able to unlock upgrades, starting gear and perks to make survival that little bit easier. You also get increase rewards for the more squadmates that extract, which is where you need to evaluate whether to put your characters life on the line for other or to just get out alive.
Surviving the Apocalypse
One thing that I loved about No More Room in Hell 2 was that it didn’t make me feel completely invincible. Sometimes Zombie games can sometimes fall into this trap of turning the player into an undead destroying machine. When you get the right weapons and enough ammunition, the zombies become a little easier to deal with, but I wouldn’t say you become untouchable.
Like in all zombie situations, they should always be taken seriously, especially when their numbers start to increase. In No More Room in Hell 2, a situation that looks manageable can quickly become a fight for your life, and you have to start weighing up the options to stand and fight or to run away.
Though even running away isn’t as easy as it sounds. You are tempted by the world around you to take risks and explore. Do you risk going into another building or pushing further into the unknown? Maybe you’ll get to come across those rounds of ammunition you’ve been after for the last five minute or maybe your stumble across an entire horde and put the whole team at risk. This is part of the fun and something that really livened up the gameplay loop with No More Room in Hell 2. It creates a nice balance between exploration and not knowing what’s around every corner.
When Things Go Wrong
It should be a good thing when things go wrong, but in No More Room in Hell 2, the game becomes at its best. A simple task can quickly unfold into complete chaos. When you are only armed with a knife and pistol, with limited ammunition, being surrounded by zombies is the last thing you want. These moments are where the game really shines.
There is something incredibly satisfying about surviving an encounter that looks like it wasn’t going to go your way. It is made even more funny when there are seven other responders with you who are all in the same situation, and now, you’re a bunch of people in panic mode trying to survive. The game does a good job of making you think about what to do next. Do you take on the zombies in front of you, do you search the area for supplies, or do you try sneaking past and not engaging.
This is what makes No More Room in Hell 2 so much fun, and it is a lot better when the people you are playing with have mics so that you can communicate or when playing with friends.
Bring Your Friends
Like I mentioned above, having friends or a squad to play with makes the game ten times more enjoyable. I think the co-op experience is the only way to play No More Room in Hell 2. Zombie games and co-op for me have always been a match made in heaven. There is something about playing alongside others and trying to handle the hordes of the undead. At the same time, playing with others makes for situations you would never come across when playing solo.
You can start with the best plan ever and feel like you have everything under control, and then somebody might go off plan or grab the attention of a horde, and now everyone has to try, and other come the issue at hand. The funniest stories in co-op games are rarely moments where everything goes perfectly. They’re the moments where everything goes horribly wrong, and somehow everyone gets out alive. I find these moments mainly happen when playing Helldivers 2.
A Little Rough Around the Edges
Though it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and unfortunately, I have to talk about some of the game’s problems. No More Room in Hell 2 can feel rather clunky around the edges. There are times when the controls don’t feel quite as smooth as they could be, and some of the interactions lack the polish you might expect from a more refined release. It’s not something that completely ruins the games experience, but it is noticeable, more so during crunch time moments.
When you are trying to react quickly to a group of zombies, the last thing you want is to feel like the controls aren’t quite keeping up with you. There are also moments where you can see the potential for the game to be even better with a bit more polish. That all being said, I don’t think these issues are enough to overshadow the overall experience you get with No More Room in Hell 2. It just makes the situation frustrating at times.
Familiar, But Fun
If you are going into No More Room in Hell 2 expecting it to reinvent the zombie genre they you will be left disappointed; however, I’m here to convince you why that doesn’t matter. We’ve reached a point where almost every zombie mechanic has been done in one way or another. You scavenge for supplies, fight hordes and explore abandoned locations and desperately tried to survive the apocalypse. What matter I that this game makes those familiar formulas enjoyable. There is a satisfying rhythm to the experience.
You and seven other people explore, search for what you need and deal with the undead. Sometimes everything works; sometimes it goes horribly. That’s the unpredictability that gives this game a lot of its charm.
The Fun Factor
The biggest compliment I can give this game is how much fun I had playing it. One thing I notice when playing certain titles nowadays is that they don’t need to be revolutionary to be good. Sometimes you just need the right combination of factors to make everything click. No More Room in Hell 2 delivers on the fun factor; it understands why people enjoy zombie games, and it gives you enough freedom to make your own decisions. I highly recommend playing it co-op rather than solo, as this is where the game truly shines. It’s one of those games where you start a session expecting to play for a little while and then suddenly realise you’ve been playing for hours.
Final Verdict
No More Room in Hell 2 is a super enjoyable zombie survival experience that doesn’t quite reach its full potential because of some noticeable rough edges. Its biggest strength is how enjoyable the core gameplay is. Exploring, surviving and dealing with the undead creates plenty of tense situations, while the unpredictability of the experience means things can quickly go from calm to chaotic. Combine this with the co-op, and you get another major highlight.
Playing alongside friends or randoms adds another layer of enjoyment and creates those wonderfully chaotic moments that you’ll probably end up talking about long after you’ve finished playing kind of what you got when playing the original Left 4 Dead game back in the day. Unfortunately, the game can feel a little clunky at times. The controls and some of the interactions could use additional polish, and there are moments where those rough edges become noticeable enough to pull you out of the experience.
It doesn’t need to completely reinvent the zombie genre, it just needs to five the player a fun, tense and occasionally chaotic experience, which it does. If you’re a fan of zombie games, particularly ones where you work together with others, I would recommend checking out No More Room in Hell 2. For these reasons, I’m giving No More Room in Hell 2 a score of 8 out of 10.
No More Room in Hell 2 Trailer
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
Reviewed and played on PC.
Review Summary
What is No More Room in Hell 2?
No More Room in Hell 2 is an intense 8-player zombie survival shooter where you play as an emergency responder fighting through zombie-infested locations, completing objectives, scavenging supplies and trying to survive long enough to escape.
What does No More Room in Hell 2 add?
The game focuses on tense survival, co-operative gameplay and unpredictable encounters rather than reinventing the zombie genre. With scenario and survival modes, responder progression, infection, permadeath and eight-player co-op, every run can quickly turn from a controlled mission into complete chaos.
What are the problems?
The biggest issue is that No More Room in Hell 2 can feel clunky around the edges. Some controls and interactions lack polish, which can become frustrating during moments when you need to react quickly to a zombie horde. The game also doesn’t do anything particularly revolutionary with the zombie genre.
Is No More Room in Hell 2 worth playing?
Yes. If you’re a fan of zombie games, particularly co-op survival experiences, there’s a lot of fun to be had here. The unpredictable encounters, limited resources and risk of losing a responder create plenty of tense and chaotic moments. Co-op is where the game really shines, especially when playing with friends and communicating with your squad.
What score does No More Room in Hell 2 get?
8/10
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