1000 Deaths is one of those games that only take you to see if it belongs to you, and perhaps already resolved from the header of this article. It’s bright, bold, weird, and proud of it. It’s all the games it sets up. And what is that?
It’s a story that tries to answer very complex yet relevant questions – what would my life be like if I made another choice? If you go to a big city instead of staying in your hometown, instead of working with a friend, what if you confessed to a teenage crash instead of keeping it a secret? That’s a question you can’t really answer everything, but even so, 1000 deaths are exploring with great enthusiasm by bringing players through the lives of four strange beings.
At key junctions, you are asked to make choices that could completely change the life (or death) of these characters. This must be done through a gauntlet of a completely surreal platform, biting the nail where death is easy to come.
I will not deny it is that flawed, but I will not deny that 1,000 deaths are horribly difficult. Like the best 3D platformers, the mysterious blend of dissatisfaction and fun is the cornerstone of its efforts as it smashes through its tough challenges.
Losing hundreds of deaths
Death of 1000 is a game of two worlds that seamlessly travels between the real world and the strange and dangerous structures of the human mind to unravel the flow of life. Shortcut Scenes and Gameplay Segments – you are given free rule to explore the character’s life as you now – end with characters pressured to make choices that affect them. In their uncertainty, you intervene – quite literally.
Within the minds of the four main characters is a hub with a series of platform challenges waiting for them, and they must complete them to make choices and drive life. But of course, life is a series of choices, and you are asked to make choices over and over for each character. The change in each selection comes through more cutscenes and shorter levels set in the real world, until a series of branching paths grow into trees.
Credit: Pariah Interactive
With many death-themed games and various ways, the challenges on these platforms can be dangerous, and after a quick tutorial, push right at the deep edge to sink or swim. Probably the former.
In the style of the classic 3D platformer and its challenge section, the levels are a fatal obstacle course, which is rather short, but at risk. Both the dangers of stages and the constant dangers from the platform fall into endless, colorful deep bytes.
These dangers include some of the classics you’ll expect from a 3D platformer, such as a moving platform and a rapidly moving hazard with a shift pattern, but there are also new surprises and elements you don’t expect.
Many of these dangerous elements are found only in certain branches of the story, fixed in the lives and decisions of a particular character, making each new choice feel fresh and only reminding them of the lives they play here.
And not to mention the game’s signature mechanics. The ability to shift gravity as you turn the corner just right, is to turn some levels into puzzles, adjust your targets, step on the door that you stuck to the ceiling just a while ago. It’s just a bit original and a few twists in the classic formula.
At these task levels, death becomes quick, but so does life. It only takes a moment to reset. Because each course is relatively short, the first time you complete it is a thrilling 1-2 minute experience.
It is a short but intense level design, and trying it over and over again until you finally beat it is a choice you can’t resist, and it is a symbol of a good 3D platformer.
Unfortunately, another iconic thing about 3D platformers is the question of perspective and cameras. Most of the time, 1000 deaths are done neatly because they fail due to lack of skills rather than problems with the game itself, but there is no complete frustration of gameplay that feels unfair or unreasonable, rather than difficult.
At most levels, the camera works fine in the worst case scenario, but there are one or two levels that can cause one or two levels to be injuring. In one particularly awful example, game-level environments can block character viewing. This can turn what appears to be the challenge of dodging a constantly moving ball into the challenge of seeing what you are doing. Gravity shifts are creative, but sometimes unclear or cumbersome.
Credit: Pariah Interactive
It’s solid on most levels, but it can move the way you expect it to be completely, slide off the surface you think you’ve landed completely, or point you towards your side as you landed at a slight angle.
It’s also the simple fact that the original elements of the game aren’t always as familiar with them. The game feels like there are many levels when playing, but these challenges are carefully devised to ensure that new mechanics are welcome and not repeated or repeated frequently.
It keeps the game feeling fresh and light, and while each level can be a whole new and unexpected experience, it also means there are some elements that feel either insufficient or completely unnecessary.
This mechanic, introduced later in the game in one branch of the life of one character, is necessary to complete several levels. It can be completely missed by players who are not trying to complete every part of the story.
Death hundreds… faster
It’s not surprising to hear that there’s a built-in system in place to track speed run times for 1000 deaths, as it focuses on short levels that can be completed quickly with the required spoonful of skills.
Alternatively, there is an arcade mode, allowing you to access challenging levels more easily without having to travel back and forth between different “decision” hub worlds. It’s not flashy – using a menu of levels for you to click, a timer and list of target times for each level – but it’s a special help to be sure to be appreciated by those trying to master the game.
