* This article is compiled from IGN US related content, the original author Leana Hafer, translated by Wang Yi, editor Kamui Ye, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Players play as descendants of the posthumous kingdom and fight their way through roguelike graveyard scenes, which may not sound strange. Yes, I've played Hades too, but Wish You a Good Death is a game that puts me in control of the Grim Reaper, who manages the new Order of the Realm of the Dead and is very unique and eccentric.
The world is full of boring workplace black humor, and the game reconstructs the order of the Dead Realm into a boring corporate institution as the setting for evil, crazy side-scrolling battles. Even if the progression system doesn't give players a good momentum, it gives you a great experience when it's at its best.
Killing a bloody path through random levels and taking out all kinds of idle mobs is the highlight of this Dead Land adventure, with a fast-paced battle that requires players to master many different techniques. The game offers a variety of scythe weapons with special attacks, and that's just the beginning. You can also revive the undead using spells and secondary weapons, which you can find randomly throughout the levels – from huge, powerful hammers to spells that summon a flock of hungry crows. In addition to agile jumps, sprints, and powerful "crazy" finishing skills, the game's combat is not short of variety.
Each chapter is designed based on a different method of dying, from war to food poisoning, and each chapter is different, always bringing players new types of enemies. One moment I was attacking seagulls who had died from an oil spill and became slimy, and the next I was engaged in an air battle with those dumb melons who had choked on chewing gum. Whether it's visual or offensive, these designs are constantly creative and captivating. And the excellent soundtrack is also well integrated into all kinds of melee fights.
As you progress deeper into the realm of the dead, you'll collect red, green, and blue curse cards, which sounds terrible, but these are actually the main passive bonuses you can stack up during your adventure, such as increasing bleeding to your weapons or restoring health when you defeat a boss.
And those brutal boss battles (souls and subordinates) will show the true difficulty of the game. These battles are extremely difficult, and given your limited protection, they can be very frustrating. You'll have to memorize the enemy's attack patterns, because the room for error is low and you can't improvise at all. Since the levels are random, when one of your adventures ends, you may not see any small bosses throughout the entire journey, which makes boss battles even more difficult.
Cut off their heads
Death is not a big deal for the Grim Reaper, as you will simply be sent back to your office and start over with revenge on disobedient subordinates. And you hear that every time. Given the climbing difficulty curve, the main problem I encountered was that the long-term progression system wasn't really motivating the player. Once the protagonist dies, the coins you earn are almost gone.
Let me introduce you to this: you can divide the persistent upgrades you get in roguelike games into three types. The first is that your attributes will have a direct permanent boost. The second type is more like a reroll, which doesn't necessarily directly make you stronger, but you have a higher chance of getting better results and power-ups. The last one is unlocking, where players can gain more available skills or passive abilities.
The upgrades of "Good Death" are mainly concentrated in the last type, and players can hardly get the first two upgrades. In the game, one of the upgrades gives players a 1% chance of finding rare weapons. This ability sounds like a joke!
In general, I don't mind this game with strict punishment mechanisms. I love to take on challenges and always aspire to meet my big goals. But at least in Hades or Elden Ring, I feel that many of my failures are accumulation, and in the end, I will get stronger little by little, while improving my skills to overcome the challenges in front of me. This greatly alleviated my painful experience of being ravaged by the first boss. Since the progression design of Good Death is not all that appealing, I find that my enthusiasm for the game is often on a downward trend. It took me more than 100 adventures before I met the final boss, but I was exhausted before that.
Night of the Damned
Later in the game, you can unlock elevators to skip many regular levels and go straight to some bosses, but this is often not worth the cost, as you'll miss out on the coins and upgrades available on these floors. So this is not a lightweight road that is crushed all the way, but it increases the difficulty.
That being said, whenever you take the elevator, you can choose which type of floor you want to visit next, and occasionally you'll be given the option to go straight to the regional boss, which can be a major test of your skills in leapfrogging challenges. Figuring out which floors are more valuable in which situations can go a long way in helping players. This design gives people a little more control over each round, which I appreciate.
If you feel stuck, you can also activate a promotion system called "Self-Fulfillment", which will give you some additional healing items and slightly weaken normal enemies, but this will not affect boss battles, so I don't feel that the substance is very helpful, and it is definitely not an "easy mode".
Even though I really feel like it's hard to move, I can still collect some new backstories. In the game, the departments of the Realm of the Dead are in chaos, and you must rectify the low-level souls and the heads of departments who disobey the discipline and make them submit to you again. Along the way, you'll unlock interesting snippets of stories about how this company that governs the soul works. Similar to Hades, you can engage in new conversations with several friendly characters to learn about information, such as your pumpkin head receptionist, some of whom have interesting storylines to explore.
These stories often fascinate me, and at the heart of it all is a huge conspiracy waiting to be revealed. Some of these jokes are a little corny, as players may have seen them in various workplace-themed sitcoms, and one of them is even a direct homage to the "jelly seal stapler" scene in The Office, but the game's jumpy setting and parody tone still make them lighthearted and fun.
summary
Wish You a Happy Death is a strict but satisfying roguelike game that presents players with some challenging boss battles. The dark humor setting and hilarious office scenes give the game enough charm to make me want to explore the world more deeply.
On a visual and mechanical level, these enemies are all brilliantly designed and memorable. However, compared to the large number of interesting attack weapon choices, the game's progression system is designed to be very "stingy" and the player's defense ability is limited, which makes it more likely to be frustrated. The never-ending frustration can make people feel empty inside, but when I'm not affected by this emotion, I completely indulge in countless combat styles and enjoy the slashing experience to the fullest.
merit
Excellent combat feel
A unique gameplay full of dark humor
Very complete roguelike game mechanics
shortcoming
Failure penalties are too severe and can easily lead to frustration