Inferno lives up to its name through "intense" body swapping and Roguelite gameplay

Let It Die: Inferno, sequel to the popular game from 2018 let it die recently released for PC and PlayStation 5. The game challenges players to delve into the depths of the Hell Gate, a dangerous and mysterious facility full of mutated monsters and valuable treasures. Let It Die: Inferno is a game about moving fast, getting the most done in the shortest amount of time, and accepting that sometimes death is inevitable – but that's okay because you'll respawn in a new body with an exciting set of new skills to try out.

Game Rant has spoken Let It Die: InfernoGame Director Hideyuki Shin on the development process for the new title. He revealed why the game features tight 15-minute time trials that reward risk-taking, how the Body Swapping system works, and the importance of getting up and trying again when you fall in battle. Shin also provided some helpful advice for players looking to survive the dangers lurking in the Hell Gate and potentially retrieve the legendary “Eye of the Reaper” from its lowest depths.

Let It Die: Inferno's Philosophy Is “A Sprint, Not A Grind”

Exploring Wasteland Earth - Let It Die Inferno

A combination of roguelite and action-oriented action game Let It Die: Inferno focuses on speed and achieving as much as possible in a very short time. In particular, the time trial mode lasts only 15 minutes and players must quickly decide whether to evacuate the Hell Gate with their earned loot or die and be reborn in a new Body. Shin explained how the team eventually settled on 15 minutes as the “sweet spot” for a fast but not impossible time trial:

“Let It Die: Inferno is a pretty intense melee action game, so we've been constantly tweaking and testing to find the right amount of time for players to stay fully locked into that heightened tension.”

Shin also encouraged players not to be shy about taking risks when participating in the combat-focused, carefully timed gameplay loop. “Once players meet the conditions to escape and find an escape pod, the urge to leave is strong,” he explained. “But pushing just a little further can bring bigger and better rewards. Deciding whether to take a risk or play it safe is always a tough one.” As for Shin himself, he advocates a balance between caution and risk Let It Die: Inferno, advises the player “Don't push too far.”

PVP Combat adds a whole new element

Fight a bunch of bug-like enemies - Let It Die Inferno

First Let It Die only player fight with monsters. Shin and team “explored the PVP side of the series” in Deathverse: Let It Die, which was released in 2022 and combined fighting game, survival game and action elements. Deathverse saw players forced to take part in a dangerous and potentially fatal space television show called “Death Jamboree”, with other players as contestants.

Let It Die: Inferno expands on this by including both PvE battles in which players fight the mutated monsters they encounter in Hell Gate, and PvP battles where players can attack each other to obtain vital resources such as SPLithium needed to make it out of Hell Gate alive. Shin was honest with the players that they will face death multiple times at the hands of both monsters and other players:

“You're going to die a lot, but that's just life as a raider. Stick with it and eventually you'll have that moment of true satisfaction. And in true Let It Die style, even if you fall or lose, just laugh it off and keep going.”

Let It Die: Inferno players die and come back in brand new bodies

Face the enemy with a hammer - Let It Die Inferno

World Let It Die: Inferno is brutal, and as Shin stated, players will die over and over again as part of the gameplay loop. However, when a raider dies in Hell Gate, it is far from the end of their journey. Instead, Let It Die: Inferno's players will be reborn into brand new bodies that have been specially designed to help them survive in this strange environment with valuable skills and abilities. Shin discussed the body system in more detail in Let It Die: Inferno and how it works:

“Each body shares the same basic goal: collect SPLithium and survive. But each has abilities that support different playstyles, such as focusing on combat or specializing in item gathering. For example, an attack-focused body has low health and limited item capacity, but its combat prowess is higher than any other character, making it appealing to players who are confident in their fighting skills.”

Every time a player dies, they lose some things – such as the items they have collected and the body they were inhabiting. However, Let it Die: Inferno's the roguelite progression system ensures that there are a few things that carry over. In particular, the resources that have been invested in the Body Mastery skill tree ensure that each subsequent Body becomes stronger and more capable. “They don't disappear when you die, and each Body maintains its own pool of points,” Shin explained. “Because the skill tree branches in multiple directions, you can chart your own course and shape your upgrade path however you want.”

Let It Die: Inferno is very different from anything the team has attempted in previous matches. “Turning a 3D melee action game into a roguelite was our biggest challenge,” revealed Shin. The Points system was ultimately what they settled on to combine fast-paced action with a progression loop that allows players to keep some of what they've earned in a way that's earned and real.

And of course, the team always made sure to maintain the show's signature humor and engagingly bizarre aesthetic Deathverse and the original Let It Die throughout. When the player dies, their spinal cord is ejected from Hell's Gate and shot into the sky. Shin explained why this particular rather grim visual was chosen:

“We wanted the cycle of raiders dying and swapping bodies to feel real. It's something you could never recreate with a normal human, so we aimed for a visual that truly represented what LET IT DIE is about, even if that meant creating something shocking.”

During the game's development process, watching players react to this unique and now iconic image was one of Shin's favorite moments. “Watching the players react in surprise to that moment was incredibly rewarding,” he finally concluded.