Dead Pixels II: Straight To Video is an 80’s VHS horror styled 2D side scrolling arcade shooter with procedurally generated levels and RPG elements, which sees you shooting, blasting, hacking and slashing your way through a zombie apocalypse.
We actually covered a build of Dead Pixels II on Alpha Beta Gamer way back in 2014 and found it to be a very enjoyable retro side-scrolling romp. This latest build is far more polished though and a bunch of new features that make surviving the zombie apocalypse even more fun.
Dead Pixels II: Straight To Video has a fantastic 80’s straight to video horror movie vibe to it. It’s set in the “near future of 1991” where a zombie apocalypse has decimated civilization as we know it and you now have to make your way through a procedurally generated zombie infested city to safety.
After creating your character you’re then let loose in the city where you can fight zombies, collect loot and upgrade your character. You have access to primary weapons, which are generally your most powerful ones (shotguns, rifles, chainsaws, etc), secondary weapons that are usually more short ranged and melee based (bats, tasers, knives) and throwable weapons (grenades, fireworks, etc). There’s lots of useful stuff you can scavenge by entering the various buildings along each street and you can even visit merchants who will sell you weapons, ammo, upgrades, training and consumables for the right price.
Taking around 30 minutes to play through, the Dead Pixels II demo is a fantastic piece of retro side-scrolling action with a wonderful VHS horror visual style and lots of lovely loot to collect as you make your way through the city. the only issue with the current build is that it’s too easy, with you able to blast your way through most of the zombies without even getting a scratch. This will no doubt be addressed in future builds though, and as the demo is essentially the first level of the game it’s bound to be a little bit easy. As it stands this VHS video nasty adventure isn’t quite as nasty as we’d like it to be, but it is still a whole lot of fun.
Check Out a Gameplay Video Here
Download The Dead Pixels II: Straight To Video Beta Demo Here (Windows & Mac)