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Can You Handle the First REAL Game Over Screen?

Can You Handle the First REAL Game Over Screen?

I can’t recall how many times I’ve had an idea that felt original only to discover others have also thought of it before. I dub these ideas universal epiphanies, because while they feel important at the time, they’re usually experienced by everyone.  Oftentimes, while they have these universal epiphanies, people don’t follow through with them because they seem infeasible. Such is the case with One Life , a game in which the developers took the idea of dying forever in a video game, and made it actually happen. The difference is Kefir! Games followed through on the idea, and good for them, even if they have to deal with the predictable backlash.

One Life is currently on Steam Greenlight, and from the looks of the trailer it looks like a competent shooter. Apparently permadeath isn’t hardcore enough for Kefir!; therefore, the studio decided to tweak the concept to reflect a more literal meaning. Those who die will be locked out of the game forever, and they’ll be left wondering how they could have better spent their money. Perhaps they could have spent it on a game that would have remained in their library forever, or maybe they should have spent it on a meal – while also temporary, at least it would have helped them to survive. Or maybe they’ll have the best time with One Life ? Hard to say, as it was only recently approved on Steam Greenlight.

The community worries that they’ll die immediately upon entering the game. Everyone begins each newly purchased game as a noob, after all; however, on their FAQ, the Kefir! assures players that it’s very unlikely they’ll immediately shuffle off the mortal coil. In fact, one of the most interesting mechanics is that you can spare your opponents and enslave them instead. Is it worth surrendering your freedom for potentially months more playtime? I think this is a fascinating mechanic that must be studied once the game is released – even on the academic level.

As I wrote in my introduction, the idea of a game promising only one life isn’t a new one, and a quick Google search led to the discovery of a game with a similar premise: Upsilon Circuit . This dungeon crawler allows 8 players, divided into two teams of four, to compete against each other; and while they’re playing, others are watching them through streaming services. According to Business Insider, Upsilon Circuit ’s co-creator explained to PC Gamer “[they’re] making this because [they] want to watch it.” After comparing Upsilon Circuit to One Life , I had another sudden, probably universal epiphany regarding the target audience for these games.

Can You Handle the First REAL Game Over Screen?

Between the cost of entry and the social aspects, I assume One Life and Upsilon Circuit are meant for two types of people, apart from the simply curious: 1) Gamers looking for a genuine challenge with actual stakes involved, which not even Bloodborne could provide. These people are gamblers, and, let’s face it, playing a game for free doesn’t provide the same high risk as losing money. 2) Gamers looking to gain traction to their YouTube and Twitch channels. These gamers may not care about how long they survive, so long as they can increase their follower count. I can only imagine how the most vocal of YouTube personalities can react to dying permanently–preferably after about 10 minutes.

So yeah, games like One Life are clearly not for everyone, and justifiably so for financial reasons. However, just because you have the potential to be locked out of the game immediately, I think a small audience might actually look forward to this (see gamblers). As for me? Well, I fall into the category of passive observer. I’m looking forward to the articles discussing these games as social experiments. Actually, wait… I’m a writer, aren’t I? In that case, allow me to add an an addendum to the previous paragraph: 3) Writers like myself looking to provide an interesting, hopefully profitable perspective on One Life and Upsilon Circuit . Cue evil laughter.

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