No More Room in Hell 2’s early access launch is just around the corner, where players will get the chance to step into its take on the zombie apocalypse as emergency responders trying to survive and help others. Developed by Torn Banner Studios,No More Room in Hell 2has big plans with its early access roadmap, including additional maps, zombie types, and much more. Intriguingly, many of these planned features look to offer an interconnected experience for players, with future planned maps expanding not just the world ofNo More Room in Hell 2but also its overarching story as well.
After attending a recent hands-on preview event of the game, Game Rant also had the opportunity to askNo More Room in Hell 2director Leif Walter about the studio’s early access roadmap plans. Walter revealed More Room in Hell 2’s roadmap plans currently in development, like the Infection System, and he talked about conceptual ideas like additional game modes, planned zombie types, and more. Walter also spoke about howNo More Room in Hell 2’s permadeath works in practice, how the original George A. Romero zombie movies inspired the game’s map, and more.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
No More Room In Hell 2’s Roadmap Plans, Infection System, And Game Modes
Q: Could you talk us through some of your roadmap plans in development, like the Infection system?
A: The Infection feature is a staple of theNo More Room in Hellfranchiseand integral for putting players right into the emotional tension of a zombie apocalypse. The initial seeds of infection are present in Early Access - whenever a player Responder dies, they “turn” into a stronger-than-average zombie type. This already begins to interact with the complexities of social cooperation… If you’re close to death and the odds are against you, do you distance yourself from your team to ensure they don’t become victims of your zombified super-corpse? Or do you stay quiet about your vulnerable state? We’re excited to see the reactions to this teased feature at the Early Access launch.
We want to ensure that we get the feature right, and that we ensure that its detailed mechanics supplement our novel game mode and our novel approach to 8-player co-op as well. We are already working on the feature and will take player feedback from the EA launch into account as well while we refine and fine-tune the feature, and will be able to speak more about it as part of our Early Access updates!
Apart from Infection, we are already working on a Responder Respawn feature (more information below), and, of course, a lot more content for the game. New weapons, new zombie types, new Responder skills, and much more!
Q: Could you tell us more about your roadmap ideas in concept, like the planned second game mode, nightmare mode, and maps?
A: Additional maps will keep telling thestory and the narrative ofNo More Room in Hell 2.These are not just new locations to visit, but they are tied to the events on previous maps, and there will be a clear progression of the narrative as we roll out more environments to explore. We also think that our approach to players needing to meet up first, and needing to strategize as they traverse the map, is a key ingredient of our game. But we will play with how quickly players find each other, and how much they are incentivized to perhaps split up again…stay tuned for more information about our second map in due time! Similarly, we are exploring additional game modes that leverage the spaces we have built, but provide a slightly different flavor of the experience. Our main game mode is unique in that players go through a significant journey across a single match - and the game plays very differently in the first five minutes as opposed to the final five minutes. Additional game modes give us the opportunity to lean more into different parts of this experience.
No More Room In Hell 2’s Zombies And Planned Zombie Types
Q: In the hands-on preview session, I spotted a few zombie types while exploring: slower, shambler types, a fast-running screamer, and some more aggressive types that were harder to kill. Could you talk about your inspirations for the zombie types in the game currently, and tell us more about the types you hope to add?
A: The key inspiration for our zombies were always the original Romero films, where zombies are essentially twisted and sick - and ultimately infected humans. Maintaining that human origin was always key, and ensuring that players feel like there might even be some humanity left in the zombies ofNo More Room in Hell 2. We wanted players to feel perhaps even some remorse. That glimmer of hope to maybe heal or turn back zombies into actual humans is always a painful part of theRomero zombie films, and we wanted to capture some of that tragedy and drama. This is expressed in our sound design for zombies, ensuring that the human remnants are coming through. While we want to ensure interesting gameplay with compelling encounters and situations, we will always stay away from anything too supernatural or something that leans too heavily into the notion of mutations. There won’t be any zombies with tentacles growing out of their heads :)
We are already working on some exciting additions to zombies which are tied to their outfit, and perhaps a previous occupation of the human that turned. Some of these outfits can help to create interesting gameplay choices like protection through helmets or other gear, or perhaps creating opportunities to exploit, like a pressurized oxygen tank on the back of a firefighter zombie!
What Happens When A Player’s Character Dies In No More Room In Hell 2
Q: In the preview presentation, you mentioned that players must restart their Responder progress when they die. Could you tell us more about how that works in practice with levelling up, character selection, and re-spawn locations on the map?
A: Characters will level up once they complete the mission successfully, and the gained XP depends on the amount of Supply Items that the entire team (not just your character!) extracted with. This means that as you use the same character to replay the Power Plant map, you will earn more and more experience, levels - and skills to choose from. There are a number of difficulty levels for the Power Plant map, which is determined by the average level of Responders who are part of a particular match. When your character/Responder dies, you will have to select a new Responder.
Currently, you pick one out of three potential Responders that are generated entirely randomly. These Responder options have randomized cosmetics and clothing, but most importantly, they come with one of many Backgrounds. This Background, such as Army Reservist or Sous Chef, will determine the starting skill of this Responder. There is no respawn for EA launch, andpermadeathis an integral part of our game. However, we are working on a mechanic where players who have lost their Responder, can be brought back into the match with a fresh Responder to still help complete the mission, and to kickstart the progress for that new Responder. We will talk more about the Respawn feature soon!
No More Room In Hell 2’s Classic George Romero Movie Inspirations For Its Maps And Beyond
Q: I understand the game and its map are inspired by classic horror films. Could you explain which ones influenced you and how they inspired locations on the map?
A: The main inspiration we always come back to are the original Romero films, such asLand of the DeadorNight of the Living Dead, orDawn of the Dead(and its 2004 remake). These films really shaped the entire mood and atmosphere of the game. The premise is: In an outbreak that occurred just like in these films, how would it be for survivors who made it out, but who gathered under the banner of a civil rescue organization, the CRC, to go back into the apocalypse and try to help others?
Many of the locations on our first map are inspired by locations in these films, and there are plenty of Easter Eggs to be found across the map as well. We have a Farmhouse inspired byNight of the Living Dead(and, of course, a cemetery!), a radio station that harkens back toDawn of the Dead, or a mine shaft that is areference toDay of the Dead. So a lot of iconic locations - but of course, we also saved some cool references and inspirations from these old films for future maps!
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