Let It Die: Inferno Review

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I’ve rarely been so let down by a game developer. I want to explain why Let It Die was so special to me – not just as a game, but as something truly creative – and why its sequel is, frankly, terrible and deeply disappointing.

Okay, so when I got Let it Die: Inferno to review, I messed up, honestly. I usually check if a game uses AI-generated stuff – you know, scan the Steam page or do a quick search – but I skipped that step this time. I was just too hyped for a new Let It Die game! Part of me also didn’t want to think that Supertrick, one of my favorite developers, would use that kind of technology. I’m a huge fan of the original Let It Die and really love what Supertrick does, so it just didn’t even occur to me to look.

Released in 2016, Let It Die initially seemed like a typical soulslike game. But it quickly became clear that it was something much more unique: a blend of industrial punk style, diverse music, roguelite elements, and challenging soulslike gameplay. Players chose a body with different abilities, equipped it with gear, and rode the elevator to any floor of the Tower of Barbs. Along the way, they faced tough monsters, other players’ ‘Haters’ (shadows controlled by NPCs), and a hilarious, yet disturbing, collection of bosses. Characters like Uncle Death, Kiwako, and Meijin brought a lot of personality and humor to the game’s otherwise dark and gritty world.

I often exaggerate, but I truly mean this: nothing is more thrilling than racing through the levels of Let It Die with its amazing soundtrack blasting. Whether it’s dropkicking enemies to the beat of “Universe,” or surviving Max Sharp’s gauntlet with “Aural Vampire” filling my ears, that’s what Let It Die is all about. Akira Yamaoka – the composer behind Silent Hill – intentionally featured a lot of Japanese indie bands in the game to help them reach a wider international audience. He himself gained international recognition through Silent Hill, and he wanted to give other artists the same opportunity. That’s why you’ll hear bands like TOTALFAT, Kiba of Akiba, MOP of HEAD, FLiP, and Survive Said The Prophet on the in-game radio – so you can listen to music made by real people while you’re taking down enemies.

Considering everything, and after listening to the music examples, it’s hard to understand why they would replace all the hard work, talent, and positive feeling of the original game with low-quality AI-generated music. That’s exactly what Let It Die: Inferno has done, and the result is really disappointing. The background music in your home base, Iron Perch, is created by AI, and I couldn’t find any other music options or radio stations to listen to. I initially thought the other tracks might unlock after the tutorial, like in the original Let It Die, but even after completing the tutorial and the first two floors, nothing changed. While the music in the field isn’t AI-generated, a simple, repetitive techno beat that occasionally gets a little more energetic just doesn’t compare to the diverse and fantastic rock, pop, metal, and techno soundtrack of the original game.

AI isn’t just used for images in the game; the Steam disclaimer also mentions AI-generated voices. This immediately made me think of Gram B, an older version of the character Queen B from the game Deathverse (a fighting game that didn’t last long due to server problems). Queen B had a very memorable voice and brought a lot of personality to Deathverse, so I was really surprised by her new voice. It wasn’t just the elderly tone, but the way it sounded unnatural – like the voice actor was struggling to speak clearly or control their pitch. I initially assumed it was AI-generated, but the disclaimer suggests it was just bad direction. However, the character Mom, a healing robot, is voiced by AI. The explanation that “she’s a robot, so it makes sense” doesn’t hold up, considering previous games in the series featured robots voiced by real actors. Why couldn’t the developers just use a robotic filter on a human voice actor?

I initially found the InfoCast puppets a little quirky, but now that I know they’re AI-generated, I don’t like them very much. The developers say the AI voices fit because the puppets are supposed to be mysterious creatures, but that explanation doesn’t really make sense. I’m not even sure if the whole puppet show is AI-created, but it would have been easy and inexpensive to hire a voice actor. The puppets just repeat random Japanese words and nonsense syllables. Knowing a machine created those sounds, which are a poor imitation of real effort, makes the puppets feel unpleasant and irritating.

This game blends elements of Let It Die and Deathverse, but frankly, I don’t want to delve into the details. While it has a simple, somewhat engaging roguelite/survival loop, and competing on the leaderboard was briefly fun, I’m not willing to invest any more time in a game that relies on generative AI, which disrespects the effort of other developers. Whether Supertrick or Gungho made the decision to use AI, those responsible need to be replaced. I’m deeply disappointed, both as a game reviewer and as a long-time fan of Let It Die.

It’s not about how much generative AI is used, but the principle behind it. Even small amounts of AI use can lead to a larger problem: companies choosing to cut jobs because customers are accepting of AI-generated content. I personally want games created solely by human developers, not partially by AI tools that rely on stolen work. I’ve decided to completely avoid any game with AI-generated content for the rest of my life, even from studios I admire.

Look, as a gamer, I’m really frustrated. I shouldn’t have to dig around trying to figure out if a game I’m considering buying was actually made by people, not just spit out by AI. And honestly, it sucks having to even talk about this with a series I love, a series that used to be all about amazing art and music. None of this should be happening, but companies keep pushing this AI-generated stuff on us, so here we are. Seriously, please don’t buy Let It Die: Inferno, or any game that relies on generative AI. Instead, let’s support developers who actually care about making good games.

3

Versions tested: PC. Let It Die: Inferno is also available for PlayStation 5.

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2025-12-05 01:27