Let It Die

Let It Die is a free-to-play action game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by GungHo Online Entertainment. It launched in Japan for PlayStation 4 in December 2016, reached North America and Europe in 2017, and later appeared on PC through Steam in 2018. Its setting is a violent, surreal version of post-apocalyptic Tokyo, where an enormous structure called the Tower of Barbs rises from the ground after a catastrophic event. The player is guided by Uncle Death, a skateboarding, scythe-carrying figure who serves as the game’s host and commentator. His goal is to help the player’s character climb the tower and survive its hostile floors. The tower is divided into many levels, with enemies, resources, equipment, and bosses arranged around a central ascent. The game’s combat is close-range and deliberately dangerous: weapons can break, stamina matters, and taking too many hits can quickly end a run. Instead of controlling one permanent hero, players develop different fighters. Characters can be created with several classes, including Wrestler, Striker, Shooter, and Collector, each emphasizing different statistics and abilities. When a character dies, that fighter can become a “Hater,” an enemy version that may retain the equipment and progress associated with the dead character. This system makes failure part of the game’s progression rather than simply resetting the player’s experience. A distinctive feature is the Death Bag, which allows the player to store equipment and resources, while the Waiting Room functions as a base for managing fighters, weapons, armor, shops, and upgrades. The game also includes asynchronous online elements: players can invade other players’ Waiting Rooms, defend their own bases, and send fighters on expeditions. Let It Die combines grim violence with exaggerated comedy and eccentric presentation. Its soundtrack includes licensed music from Japanese and international bands, while its visual design draws on punk, horror, science fiction, and underground comic imagery. The game’s later updates expanded the original tower with new floors, enemies, weapons, and story material. Grasshopper Manufacture’s involvement is notable because the studio is associated with director Goichi “Suda51” Suda and works such as Killer7, No More Heroes, and Lollipop Chainsaw, although Let It Die was directed by Hideyuki Shin rather than Suda. Its unusual death-and-replacement mechanics, free-to-play structure, and bizarre tower setting distinguish it from conventional character-action games.