No More Room in Hell 2 News

When I saw the initial trailer for No More Room In Hell 2 during Gamescom ONL 2024, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes a little. I’ve lived through the era in video games where open-world survival games with zombies in them seemed like such a recipe for success, you couldn’t throw a stone without hitting someone’s attempt at one. Seeing anyone attempt a zombie survival game now without a truly unique idea behind it usually elicits an exhausted or sarcastic sigh from me. However, I jumped at the chance to preview No More Room In Hell 2—it is October after all, and what better way to celebrate Halloween than with a few horror games? With tempered expectations, I dove into the game, and honestly, I was impressed. CGM was invited to sit down with Torn Banner Studios for an introduction before diving into the pre-Early Access release version of No More Room In Hell 2. Game Director Leif Walter provided insight into the team’s vision for the game, stating, “Right from the start when we started on No More Room In Hell 2, we really wanted to capture more than just a zombie horror game, but really that classic... Read more

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Footage captured from internal playtests of No More Room in Hell 2 in Early Access state. Visual, audio, and gameplay bugs present.

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In the field, there will be situations in which you may become separated from your fellow Responders and find yourself either alone or in an understrength team. This is not desirable for several reasons, but you should always bear in mind that you and almost all other Responders are civilians, and so should follow civilian safety advice whenever possible. Your first goal in a solo situation should always be to rendezvous with other team members.

That said, it is sometimes not possible to regroup with your team or to follow government advice when on mission, so it is worth sharing that there can be some advantages to operating solo. Chief among them, you will be significantly harder for the Dead to detect, and will therefore have an easier time securing weapons and equipment unnoticed from Dead-populated areas in situations that would result in a fight when accompanied by a team.

Though our knowledge of best practice is still developing, follow these rules to maximize your chances for safety when alone:

• Avoid conflict with the Dead as much as possible. There are unconfirmed reports of the Dead possessing heightened senses, so:
  
• Stay out of their field of view, use cover, and crouch to avoid sightlines
  
• Move slowly to reduce excess noise, do not discharge firearms unless unavoidable
  
• Look for flashlights and listen for voices from other Responders
  
• Use your compass to navigate to nearby points of interest, where other Responders are also likely headed
  
• Always take medical equipment you find (provided it is safe and sterilized)
  
• Stay tuned to the CRC Responder Open Frequency for critical mission updates and locations of team members
  

Please see me in the Operations Center if you have any questions or concerns.

- Victoria Pierce, Operations Manager of the Pennsylvania Civil Recovery Corps

Hello Responders!

October 22nd is coming up fast! As we approach the scary Halloween season, we are looking forward to opening up the doors and bringing players into our Early Access experience.

If you haven’t seen the No More Room in Hell 2 Gameplay Clips yet, first, you should be following us on Twitter/X, and second, we have them here for you.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Our developers have been having a terrifying time exploring our first Early Access map, Power Plant. Though both clips are set within the same massive map, they show some of the variety at play in terms of locations in Berks County - from Radio Stations to Farmhouses to Gas Stations and more - and each shows players taking on different tactics in their approaches.

Many viewers will have their eyes drawn to the HUD as shown in this early state of the game. Our intention is to have a system to allow you to fully customize every HUD element individually to display either on HUD, only on compass view, or never. We’ve prioritized these options to arrive to players as soon as possible, post-launch! The HUD seen here, like many still-in-development features in the game, is being delivered as-is so that we can get No More Room in Hell 2 into players’ hands and hear your feedback.

Because we aren’t launching in Early Access with a Tutorial in-game, we also want to help new players to adapt, survive, and eventually become veteran Responders - with this in-progress HUD helping to ensure new players have a clearer experience in their first hours of the game.

Next week we’ll share a new playtest clip, as well as a brand new Developer Diary!

[h3]The Map[/h3]
Today, we’re excited to share a detailed look at our game map, which you may have spotted briefly in one of the above videos. In-game, you’ll be able to press M at any time to bring up the map.

You’ll have to play the game to truly uncover all of this map’s various locations… but the sprawling power plant in the center itself rather gives itself away! Power Plant is built to let players explore its every nook and cranny, as they deploy their permadeath character into its many deployment zones (spawning areas, located on the outskirts of the map) and undertake a unique journey every playthrough to find their friends and fulfill their mission.



After that look down, let’s look ahead…

[h3]New maps to come during Early Access[/h3]
After our Early Access launch and its Power Plant map, we’ll be turning our focus to major new maps that explore various iconic tropes of zombie cinema just as 2011’s No More Room in Hell did so well.

We look forward to sharing these new locations that you’ll be sending your Responders to in the future, and seeing how you approach tackling the incoming zombie hordes.

[h3]New Zombie variations[/h3]
Speaking of hordes… the latest gameplay clips up above mostly showed off our slower Walkers and screeching Shamblers - but players can also look forward to the fast and terrifying Runners at Early Access too - with more enemy variations to come throughout Early Access towards our full release.

All of these zombies can rip you to shreds, creating a zombie that now bears the appearance of your, uh, permadead character. We consider this feature to be just one step towards other important franchise features that we’re working on…

[h3]Infection is coming![/h3]
Player infection is something that we feel is an important aspect of the No More Room in Hell experience - to truly immerse players in an existentially dark and foreboding experience of the zombie apocalypse. Infection won’t be in the game at Early Access launch, but is in active development - along with many other features and content that will continue to sharpen the game’s unique emotional experience, the sheer dread of it all, as we work our way towards 1.0.

What else is coming after the Early Access launch? Look for more to be shared next week with our post-launch roadmap reveal!

We see our Early Access launch as striking a balance between the 2011 No More Room in Hell mod and the type of game that players today will embrace. All while delivering something truly new to fans of the franchise and lovers of multiplayer gaming alike! As we continue to work with the community on this game, with the experience in their hands, we absolutely will be taking input for how to hit this balance well.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Footage captured from internal playtests of No More Room in Hell 2 in Early Access state. Visual, audio, and gameplay bugs present.


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When this all started, the primary mission of a Responder was to do exactly that — respond to developing situations and lend their expertise to fixing the problem. Despite the Dead’s best efforts, that mission hasn’t changed.

It’s tough for me to tell you what an average day in the field will look like as we work to take back the state.

These past weeks, responders have been doing everything from restoring radio networks to disarming security systems, so a full team with a varied skill-set is essential.

Even then, you’ll inevitably find yourself in environments where you need to make problem-solving your main focus. You need to stay alert at all times, know where your exits are located, cover one another, and, because we all have our limitations, understand when to pick up the slack versus asking for help.

- Sam Foster, Director of the Pennsylvania Civil Recovery Corps
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[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Footage captured from internal playtests of No More Room in Hell 2 in Early Access state. Visual, audio, and gameplay bugs present.


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The Civil Recovery Corps was founded to help out during the pandemic. And a pandemic is what we got, but not the kind we expected.

Now, we’ve got what the official documentation calls “cadavroids”. You probably call them “zombies”. We just say the Dead.

That’s what they are, and it’s what you’ll be as well if you don’t steer clear of them. Our job is to help people, and you need to be alive to do that.

As a Responder, you aren’t out here to pick fights with the Dead. We’re volunteers, not heroes, so keep the ultimate goal in mind when you’re in the field. Do whatever you can to avoid threats, and keep far away from groups especially. Run into just one of the Dead and they might try for a bite.

A crowd of them? Welcome to Hell’s buffet.

- Sam Foster, Director of the Pennsylvania Civil Recovery Corps

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