History VideoGame / Deadlight

''Deadlight'' is a 2D CinematicPlatformer utilizing the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' engine released in August, 2012 on UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade. With a focus on navigating the ruined city of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} and avoiding the shambling undead (rather than out-and-out fighting them), the player leads Randall through the streets, city, suburbs and sewers, all the while fleeing from the hordes of [[NotUsingTheZWord "Shadows"]] and the men of the sinister [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters "New Law"]] organisation...

** The LCD games are layered shout-outs: they resemble UsefulNotes/GameAndWatch games physically, have graphics reminiscent of Tiger Electronics LCD games, and reference ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'', various rhythm games, and the Franchise/CthulhuMythos in their themes.

* {{Expy}}: Randall's last name of Wayne, his roof-hopping, his stealthiness, his [[GutturalGrowler growly voice]], his noir-like monologues, his multiple B&E's, his constant gathering clues and trying to solve mysteries, his antisocial nature and other borderline delusional psychological problems, have caused ''many'' to identify him as Zombie-Survivor!Batman. The diary makes him seem even more like Forest-Ranger!Batman.

* DaylightHorror: A run through the suburbs of Seattle in broad daylight through the gardens and houses would be lovely, typically, but for the hordes of undead on Randall's tail the whole time.
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Randall's wife and daughter.]]

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Not much information is given, but they have the characteristics of a Type F, they'll hunker down and eat a corpse if they find it, merged with a Type P where their bite is stated to be infectious.

* AnAxeToGrind: Randall's main weapon. Useful for both "opening" locked gates, and smushing troublesome Shadows.

* BadassBeard: Randall's.

* TacticalSuicideBoss: Or rather tactical suicide mooks. While zombies are difficult to put down in groups, they are still rock-stupid animated corpses. Stand on the other side of a pit and whistle -- the Shadows will trip over themselves and to their doom just to get to you.

** The alternate ending (an exlusive of the PC version: you need the finish the Nightmare Mode unlocked by finishing the game the first time) is even darker: [[spoiler:Randall is revealed to be a serial killer with dissociative identity disorder (some pages of his diary hint at it), and it was he who killed the companions[[note]]he was lying about Karla being bitten, Sam wasn't actually bleeding out - Randall came upon him in the shop and smothered him - and finally, he choked Ben to death in the helicopter, resulting in the crash[[/note]] This is revealed after Stella notices that Randall's wearing Karla's necklace and shoves him backwards, causing him to hit his head and realize what had really happened. May double as a EarnYourBadEnding.]]

* [[spoiler:BolivianArmyEnding: After helping Stella escape on a sailboat, Randall decides to stay behind on the pier, both to help hold off the Shadows as well as come to terms over mercy killing his family. {{Subverted}} in the alternate ending where Randall is attacked by Stella and hits his head on a post, paralyzing him as he slowly dies.]]

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Some of the neighborhoods depicted do not connect to each other in real life the way they do in the game. The Seattle Underground is a real place, but not nearly as [[AbsurdlySpaciousSewer deep or spacious]] as in the game. Seattle has never had a tunnels I found (though it does have a bus tunnel, but construction on that began the year after the game takes place). Some of these things can be {{Handwave}}d as being part of the game's AlternateHistory.

* [[spoiler:BolivianArmyEnding: After helping Stella escape on a sailboat, Randall decides to stay behind on the pier, both to help hold off the Shadows as well as come to terms over mercy killing his family.]]

* DwindlingParty: Strange version: Randall is chasing after his group of survivor friends which sadly gets smaller the more of them he finds.

* SurrealHorror: The flashbacks and nightmares become more vivid and, well, nightmarish as the game goes on.

** The alternate ending (an exlusive of the PC version: you need the finish the Nightmare Mode unlocked by finishing the game the first time) is even darker: [[spoiler:Randall is revealed to have been a serial killer with dissociative identity disorder (some pages of his diary hint at it), it was he who killed the companions, and he gets a KarmicDeath -- Stella notices he's got her twin sister's necklace, rebels, and pushes him to bump his head on a wooden post. May double as a EarnYourBadEnding.]]

!!Deadlight contains examples of:

** The LCD games are layered shout-outs: they resemble GameAndWatch games physically, have graphics reminiscent of Tiger Electronics LCD games, and reference ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'', various rhythm games, and the Franchise/CthulhuMythos in their themes.

''Deadlight'' is a 2D CinematicPlatformer utilizing the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' engine released in August, 2012 on XboxLiveArcade. With a focus on navigating the ruined city of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} and avoiding the shambling undead (rather than out-and-out fighting them), the player leads Randall through the streets, city, suburbs and sewers, all the while fleeing from the hordes of [[NotUsingTheZWord "Shadows"]] and the men of the sinister [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters "New Law"]] organisation...

