Grasshopper Manufacture's Goichi Suda, better known by his nickname Suda51, has a pretty storied career. Aside from the No More Heroes franchise, Suda51 has led Grasshopper Manufacture through development through the likes of Killer 7 and the more recent Let It Die. It seems like Let It Die in particular is on the verge of a major comeback, however, thanks to the recent announcement of Deathverse: Let It Die. Although it's set in the universe of Let It Die, Deathverse is a very different take on the world. Developer Supertrick Games - formerly part of Grasshopper Manufacture - and publisher GungHo's Deathverse is a multiplayer battle royale where players fight to the death on live TV.
There's clearly a lot that's changed between the events of Let It Die and Deathverse: Let It Die. Official descriptions of Deathverse state that hundreds of years have passed since the events of the first game, giving the game plenty of room to establish its own identity within the Let It Die IP. However, the influence of the first game is still clear. The upcoming PlayStation title Deathverse is already full of subtle references to its source material that should draw Let It Die fans into the world of Deathverse. This game may be a battle royale, but it's clearly powered by some very rich lore.
Deathverse's Connections to Let It Die
Perhaps the most obvious reference to Let It Die has to do with Deathverse's arena. Much like PUBG Battlegrounds' maps, Deathverse players compete on an abandoned island. However, the island is remarkable thanks to its high concentration of SPLithium, a cherished but dangerous energy source that created monsters called UMA that lurk in every corner of the island. SPLithium has an important presence in Let It Die. Not only does it serve as a crafting ingredient, but it powers the batteries of Fighters, which are corpses that the player controls as they ascend the Tower of Barbs. Since SPLithium is still around, Deathverse's competitors might be similar to Fighters.
Another reference to Suda51's Let It Die stems from the company behind the competition at the heart of Deathverse. Players compete in a televised gladiatorial show called Death Jamboree, which is produced by the mysterious Yotsuyama Broadcasting Company. Anybody who played Let It Die probably recognizes the name Yotsuyama; a company bearing the same name had a looming presence throughout Let It Die, as it was responsible for creating many of the game's enemies. It seems that the Yotsuyama Group is as powerful and mysterious as ever hundreds of years later.
The Yotsuyama Group isn't the only Let It Die entity that looks like it'll return in Deathverse. There's also evidence that Let It Die's Uncle Death, the wisecracking, skateboarding skeletal guide to the player, will impact Deathverse. Players in Deathverse interact with modular robots called Wilsons that can transform into weapons and perform all kinds of special functions in battle. Notably, the reveal trailer for Deathverse suggests that Wilsons have a skeletal default appearance and have a habit of calling people "senpai", much like Uncle Death. Between that and a sneaky Uncle Death cameo in the first few seconds of the Deathverse trailer, it's clear that Uncle Death has something to do with Deathverse's events.
A Surprising Future for Let It Die
When the original Let It Die was in development, it seems unlikely that Suda51 and his team imagined a battle royale game as a sequel. Even so, that's where the franchise is at. A multiplayer competitive game isn't what many Let It Die fans expected as a sequel, but frankly, it's exciting that Let It Die is getting a sequel at all. It suggests that GungHo Entertainment has big plans for Let It Die, rather than literally letting the IP die. Hopefully Deathverse goes a long way to expand the lore of the original Let It Die, even in its multiplayer form.
Deathverse: Let It Die releases in spring 2022 for PS4 and PS5.