The challenge of platforming is the meat of the game, but the “real world” platform segment of the game should not be underestimated despite the reduced difficulty.
In their more relaxed counterparts, they provide the opportunity to breathe and get involved in the story of the game. They have depth. This allows you to explore your character being in yourself and talk to people around you.
These segments still have challenges. Cut from a very different fabric. For those who have come to explore, there is a complete collection of secret items on the roof and behind corners, as well as stickers for assembly (in a menu showing where the places are missing for convenience).
But if it’s not yours, you can head straight to your goals and quickly and easily back to your challenge level. It balances well and brings you to life without overstaying the welcome or forgetting about tasks that have not yet come.
Why do we die like this again?
If not revealed from the plot summary, the title of 1000 Deaths not only mentions the challenging nature of the platform, but also the story itself. Following a story of branching that helps a group of characters make choices that change everything (including games where you play your own games), you may be able to see them living different lives, but they all end up the same way – death. Not all of them, but it’s like a 12, but even so.
As you progress through different choices, you will see changes take effect on yourself, and both the characters you control and the other characters around you, you will explore many different aspects of life and the four main characters, jumping on the timeline from the timeline to see how they are shaped by different experiences.
These four characters may look strange when they first meet, but under their surreal appearance, they are just as messy and confrontational as humans. It is a joy to know them and help them improve, or to enjoy their flaws and mistakes. Experience it in such an unusual way, although it allows us to see the whole thing in a way that is not given to other mediums, it is an equal joy.
Credit: Pariah Interactive
Unfortunately, I personally found this to be one of the more persuasive cases in which the idea is more convincing than its implementation. The main quartet has some interesting flaws and neurotics that make it fun to follow, and while they are different enough to make each branch feel like your own story, they are not too interesting or unique apart from the outside, to actually really stick to the heart.
It’s fine for aspects like dialogue and story progression, but there’s no writing at home, no use, or the fact that the player’s characters have been revamped in most past.
Additionally, some developments and choices are unexpected and persuasive, providing a true dilemma for the characters, but other developers felt flattered in comparison. Maxine’s story in particular contains two different paths that are asked to choose whether to form a relationship with another specific character.
A similar choice that was repeated felt a bit old and disappointed next to the other passes. They had to choose whether the characters would oppose inequality, take risks, say anything, or choose whether the characters would pursue their dreams or compromise their dreams and maintain friendship.
Overall, this story felt a bit uneven and a little unpolished, especially in contrast to the much more solid and well-made platform segments. Considering it’s a secondary aspect of the game, that’s fine, but I can’t believe it could have been more memorable over a bit more time.
Yes, the game looks like that. And I love it.
It feels strange that we have reached this far through reviews without talking about one of the game’s most obvious distinctions: the surreal, sometimes abstract, aesthetic and chunky art style. It is unique, not bold and bright hypnosis. I’m willing to abandon all the limitations and oddities of 3D platformer media.
This is because the graphics in this game have slight limitations. It’s a moment when you can see things loaded with clipping-related injuries if they’re a bit too late. It’s probably something you can edit with plenty of time and work, but honestly, which one is honest? The aesthetics of the game are central parts of its identity.
Credit: Pariah Interactive
Cultivated mess, oddly everywhere, it is the oddity that forms the central part of the game’s appeal. All the characters in this world are strange and perhaps a little ugly, but more than anything, they are creative and unique, and the same applies to the adjacent world they live in.
It’s always a joy to see games where it’s a bit ridiculous, with so many fresh AAA games coming out all the time. It feels like the creators are having a fun time creating designs. They were equally committed to this style, so it might be pretty close, but that certainly isn’t inconsistent.
These jagged edges and quirky characters certainly have an acquired taste, but if you like the flavor, you’ll love this game.
Final Thoughts
1000 deaths are an incomplete game, and I think it can be improved with just an extra layer of Polish on top. But likewise, I certainly can’t deny that I was playing it. How to go with all the satisfying platformers.
Don’t be afraid to experiment, and it’s easy to forgive if things go wrong. After all, there’s a lot of love here.
3 stars (out of 5)
Highlights: There is an art style. Fresh gameplay with snappy. Built-in speed execution function
Low Light: Story can use some tasks. Minor camera problems
Developer: Pariah Interactive
Publisher: Pariah Interactive
Platform: PC
Available: Now
Reviews conducted on PC using code provided by publishers.
High-profile header images provided by Pariah Interactive.