** The LCD games are layered shout-outs: they resemble GameAndWatch games physically, have graphics reminiscent of Tiger Electronics LCD games, and reference ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'', various rhythm games, and the CthulhuMythos in their themes.

The game consists of puzzles which the player must solve as he attempts to avoid the many "Shadows" (zombies) he encounters. Players are advised to avoid Shadows as much as possible, and try not to engage them in combat. There are only a small number of occasions when combat is completely necessary however, and throughout the game, the emphasis of the gameplay remains strongly on avoiding Shadows, not confronting them.

''Deadlight'' is a 2D CinematicPlatformer utilizing the ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' engine released in August, 2012 on XboxLiveArcade. With a focus on navigating the ruined city of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} and avoiding the shambling undead (rather than out-and-out fighting them), the player leads Randall through the streets, city, suburbs and sewers, all the while fleeing from the hordes of "Shadows" and the men of the sinister [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters "New Law"]] organisation...

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Some of the neighborhoods depicted do not connect to each other in real life the way they do in the game. The Seattle Underground is a real place, but not nearly as [[AbsurdlySpaciousSewer deep or spacious]] as in the game. Seattle has never had a subway system (though it does have a bus tunnel, but construction on that began the year after the game takes place). Some of these things can be {{Handwave}}d as being part of the game's AlternateHistory.

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Some of the neighborhoods depicted do not connect to each other in real life the way they do in the game. The Seattle Underground is a real place, but not nearly as [[AbsurdlySpaciousSewer deep or spacious]] as in the game. Seattle has never had a subway system (though it does have a bus tunnel but construction on that began the year after the game takes place.) Some of these things can be {{Handwave}}d as being part of the game's AlternateHistory.

* EasterEgg: Throughout the game you can collect identification cards from some of the bodies that litter the levels, ALL of them are from well known serial killers...

* FinishingMove: Randall can preform a wide over-handed swing of his axe to plant a skull-splitting blow on downed Shadows. This is the only way to be certain that they stay down, but it takes a lot of stamina to execute and leaves him vulnerable if they are still upright.

* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Shadows feeding on other people, helicopters flying in the background, a car flipping over, buildings in the background with shadows trapped in them (you can see them in the windows), writhing body bags etc.

* SceneryGorn: Buildings on fire, wrecked cars etc.

* TacticalSuicideBoss: Or rather tactical suicide mooks. While zombies are difficult to put down in groups, they are still rock-stupid animated corpses. Stand on the other side of a pit and whistle--the Shadows will trip over themselves and to their doom just to get to you.
* TauntButton: It has a [[PracticalTaunt practical use]] for getting Shadows' attention if they have not already noticed Randal. The Shadows are not very smart, and it can be used to lure them into traps or bunch them up so they can be evaded all at once.

** The alternate ending (an exlusive of the PC version: you need the finish the Nightmare Mode unlocked by finishing the game the first time) is even darker: [[spoiler:Randall is revealed to have been a serial killer with dissociative identity disorder (some pages of his diary hint at it), it was he who killed the companions, and gets a KarmicDeath - Stella notices he's got her twin sister's necklace, rebels, and pushes him to bump his head on a wooden post. May double as a EarnYourBadEnding]]

** The alternate ending (an exlusive of the PC version: you need the finish the Nightmare Mode unlocked by finishing the game the first time) is even darker: [[spoiler:Randall is revealed to have been a serial killer with dissociative identity disorder (some pages of his diary hint at it), it was he who killed the companions, and gets a KarmicDeath - Stella notices he's got her twin sister's necklace, rebels, and pushes him to bump his head on a wooden post).]]

[[ActionSurvivor Randall Wayne]] is a 30-something ex-park ranger, living a simple but comfortable life in 1980s Canada with his wife and daughter.

[[ZombieApocalypse And then the]] [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Shadows]] [[ZombieApocalypse came]].

** The LCD games are layered shout-outs: they resemble GameAndWatch games physically, have graphics reminiscent of Tiger Electronics LCD games, and reference GuitarHero, various rhythm games, and the CthulhuMythos in their themes.

** The part where Randall escapes from the helicopter while following "Ratboy", jumping between buildings and cranes, is too reminiscent of ''{{VideoGame/Canabalt}}'' to be a coincidence.

* SafeZoneHopeSpot: "Safe Point"

* StockShoutOut: The Ratman's dungeons are, according to the narration, based on Dante Aleghiri's Divine Comedy. It's lip service, though, since none of the puzzle areas resemble Dante's Hell beyond an abundance of spikes and the dead.