The lately launched Lifeless Area remake is a triumph amongst online game remakes, lots of which haven’t been very properly obtained by followers over the previous few years. And as a large Lifeless Area fan, I’m so rattling pleased to see EA spending cash on the franchise once more—with nice outcomes. However, I can’t assist however take into consideration a Lifeless Area sport that EA has buried and most have forgotten about. That sport is Lifeless Area cell, a unbelievable pocket-sized horror sport that desperately must be given a second probability.
Let’s journey again in time. It’s 2011, a couple of years because the authentic Lifeless Area’s 2008 launch. Lifeless Area 2 is popping out and alongside it one other entry within the franchise. However this sport received’t be launched on consoles or PC. As a substitute, the confusingly named Lifeless Area (usually referred to on-line as Lifeless Area cell) arrives on iOS and Android gadgets. On the time I questioned: How good may a Lifeless Area cell sport really be? Then I performed it and found it wasn’t only a good cell sport, it was an incredible standalone horror sport!
Set earlier than the occasions of Lifeless Area 2, Lifeless Area cell tells the story of Vandal, a brand new recruit to the scary area cult seen all through the franchise. Vandal is shipped to Titan station, the setting of the sequel, and unwittingly unleashes the Necromorph invasion upon the area base that Issac has to take care of later within the console sport. The remainder of Lifeless Area cell includes Vandal making an attempt to repair this large fuck up, get proof in opposition to the cult, and assist folks aboard the station escape. I received’t spoil its twists and turns, however it’s an attractive and tense horror journey that may take most gamers about two to 4 hours to finish.
What actually makes Lifeless Area cell so good is that the devs behind the sport designed it from the bottom as much as be a cell sport. For instance, to seize or work together with the world you simply contact the factor or swap along with your finger. No digital buttons are wanted. When aiming the long-lasting Lifeless Area plasma cutter, you barely tilt your cellphone to flip the laser from horizontal to vertical. It sounds finicky, however in follow, it really works properly even throughout among the later areas which toss a great deal of nasty monsters at you.
Not solely does it work properly, however it feels so completely different from immediately’s present huge cell video games, which are sometimes coated in digital buttons and joysticks and really feel like they had been constructed with a controller or keyboard in thoughts after which ported to a cellphone. Lifeless Area cell as a substitute feels completely at dwelling in your tiny cellphone or pill.
In case you play Lifeless Area cell with headphones on in a darkish room, you possibly can rapidly neglect that you simply’re taking part in a pint-sized cell tie-in and get sucked into the darkish corridors and creepy ambiance of the sport. Only a few cellphone video games have ever scared me and Lifeless Area cell is on that shortlist. Even with its barely chunky graphics and restricted lighting, this cell interpretation of Lifeless Area was nonetheless a tense lil’ masterpiece that labored with its limitations and didn’t battle in opposition to them.
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Sadly, that is the a part of the story the place I’ve to elucidate that Lifeless Area cell is presently not accessible on both iOS or Android. In 2015, EA eliminated the sport from digital shops and it turned unplayable on newer gadgets through the years.
Now, should you personal an Android machine and you already know what an APK file is and the place to look, you possibly can nonetheless technically get pleasure from Lifeless Area cell in 2023 due to artful and devoted followers. However should you don’t, you’re shit out of luck, and it’s a disgrace that such a gem of a horror sport has been left for lifeless by EA.
Nonetheless, maybe there’s nonetheless hope for Lifeless Area cell. I can affirm that the sport runs properly on trendy telephones with a couple of fan-crafted modifications . So it appears potential that EA may spend some cash and re-release Lifeless Area cell on newer telephones. However even higher than that: EA ought to take the time to launch Lifeless Area cell throughout consoles and PC, too. Certain, it’d want some adjustments and a few actually low-res property would possibly should be swapped out, however it will be value it. It will carry the sport to extra folks and would guarantee Lifeless Area cell doesn’t get left behind once more, as a PC model can extra simply be modded and up to date by followers for years to come back. And whereas I feel Lifeless Area cell feels excellent on a cellphone, I feel it will nonetheless be rattling good on a controller. And even the Nintendo Swap!
With Lifeless Area’s remake doing so properly, it appears seemingly {that a} Lifeless Area 2 remake may comply with and the cell sport fills in some essential holes within the collection timeline, so a re-release appears even extra wanted now than ever earlier than.
Sadly, with the current information of EA killing cell video games, it appears unlikely the writer will fund even a small-scale remaster of Lifeless Area cell anytime quickly. But when it does occur, I’ll be proper there, able to spend the cash to purchase and replay this unbelievable horror sport as soon as extra.