When I think of games that’ll grab me with an intriguing narrative, it’s rarely the 3D platformers that come to mind first. Now there are some exceptions to this of course, like my beloved Psychonauts for example. For the most part though when you’re jumping around in a colourful world you’re too busy collecting coins, jigsaw pieces, or bananas to worry about the problems of a protagonist. 1000 Deaths flips that all on its head though, with a game all about trying to improve the lives of its various characters.
The game opens with one of these characters Vayu, who is lamenting wasting his life by not adventuring away from his hometown as a young purple snouted humanoid. This is where you come in, playing as the little television that we all have in our minds. By completing platforming stages you’ll be able to go back through Vayu’s life and make different choices, that will lead to success, misery and eventually that titular death. If you haven’t worked it out by now, 1000 Deaths is an unusual game to say the least.
Before you notice anything else about 1000 Deaths, you’ll notice it’s trippy visuals and overall bizarre tone. All of the characters are absolutely wild, from a walking hand musician to a sort of odd melting plant – and these are just the protagonists. They’ve all got different ambitions in life too, which you’ll be in charge of guiding them towards. There’s no punishment for choosing wrong here though, instead you’ll just progress down a different path with totally different platforming levels.
The more traditional platforming stages of 1000 Deaths involve collecting various CDs and TVs, in a Super Mario Galaxy style of gravity bending environment. You’ll need to guide the TV around bends to walk on new surfaces and there are even some light puzzles elements that go alongside the tricky platforming. Rest assured these levels are not just a relaxing break from the narrative, with some requiring multiple restarts from even the most seasoned 3D platforming fan (this guy).
As you progress more elements are added to these stages too, like a jetpack which allows you to do an air dash which is as useful as it sounds. The ramped up stages allow you to really enjoy these new mechanics, and I was glad to have the option of replaying them in Arcade mode after playing through the story to try and get better times. Occasionally in these later levels it does feel like the difficulty does come more from battling the camera than the stages themselves though, which isn’t exactly ideal.
Once you’ve completed all of the stages in a hub area it’s time to make your choice, and decide what pivotal decision one of the four protagonists will make that’ll change their life forever. Whether your choice means Vayu will become a successful gardening show host or the beloved local mayor is down to you, but at any point you can jump around the timelines and see what stages and story await you on a different path.
Alongside the more jumping focused stages, 1000 Deaths also features more open levels where you get to explore the world that our four unlikely heroes reside in. There are dozens of characters ready to chat nonsensical and silly dialogue here if that’s your forte, or you can spend your time here looking for various collectibles that provide a bit of bonus lore for those interested. I honestly found these sections of the game a bit dull and empty, but it’s at least easy to rush to your objective and get back to the more meaty platforming fun.
There’s a lot to love about 1000 Deaths for platforming fans, but I must admit that ultimately it left me wanting more. The story is more silly than engaging, and all the characters are so weird that it’s hard to really invest in them or root for them. If you’re just looking for a trippy and colourful visual experience though it certainly nails the brief there.
1000 Deaths features a ridiculously weird story, engaging platforming stages and loads of replayability, but I just wish it came together to create something more exciting. 3D platformer megafans will likely get enough out of the game that it’s worth a try though, and I must admit there’s nothing else quite like it.
