Speaking Words Of Wisdom, Suda51 Discusses ‘Let It Die’ Hands-On Demo

For those who tire of stale storylines and franchises delivering more of the same, GungHo Online Entertainment is bringing an original title to this console generation from legendary game producer Goichi Suda and Grasshopper Manufacture. Let It Die is a free-to-play survival action game exclusive to the PlayStation 4. Playable for the first time since its announcement at E3 2014, the master himself shared his latest project with the Inquisitr at PAX East.

The works of Goichi Suda (Killer7, No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw) are known for having a sense of humor, and Let It Die seems to be no exception. As the game demo opens, the protagonist is revealed to be wearing nothing but a gas mask and some boxers. I laugh and ask the producer, also known across the globe by his moniker Suda51, why the poor guy has little on other than a gas mask.

“Because, the air here is not very clean,” Suda explains.

Upon closer inspection, there is a lot of debris floating around in the air and trash is thrown about everywhere. Bracing myself before going forward, I ask about the inspiration behind the game and if Let It Die will be more serious, like Killer7, or more humorous, like Lollipop Chainsaw.

“That’s a good question,” Suda responds. “It is not quite as silly or quite as serious. It’s somewhere in between. The original idea was to have a game that reflects an end of the world situation, kind of like Mad Max or Violence Jack.”

A box containing clothes to help the poor, half-naked man appears and is much appreciated. A zombie-like creature also comes into view. So, I crouch to sneak up on the monster, and it takes more than a couple punches to take it down. Defeating it drops a baseball bat. Though it’s not decked out like Negan’s Lucille from The Walking Dead, I still equip it for good measure. And, as other weapons like guns, a sword, and even a battle axe become available, the baseball bat remains my staple go-to weapon for the hack-and-slash action. Why? It’s a beginner’s friend. It’s light and doesn’t take a lot of energy for the character to use. Expending energy can slow the character down, rendering him an immobile sitting duck. Actions like running instead of walking also expend additional energy. Managing your character’s stamina is essential to his survival.

The loot drop combinations inspire different styles of play. Each weapon has its own weight, damage output, and special attack. Yes, that battle axe that dropped might deliver one of the highest damage outputs in the game, but it’s heavy and handles uniquely. Players have to take how long it takes to swing the bat into consideration when timing attacks. Those players who can keep their cool and adjust their timing quickly are rewarded.

My first run with a new weapon didn’t go so well, and my character died. But, as Suda explains, “that’s okay, you have insurance.” A lady, who looks to me like a cross between a mystical flight attendant and a sales rep, appears to offer the option to continue using insurance. Players have the choice to use insurance to continue playing where they left off. In the demo, only three continuations via insurance are allowed.

After picking up (and cleaning up) where things previously ended abruptly, it’s time to push on. It’s not before long that a really tough enemy appears that I just can’t seem to take down. He strips me of my second bit of insurance. Instead of risking death by tough guy, I escape to the find the boss. Encounters like this one evoke the player’s will to survive, prompting the player to choose their battles carefully.

The boss turns out to be a blind demon that can only sense the player’s position using echolocation. Sneaking around and using the environment for cover helps the protagonist to survive long enough to get close and deliver deadly blows to the beast. Running isn’t an option, because once the monster hears your character moving around, it quickly rushes in for the kill. Pulling off a few more sneak attacks and the final blow is delivered without a moment to spare. Monster guts spill out everywhere, and the grim reaper pops up to offer his congratulations.

“The grim reaper is the game’s guide, and someone who looks up to the player,” Suda details. “He’s a big part of the game and he’ll definitely bring in some gags and fun for you.”

What would have happened if I had died and my insurance ran out? Well, Suda doesn’t want to give away too much, but he does explain the process a bit.

“There aren’t too many details that we can give. But, if you had no more continues and you ran out of items to continue with, then for one thing, you would have died. And your data would have been sent out to other players as ‘Death Data.’ To restart, you’d have to start from the last point that you’re able to start from.

“You’d potentially lose a lot if you die.”

It may explain why some enemies are ridiculously tough, while others are a cakewalk. Some encounters use Death Data from other players, like the super tough enemy I avoided in the middle of the demo.

“He’s a lot stronger, because he’s another player’s data character,” Suda explains. “So, he’s stronger than your average enemy.”

“After a certain something has happened in the game, the player’s data can go into other players’ games. This kind of data transfer system is the main part of the online functionality of this game.”

Will all player data been included in Let It Die? Even the data of beginner and less-than-stellar players?

“Even if you’re not that great a player, your death will still be treated as Death Data,” Suda confirms. The implications are intriguing.

“Let it be.”
“Let it go.”
“Let it die.”

When asked why his latest game is titled Let It Die, Suda lists these phrases and says the game is the third biggest “Let it… something.”

“Someone within Grasshopper really wanted [the game’s title] to be a play on words. Instead of ‘let it be,’ it would be ‘let it die.’ We wondered what that really means. Then, we took the name around, and it just started sticking. It is kinda catchy.”

The game’s title and concept do seem catchy, which leads to asking Suda51 what the post-launch content plans are for Let It Die.

“It’s a free-to-play game. So, of course, we’re going to have lots of additional content to come after the game is initially released. It’s something we really want players to continuously play and enjoy for a long period of time. For the lifespan of the PS4, we’d really people to continue to play and enjoy it. We’re going to keep going until Sony stops making PS4s. And if something happens before that, we’re sorry. But, we’re really going to do our best.”

As far as how much that post-launch content might cost, there are no announcements about monetization at this time.

However, for those curious about the possibility of dressing up like the game’s iconic Grim Reaper, Suda51 says, “We’ll think about something like that. It’s a very interesting point you bring up.”

Let It Die seems poised to change the way gamers deal with death in video games, and the strategic possibilities of what rests beyond the grave are to be revealed come launch day.

[Photo by Asma M.]