DEADNAME Play NYC Preview - Bloody Hard Time

Shoot, evade, die, and try again. Those are the rules of DEADNAME as you plow through dozens of fascist troops who could just as easily end you. With fast-paced combat and the constant threat of death, a 2-minute stage could easily take around 10 minutes.

DEADNAME takes reference from acclaimed titles like Hotline Miami and Katana Zero. As the Wolf, you'll recruit fellow insurgents to fight against the fascist government and their soldiers. The plot is simple and so is your goal, getting to that goal is going to require a lot of trial and error.

Death comes easy and without mercy, this is the core of DEADNAME. Learn from your mistakes and try again by memorizing the enemy's patterns. You also have to properly aim and keep track of your ammo since the game telegraphs little information to keep the action and forefront and center. This game is hard and judging from the large number of people who rage quit the preview I played you're not going to complete this game without a great deal of dedication. 

The game highlights the brutal nature of the campaign with not only lifeless bodies quickly dropping to the ground or pixel blood but the language. Enemies will beg for mercy and curse when shot as you plow through dozens of them. The game sets and tone and does not let up on it.

The title is 2D and you shoot using the mouse cursor and use boxes or doorways for cover. Since shootouts are so fast you have to be constantly aware of where you're shooting since a missed shot can mean the death of you or your allies. Currently, your allies serve as great bullet shields but that will be resolved in the future. Despite being an early build the game's controls are well-tuned, shooting and movement are perfect.

Enemies are not stupid and will actively use cover and charge your position in numbers. Despite being scripted events the accuracy along with the sheer numbers makes each situation uncertain even when trying for multiple times.

This is an early build so certain paramount actions were not entirely known. Such as using a partially opened door for cover or enemies too close to the Wolf cannot be shot. But as stated this is an early build so everything is subject to change.

DEADNAME definitely captures the high-pace and challenging mechanics that fans of these intense games love. You can try it yourself right now.
 

Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed
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