Deathverse director Shin Hideyuki on why the game isn't Let It Die 2

Deathverse: Let It Die is a brand new game from the creators of the free-to-play roguelike Let It Die. The game follows Let It Die in spirit, though it’s not “Let It Die 2” according to its director, Shin Hideyuki.

Previously, the team making Let It Die was Grasshopper Manufacture, however, the Grasshopper Manufacture team including director Shin Hideyuki have since become independent. They now work at Supertrick Games, where they’re currently developing Deathverse: Let It Die while also continuing to support Let It Die.

Curious about the contents of the first developer diary video shared by Supertrick regarding Deathverse, and about Deathverse itself, we passed along some questions over to Shin Hideyuki who sent back some intriguing answers. Curious about Deathverse? Here’s what director Shin Hideyuki has to say about the game, and the first developer diary video for it from Supertrick Games!

Deathverse director Shin Hideyuki on why the game isn’t Let It Die 2

Firstly, can you talk more on how Supertrick Games was created?

Shin Hideyuki: The development team that created LET IT DIE became independent and established SUPERTRICK GAMES to create games that are even more original and interesting.

Is Supertrick Games planning to continue supporting Let It Die in addition to Deathverse?

Shin Hideyuki: Of course, we will continue to support it!

What sparked the idea to release Deathverse dev diary videos for fans?

Shin Hideyuki: DEATHVERSE follows the worldview of LET IT DIE, but the gameplay is completely different. We wanted to tell our fans that we are taking on new challenges. We also wanted fans who are looking forward to DEATHVERSE to know that it is developed by the same members who worked on LET IT DIE.

You mention in the first dev diary video that Deathverse isn’t Let It Die 2, why is this and how are the two games connected?

Shin Hideyuki: As I mentioned in the third question, DEATHVERSE is not a sequel or a so-called “LET IT DIE 2” because the gameplay is completely different from LET IT DIE. However, even though the gameplay is different, there are many similarities.

First, the tactile feel of each action or the feel of the controls is similar. DEATHVERSE also retains the hack-and-slash elements that were some of the best features in LET IT DIE, so I believe fans will also enjoy the game. Additionally, the worldviews of LET IT DIE and DEATHVERSE are the same, so fans can probably feel the presence of “that” character too.

You also mention wanting to give players all over the world an opportunity to fight one another. Why is this?

Shin Hideyuki: I believe that the fighting in LET IT DIE still has a lot of potential for development. Generally speaking, “fighting” means two people having a serious fist fight. So we wanted players to be able to enjoy melee combat rather than shooting each other with guns or other weapons, which is why we came up with that message.

What was the inspiration behind the idea of Deathverse: Let It Die?

Shin Hideyuki: In LET IT DIE, players fought against the Death Data (CPU), but we heard our players saying that they “want to fight against actual people, but a regular fighting competition won’t be fun.” With this in mind, the development of DEATHVERSE began.

We wanted to create a game in which players can fight with melee attacks, but nothing too stiff or serious because that’s tiring. We combined LET IT DIE’s charm, TV show theme, and a PvP game that can also be played casually by yourself, which created DEATHVERSE.

Adding to this, can you talk a bit more on how the game got its name, Deathverse?

Shin Hideyuki: As those who have played LET IT DIE probably know, the world between life and death is an important aspect for LET IT DIE and this time, for DEATHVERSE too. DEATHVERSE is a word that perfectly describes it.

More dev diaries are coming, can you give us a hint as to some of the things fans can look forward to in upcoming videos?

Shin Hideyuki: We will continue to share what kind of game DEATHVERSE is and our thoughts going into creating it. Please stay tuned for future videos!

As a fun bonus question, what was the snack Uncle Death grabbed in the dev diary, and have you ever snacked on it yourself while working on Deathverse?

Shin Hideyuki: He’s eating a chocolate snack called “GABA” by Glico, a famous Japanese snack company. This chocolate is said to be effective in regulating mental balance and I often eat it while working, hoping those effects will help me.

We want to thank Shin Hideyuki for taking the time to answer our questions on Deathverse: Let It Die and the developer diaries from Supertrick Games. For more on Deathverse, be sure to read through our feature on the first developer diary for the game, and be sure to check back as we'll be covering future developer diaries as soon as they're shared by Supertrick Games!

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.