Let It Die: Inferno oozes confidence, and I'm excited to play more

When I sat down at Tokyo Game Show 2025 to play Let it Die: Inferno, naturally, reminded me of my time with the 2016 original. A PlayStation 4 exclusive at the time, and Free-to-play, I was quick to give it a shot. Yet, while I enjoyed what I played, I didn't stick around for very long. Then as much as now, I've never been one to gel with F2P games - there's just something about the monetization that makes it hard for me to gel with them long term. So when a sequel was announced as a retail release, it got my attention.

While it's been quite a while since I played the original Let it Die, it's clear that Inferno is following the original's footsteps - which makes it fascinating that the team is marketing this as an "extraction" game. It makes sense; while the genre didn't exist when the original released, retroactively Let it Die may well have been a pioneer for the genre. For anyone not familiar of what exactly the connotations for the genre mean, let me explain.

In Let it Die: Inferno, players choose a "body" to equip, and a number of equipment they've stored, before heading out on an attempt down through the Hell Gate. As you explore each floor of its depths, you'll find gear that you can equip to make your journey easier, and items that can be used to heal or augment your character. Each run is akin to a roguelike; while level layouts stay mostly the same, as well as what types of enemies can spawn, exactly what you'll discover each run is a little bit different. Since you only have so much weight your character can handle, and certain gear is only usable at higher Mastery Ranks for each body, you're never intended to clear a section of the Hell Gate on your first attempt.

Death means losing everything, so it's in your best interest to search out escape pods and take things slow, keeping a gauge on what exactly you're prepared to handle. While you use different "Bodies" to explore the Hell Gate's depths, the truth is that "you" are but a spine that can be transplanted into other bodies. When you die in a run, you'll be treated to an animation of your spine rocketing off to the low orbital station situated above the Hell Gate's crater, ready to gear up for the next attempt. If you have a specific weapon type you like to use, whether that's their base moveset or their special move that requires resources to use, it's in your best interest to plan ahead and stockpile them for later attempts, assuming you will eventually fail.

While I was only able to play for about an hour - and the demo was hard-coded to reset after 20 minutes - I did manage to start getting a feel for the gameplay loop by the time things were done, which weapons might feel better in specific circumstances, and how different Bodies can have different skills attached to them. In the demo build, I had access to a lady who could dropkick enemies, briefly stunning them and creating an opening for follow-up attacks and a man who can hype himself up Dragon Ball style to replenish his health. The latter of which was probably stronger, due to reducing the need for heavy health pickups - though clearly there will be many other options to play with come the full release.

Speaking of the full release, while I'm overjoyed that Let it Die: Inferno is a full retail release this go around, I do wonder about further monetization. Let it Die: Inferno costs $25 to start with, yet the game's official website makes it clear that some features are locked behind the more expensive Deluxe or Ultimate editions. I don't quite know what "Room Matches" are, but anyone purchasing the base release seemingly won't have access to them. There's also an additional premium currency that seems to be a part of the game - Death Metal was in the original, but seemingly makes its return. Now, whether it works the same as in the original, or if the game is actively designed around its usage, it's too soon to say.

Those are concerns for later, and exactly how the final game is balanced is only something we can evaluate once it releases for PlayStation 5 and PC on December 3. Stay tuned for any additional thoughts as we get closer to launch.