Watch your Step!
Death End re:Quest Code Z is the third entry in Compile Hearts horror-esque JRPG series which sits alongside some of their longer running games such as the Neptunia and Fairy Fencer series. Compile Heart is known for mixing in new gameplay elements or changing the style of game altogether and Death End re:Quest Code Z is no different. Death End re:Quest also is known for building tension and having diverse character building.
Death End re:Quest Code Z takes place on a copy of Mirrored Earth a world created by Iris who is a well established character from the previous games. The game also features past characters including protagonists and relies heavily on having played previous entries. Code Z has you take control of protagonist Sayaka Hiwatari who is a Luden, a special type of artificial intelligence these being key figures in the Death End re:Quest series, being a continuation of the story I was intrigued to continue the games trajectory, the game introduces past characters such as Shina and while the story is pretty much as standard as you would expect, however Sayaka doesn’t really shine in terms of a main character.
Gameplay wise is where Death End re:Quest Code Z really differs to previous entries and as a game overall compared to anything Compile Heart has created so far. It still has on screen character interactions and character building as standard but scraps the 3D overworlds and instead opts for Mystery Dungeon style rogue-like maps where you play as a almost Chibi-like version of Sayaka. By taking steps on a map which consists of tiles you will advance and so will any enemies too also on the map which are seen and occupy their own spaces, by situating yourself next to enemies you can attack them horizontally, vertical and also diagonally, you can also find Items which will help you such as healing or by dishing out damage to enemies. Sanity is an added mechanic which will lower the longer you are in a dungeon and can be alleviated by the use of items which are very few and far between. Should Sanity start to wain however at critical levels you will see a visual que of on screen blood that extremely limits your visual perspective making it easier to die from enemies, Sayaka will also start self harming which will cause you to take extreme damage and ultimately die at your own hands. Like most Mystery Dungeon type games traps exist here on the map that cant be seen until you actually activate them by stepping on them, and the first one which does activate is a requirement hence it is story triggered and it shows the first brutal dead end in the game. Dead ends are a staple part of the Death End re:Quest and anyone familiar with the series will go into Death End re:Quest Code Z knowing they will be likely seeing a lot of them and you most certainly will. Dead ends are when the game ends be it from failing from battle, or from failing mechanics in the game and will see Sayaka die in the most brutal way with gore thrown in both visually and through audio also for added effect.
Dead ends in Code Z are more of a mechanic than before as this time you have a log of the deaths you have witnessed up until this point so unlocking them is actually seen as a good thing, Dead ends boost skill points and needing to die from weak enemies before you sanity runs out can feel like a chore more than anything and it does not alleviate from navigating from a bigger dungeon the second time around. Skill points are required to advancing Sayaka’s skills however doing so feels like a doubled edged sword. These skill points will ultimately make you have an easier time whilst navigating however they can also have the opposite effect when trying to grind out a dead end from a particularly weak enemy which is something you want to do to get more skills points making the grind for skills points just not really worth it at all, a completionist’s dream seems somewhat of a nightmare but if you don’t mind skipping out on a few points then it may be better to ignore these altogether. There is a dash button which can help with navigating those longer tunnels faster in dungeons but it can be pretty easy to use it at the wrong time and while having Sanity as an important factor of navigating dungeons using the dash on a whim can be dangerous.
I felt that while the game does have more Dead ends than previous entries they certainly carried less weight, the previous entries had tension and build up to them with other members of your party carrying a lot of the burden and crying out with a piercing shrill at their friends demise.
Gameplay while it changes up somewhat throughout remains relatively simple, you do of course gain money and items which you get to keep on the lowest difficulty at least should you meet a dead end, the higher difficulties do take this function away whilst the hardest difficulty resets your level with your current upgrades also reset. You can leave dungeons and return to them at key points where you’re able to teleport out but these are usually guarded nearby by by Glitch Girls, foes who are incredibly strong and way beyond your means so getting to one of these without dying is a challenge in itself unless your incredibly lucky.
The dungeons most of the time have overall good design although some can look really bland in comparison, enemy types also lack any real consistency also, most of the best game design comes from character interactions and outside the dungeons where most of the story takes place. No doubt the game is gorgeous in a lot of places with amazing character design, blood effects mixes in with signature glitch effects on screen. It all blends in so you know you’re playing a Death End re:Quest game.
Death End re:Quest Code Z while enjoyable it is certainly the far weakest in the Death End re:Quest series, while previous entries had tension and choice building up to it’s dead ends, Code Z ditched this by having them as a core mechanic making them more of a requirement to unlock them and while a lot of them unique their implementation leaves little to be desired and this was the biggest factor in what makes Death End re:Quest good, still Code Z is by no means the worst game in Compile Hearts collection of somewhat collection of mediocrity when it comes to their games so there is that.
A PlayStation 5 Review Code was provided by Idea Factory International. This article is featured on OpenCritic
