is a free-to-play
hack and slash
Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Grasshopper Manufacture
is a Japanese video game developer founded on March 30, 1998 by Goichi Suda. They are well known for creating titles such as ''killer7'' and the '' No More Heroes'' series.
History
The company was founded on March 30, 1998 in Suginami, Ja ...
and published by
GungHo Online Entertainment
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. They are primarily known for hosting the Japanese server of ''Ragnarok Online'' (developed by its listed Korean subsidiary Gravity), as well as their development of ''Ragnarok DS'' for the Ninten ...
.
The game was released for the
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
in December 2016, and in Japan in February 2017. It was released for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
in September 2018.
A
battle royale game
A battle royale game is an online multiplayer video game genre that blends last-man-standing gameplay with the survival, exploration and scavenging elements of a survival game. Battle royale games involve dozens to hundreds of players, who sta ...
sequel, ''Deathverse: Let It Die'', was announced in October 2021 and had a limited time beta test in May and June 2022. It was developed by Supertrick Games, a game studio spun off of Grasshopper Manufacture, who developed the original game.
Gameplay
Under the supervision of a skateboarding grim reaper called Uncle Death, players fight through a treacherous tower, obtaining various types of weapons and armor while finding creatures and mushrooms to eat in order to stay alive. Upon death, a player's "death data" is circulated among other player's games where they will appear as formidable opponents. The sharing of death data is one of the various asynchronous multiplayer elements that in the game.
Development
''Let It Die'' was originally known as ''Lily Bergamo''. Its initial plot focused on a female protagonist called Tae Ioroi and was set in the year 2026.
The game's world drew from both Japanese and Western cultures.
It was described as a "super action game"
or an "extreme action game".
The game was supposed to feature an "element of growth", in that by gradually accumulating experience, the player's data is updated more and more rapidly.
''Lily Bergamo'' would have featured online play and features.
In addition to the game, ''Lily Bergamo'' would feature a "companion app", which would be playable on smartphones.
The game would feature online play, and according to GungHo Online Entertainment's CEO Kazuki Morishita, would allow "both smartphone and PlayStation gamers to be in the same world”.
According to Morishita, Grasshopper Manufacture "wants to make the most out of the strengths of online play, and the idea of using smartphones to play has been a big deal”, with the goal of the app being the ability for players "to completely rely on their smartphones to play".
''Lily Bergamo'' was to be the first game to be developed by
Grasshopper Manufacture
is a Japanese video game developer founded on March 30, 1998 by Goichi Suda. They are well known for creating titles such as ''killer7'' and the '' No More Heroes'' series.
History
The company was founded on March 30, 1998 in Suginami, Ja ...
after it was acquired by
GungHo Online Entertainment
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. They are primarily known for hosting the Japanese server of ''Ragnarok Online'' (developed by its listed Korean subsidiary Gravity), as well as their development of ''Ragnarok DS'' for the Ninten ...
.
Suda stated that ''Lily Bergamo'' was conceived after GungHo CEO Kazuki Morishita expressed his desire to "make a game that leverages the inherent flavor of both companies."
The game was revealed in April 2013, and in Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia's Press Conference on September 9, 2013, the release date was set to sometime in 2014. Additional information was shown at the 2013
Tokyo Game Show
, commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. The ...
, including the name of the protagonist, the ability to play on smartphones and the game's setting.
At the game show, a special stage event was held for ''Lily Bergamo'', including a
cosplay
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
model dressed up as the game's protagonist Tae Ioroi, and specially-made ''Lily Bergamo'' stickers were distributed. Although the game was not playable then, Suda promised that it would be at the 2014 Tokyo Game Show instead.
Yusuke Kozaki was the head of character design in ''Lily Bergamo'',
along with direction by Nobutaka Ichiki and game design by Yusuke Kozaki.
A
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
for ''Lily Bergamo'' had been filed in North America, which hinted at a soon-to-be confirmed release in that region
and globally.
Announced on June 11, 2014, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014, ''Lily Bergamo'' was changed to ''Let It Die'';
the concept of an "extreme action game" remained. The change commenced around the end of 2013.
Executive director
Goichi Suda
, known by his alias Suda51, is a Japanese video game designer, writer and director. Affiliated with Human Entertainment from 1994 to 1998, he founded Grasshopper Manufacture in 1998 with a number of other Human Entertainment staff to produce thei ...
explained that the concept of death is relevant throughout ''Let It Die'', and that if one player dies in-game, they will appear in another player's game, making the deaths of players important in the experience, hence the title. Reportedly, the game would have normal AI enemies and dead player characters' avatars, and was announced as free-to-play. The game represents a huge departure from Suda's past video games in terms of creative philosophy. GungHo Online Entertainment had
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
ed ''Lily Bergamo'' in the United States, hinting at a possible global release, with the reveal of ''Let It Die'' confirming it.
On October 29, 2015,
GungHo Online Entertainment
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. They are primarily known for hosting the Japanese server of ''Ragnarok Online'' (developed by its listed Korean subsidiary Gravity), as well as their development of ''Ragnarok DS'' for the Ninten ...
announced that ''Let It Die'' had been delayed, and that it would now launch in 2016 instead of its originally planned 2015 release window. On December 3, 2016, ''Let It Die'' was released for free on
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
in North America and Europe.
''Let It Die'' featured 100 Japanese artists in the rock and metal music genres curated by ''Silent Hill'' series game music composer
Akira Yamaoka
is a Japanese composer and music producer. He is best known for composing music for several video games in the ''Silent Hill'' series by Konami, among other games. Yamaoka also worked as a producer on the series, as well as composing for the '' ...
, who described the work as a "one-of-a-kind musical experience".
Reception
''Let It Die'' received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
In February 2017, it was announced that the game has been downloaded over two million times. By April 2018, that number had risen to over four million. In March 2020, it was announced that the game has over six million downloads.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Grasshopper Manufacture
2016 video games
Free-to-play video games
Grasshopper Manufacture games
Metafictional video games
PlayStation 4 games
PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced games
Single-player video games
Unreal Engine games
Video games about video games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games featuring female protagonists
Windows games