I Expect You to Die

I Expect You to Die is a virtual reality action video game developed and published by Schell Games and released in late 2016 for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. In the game, the player assumes the role of a "James Bond-esque" spy[1] and is tasked to complete levels.[2][3][4][5][6] The game can be played using the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and the Oculus Quest.[7][2]

For the James Bond quote, see No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!
I Expect You To Die
Developer(s)Schell Games
Publisher(s)Schell Games
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: 2016
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay
In I Expect You to Die, the player must use their surroundings to solve puzzles

I Expect You to Die is a virtual reality game in which the player must solve puzzle scenarios, ranging from breaking out an airplane in a car to surfacing an underwater escape pod. Most events are timed and require quick thinking in order to continue. Objects are hidden in the surrounding environment seemingly at random, but have a specific purpose the player must figure out in order to solve the puzzle and succeed.

Synopsis

The game follows a spy who works for "The Agency", a secret organization that protects the world. The spy has just begun working and has been given a telekinetic implant that allows them to make objects float. In the spy's first mission, their assistant Support Agent reveals that a billionaire super-villain named Dr. Zor has a cargo plane containing a high-tech car that is scheduled to fly to Zanzibar. The spy gets into the car and activates a defense system that allows them to drive off the plane.

In their next mission, the spy discovers that Zor has had his lieutenant Daniel Sans working on a super-virus to get revenge on The Agency. The spy goes undercover, and breaks open the window to the lab. They then use a machine and a note from a rogue scientist to build a cure. Though it seems too late when Zor launches the super-virus, the spy breaks open the nuke and combines the cure, saving the city.

In the next mission, the spy is tasked with destroying Zor's submarine. While they succeed off-screen, the spy ends up in a broken escape pod. Using quick time thinking, the spy manages to fix the escape pod and signal the Support Agent. In their final mission, the Support Agent informs the spy Zor has hidden "Machine Z" in his hunting lodge. Once there, the spy solves clues and is attacked by "deer gas" and a "bear archer" before finding out that Machine Z is a gravity device powered by gravity crystals. They also discover that Zor intends to initiate Project Golden Goose, in which the machine will destroy The Agency, which Zor will profit from. The spy manages to destroy the machine and escape via helicopter.

DLC: First Class, Seat of Power and Death Engine

The spy, after stopping Zor four times, earns a vacation mentioned earlier in the game across India. However, while vacationing, the spy's train is stopped by Zor's tanks. Through a riddle from the Support Agent, the spy manages to make contact with the Support Agent, where he reveals a Zor agent is aboard the train and has defected to their side. The player gets in contact with them only to be attacked by Zor agents and one of the tanks, as well as a plane, defeating them all and continuing their vacation.

The player learns from the defector that Zor is working on something called the Death Engine. The player breaks into a Zoraxis facility to learn more about the project before it's put to use. There, they solve clues while avoiding traps, eventually finding the intel the agency needs and using a rocket chair to escape.

Using the intel from the previous mission, the player steals a personnel spacecraft off screen and docks with the Death Engine space station. Though they are initially mistaken for a Zoraxis assistant, the player is found out later in the mission. The player needs to solve puzzles, including a machine that can alter gravity, and a fuse box with only 1 operative fuse. The player eventually gains control of a robotic arm, however the Zoraxis employee controlling the station throws radioactive waste at the player’s pod. The player can either block the radioactive waste, or pick it up using the robot arm. The player then opens a hatch with a laser inside it. Using either the radioactive waste or a crystal found inside the pod, the player places it inside the laser resulting in the station blowing up. Despite the explosion, the player survives the crash but is still officially dead. The game ends with the Support Agent stating that they “expected you to die.”

Development

Schell Games CEO Jesse Schell wrote in a blog post on Gamasutra that Schell Games Senior Engineer Jason Pratt "pulled together the best of the best VR demos that he could find, and started on some experiments of his own" in 2014.[8] Shortly thereafter, Schell Games Engineer Matt DeLucas "started riffing on Jason’s work" and created Hexius, "a world that used Jason’s unique VR mouse interface to choose where to teleport next." He then turned the teleportation mechanics into flying, which incurred motion sickness symptoms in all members of the team and sparked discussion about the medium. However, the team thought of the idea of a player "having to escape through clever puzzle solving" and "inspired by the famous phrase from Goldfinger, came up with the working title I Expect You To Die." Schell Games then formed a team to work on the game, led by Mike Traficante, former director of Enemy Mind.

Schell Games announced a sequel, called I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and The Liar, on 27 January 2021, which is expected to release in 2021.[9]

Reception

I Expect You to Die was released to positive reviews from critics, with both the PC and PS4 versions garnering "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[10][11]

According to developer/publisher Schell Games, the game has generated over $1 million in revenue as of August 2017.[1]

References
  1. Chan, Stephanie (30 August 2017). "I Expect You to Die solves VR puzzle: Over $1 million in revenue since December - GamesBeat". venturebeat.com. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  2. "'I Expect You to Die' is One of Virtual Reality's Best Games Yet". 8 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  3. McElroy, Griffin (1 July 2015). "I Expect You to Die lets you be the most incompetent spy ever in VR". Retrieved 22 December 2017 – via www.polygon.com.
  4. "Review: I Expect You To Die - Hardcore Gamer". www.hardcoregamer.com. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  5. "Review: I Expect You To Die". Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  6. Mahardy, Mike (15 December 2016). "I Expect You to Die Review". Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  7. "Save 50% on I Expect You To Die on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  8. Schell, Jesse (26 June 2015). "Making Great VR: Six Lessons Learned From I Expect You To Die". Gamasutra. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  9. Hayden, Scott (27 January 2021). "'I Expect You to Die 2' Coming to VR This Year, Trailer Here". Road to VR. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  10. "I Expect You To Die for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  11. "I Expect You To Die for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  12. Carter, Chris (5 December 2016). "Review: I Expect You to Die". Destructoid. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  13. Mahardy, Mike (15 December 2016). "I Expect You to Die Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  14. Estrada, Marcus (13 December 2016). "Review: I Expect You to Die". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
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