Arena shooters have become hugely popular over the last few years, due mostly to the popularity of Fortnite. For the most part, they all follow a similar trend. The players are dropped into a large arena and battle each other until one person comes out on top. There have been some variations, but the recent Playstation Showcase has shown a new title that might be bringing something new to the genre.
Deathverse: Let It Die is the sequel to 2016's Let It Die and takes place hundreds of years after the original game. The story is focused on a hugely popular game show called Death Jamboree that pits fighters against each other. The short trailer showed numerous colorful characters using various weapons against each other. However, the most interesting aspect was the setting that was presented.
Placing an arena-style shooter in a TV show is one that makes perfect sense from a story point of view. It gives the characters a reason to be in the combat arena and a reason to fight each other. It also allows the characters to be more visually colorful as if they are trying to attract more audience attention. The TV show setting also means that there is a clear goal to strive for in-universe and in-game. This creates a connection between the two and helps to increase immersion for the players. This immersion gives players a reason to return to the game over time.
The setting also means that the game can introduce numerous different modes to the game while keeping them connected to the main universe. Not only can the developers add new modes, but it also allows them to add aspects into matches that would otherwise appear to be completely out of the blue. This also gives them more freedom to play with the setting and level design while still keeping to the main concept. It also allows the game to have more characters and more of a plot than is often the case and means that there is more for players to explore and interact with. However, the characters also add something that can help this genre.
One issue that can often plague modern arena-shooters is keeping the gameplay interesting outside of the conflicts. This genre works by having the players engage in numerous small conflicts to keep things interesting throughout each playthrough. However, relying on this aspect can mean that the game slowly becomes monotonous if the battles play out similarly each time. Deathverse aims to avoid this by blending frenzied gameplay with commentary by the characters of the game. This insight means a more comedic edge that could help keep even repetitive gameplay fresh for players.
Deathverse looks to be an interesting new addition to the arena-shooter genre that aims to add Suda 51's iconic style to a popular genre. Hopefully, the game will be able to deliver on its first trailer and present players with something fresh and interesting. Players will have a chance to enter the Death Jamboree in Spring 2022 on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.