What if, for Halloween, we bleed a video game, rather than trembling in front of yet another horror film? Not one resident Evilnor a silent Hillbut an independent, French title, crazy creative, and which will not keep you from sleeping: Have a nice death. In this 2D gem, released on Switch and PC, you play… Death. And the reaper is not in great shape. She’s even, poor thing, on the verge of burnout. His thriving multinational, Death Inc., responsible for accompanying the deceased to their final resting places, is crumbling under a mountain of paperwork. The fault lies with insubordinate henchmen, the Scourges, who have completely lost control, and are killing everywhere on Earth.
Armed with his much-feared scythe, Death has only one way to save his company: to roam, under cover, the floors of his drifting company, to destroy his undisciplined executives. It is the Montpellier studio Magic Design Studios, author of the epic Unruly Heroes, in 2019, who imagined this deadly scenario. “During a team meeting, on Unruly HeroesNicolas Léger, who was the animation director on this game, was scribbling, as he always does, smiles Mérédith Alfroy, screenwriter of Have a nice death. And he drew Death, with his scythe. And he immediately said to himself that this would be a great character for an action game. » At Magic Design Studios, this funny idea quickly came to life.
Death, burnout and the unforgiving world of business
The Montpellier team imagined a universe between horror and humor, à la Tim Burton, and a barren scenario, but summoning “heavy themes”, continues Mérédith Alfroy, such as death, burn-out or the merciless world of business. To counterbalance, for Magic Design Studios, it was necessary to “offer a very cartoon style, and satirical dialogues, certainly, but lighter,” confides the screenwriter. And if the theme of Death that kills, chosen by the Montpellier team, led them to inherit a Pegi 12 (not recommended for children under 12), there is absolutely nothing trashy in Have a nice death. Not enough to give you horrible nightmares. Or nightmares where you start a level again, forever, without being able to complete it.
Because the new game from Magic Design Studios, equipped with ultra-efficient gameplay, is a rogue like. And it obeys the harsh law of this little-known genre, inherited from video games Snape, released in 1980. If the team did not create a traditional action-platform game, it is because it wanted to offer players “a longer, more challenging experience,” notes Mérédith Alfroy. Getting started is simple, but to get to the end, you have to hang on! » Thus, as in all rogue like, when we lose, we start from the beginning. From the very beginning. By retaining, however, the experience and bonuses that you have acquired by going through the levels. “As time goes by, the players learn from their mistakes,” confides the narrative designer of the game. So yes, it’s true, we are mainly aimed at core Or hardcore gamers. But everyone can try it! » To save Death, players will have to complete their adventure without ever dying. Never.
“Of course, we would dream of having our own series on Netflix! »
Moreover, rogue like obliges, each level of Have a nice death is randomly generated. As he walks his company, floor by floor, cleaning the corridors, Death will never encounter the same traps on his path. “This allows you to surprise the players, so that they don’t have to do exactly the same levels each time they start again,” confides Mérédith Alfroy.
If the feedback from players has been downright cheerful since the game’s release, it happens that some stumble over the difficulty of the quest for this Burnout Death. “As our artistic direction is very cartoonish, all rounded, it necessarily attracts a very wide audience, which may, perhaps, come up against the difficulty of the genre,” concedes the game’s screenwriter. This Death is so cute that It would not be surprising if she became, one day, the heroine of an animated series. “Of course, we would dream of having our own series on Netflix! », smiles Mérédith Alfroy. This would be a great Halloween gift.
To discover “ Have a nice death »it is by here.
Until December 30, the Emile-Zola media library, in Montpellier (Hérault), is hosting an exhibition of original illustrations of the game. Information, by here.