Death of a Wishis an action RPG that tells a much deeper story than its striking, abstract graphics and visceral game play may initially suggest. Players adopt the role of Christian, a defiant youth who vows to annihilate the oppressive theocratic order that raised him. Theindietitle has garnered very positive reviews from Steam and offers a compelling combat experience with an emotional narrative core.
Game Rant recently spoke with producer Kevin Wong andDeath of a Wish’s creator Colin Horgan, also known as melessthanthree, about the game’s heavy themes, use of religious imagery, and other major influences like anime.
Iconoclastic Action in Death of a Wish
Employing religious imagery for impact rather than spiritual significance is a frequent technique used by games likeXenogearsand anime such asHellsingandNeon Genesis Evangelion.Death of a Wishmanages to interestingly draw from these secular and spiritual traditions simultaneously.The game’s anime-esque actionemploys cross-shaped explosions in the same wayEvangeliondid, which are powerful images whose broader implications lend a sense of impact to the visuals. There is a certain degree of implicit blasphemy featuring crosses and grails divorced from their typical holy connotations. At the same time, the game’s narrative focus on overthrowing an authoritarian religion uses those images in earnest, effectively weaponizing spirituality and religious authority.
It’s rare for a game to manage to be both iconoclastic and earnest with itsreligious imagery, and it speaks volumes about the title.Death of a Wishwrestles with questions of spiritual oppression and abuse while simultaneously reaching out to players with a distinctive style.
Death of a Wish’s Bayonetta Influences are Laid Bare
DuringDeath of a Wish’s development, melessthanthree placed a tremendous emphasis on nailing the sensation of impact in attack animations as well as creating flashy combos befitting the game’s tagline, “style is salvation.” But melessthanthree admits borrowing even more from one iconic action series:
“Bayonettafor one. It was a huge influence on the game’s design and its turn more toward character action, likeDevil May Cry-stylefights. Even the name Paradiso is taken from an aspect ofBayonetta’s world. The angelic enemy faction of that game exists in an alternate-reality layered on top of the real world called Paradiso. That seemed too perfect not to crib.”
It is important to note thatDeath of a Wishis not a fantasy game, at least in the strictest terms. Despite the appearance of nightmarish creatures, and Christian and company’s use of seemingly supernatural abilities, the world itself is relatable and grounded. The idea of a fantastical layer on top of a more familiar reality is an important distinction from a world of wizards, dragons, and knightly warriors, and one that again resonates withmany shonen anime.
BorrowingBayonetta’s pseudo-reality conceit is a great way to merge the game’s religious aesthetic with the surreal, “speculative reality” cosmology, and further distinguishes the title from traditional fantasy stories.
Dogmatic Diction in Death of a Wish
The faith-based trappings ofDeath of a Wishextend all the way to the naming conventions of Christian’s equipment. His move-sets, or weapons, are referred to as “Arias” after the heavenly, solo-voice performances frequently featured in religious services. He also has access to “Prayer Cards,” which provide powerful passives that can bring builds to the next level. Finally, certain enemies—and some snarky comrades—also refer to Christian as an “Altar Boy.”
Framing combat and conversations in a way that speaks to a game’s deeper theme is a mark of deep harmony between a game’s systems. At the very least,ludonarrative resonancegives a game a stronger, clearer identity, andDeath of a Wishhas a strong personality indeed.
Death of a Wishis available now for Linux, Mac, PC, and Switch.
