Developer: DoubleMoose Games
Publisher: Curve Digital
Platform: Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tested On: Switch
Just Die Already – Review
When we were children our parents taught us to respect the elderly, and most of us try to stay true to this. Yet, in the universe of Just Die Already, old people are just a waste of space and millennials want to rule the world. You play as one of four boomers that want to better their life by buying a slot in the best retirement home in Florida. To do so, however, they must earn their keep and complete their bucket list, all the while terrorizing the damn millennials that run the place.
Story
You are an old boomer stuck in a run-down retirement home. Being sick and tired of this place, you plan to get kicked out so you can explore the world on your own terms. Upon getting kicked out, you will meet a fellow boomer who tells you about the best retirement home in the world, and it’s located in Florida. He gives you his bucket list and it’s up to you to complete it and earn enough tickets for your dream version of retirement.
There really is no backstory or flow throughout the game as it is basically a sandbox from start to finish. You have a few commercial billboards mocking the uselessness of boomers and why they better just die. It’s fun that there is a small bit present to send you on your merry way, but it’s a game that can perfectly go without any story content.
Graphics
The graphics in Just Die Already are rather simplistic but effective. The sandbox area is large and doesn’t require any loading, yet has many things going on at any given point and the game runs smoothly at all times. At certain times the action can become really graphic with characters bursting into flames, limbs flying around and blood gushing all over the place. For a game on the Switch, it is important that it keeps a stable framerate while all this goofy stuff is happening. Luckily, even in the game’s most hectic moments, the game stays perfectly playable at all times without any frame dips.
Sound
Humans in this seemingly alternate universe speak in an inaudible fashion like in The Sims, with a recognizable word or two thrown into the mix. Aside from the strange gibberish, there isn’t much to hear besides the traffic, construction work, the lively inhabitants and your old (wo)man grunting as their back hurts. The music in the game is pretty simple but is upbeat enough to keep you going through the many locations, probably killing yourself time after time. The music doesn’t get stale after a long session but it isn’t the kind of music that lingers in your head after turning the game off.
Gameplay
Just Die Already is an open-world sandbox game where you must complete objectives to gather tickets and save up for your retirement or just buy a boatload of toys to create even more mayhem. It all starts with a short and flimsy tutorial about your character breaking out of his/her room. The game doesn’t really hold your hand and if you miss certain things or objectives then you are left to your own devices. After your successful breakout, you meet a fellow boomer that tells you that you can earn your keep in the best retirement home in the world. You will have to work for it as you must complete items on your bucket list so you accumulate tickets. These tickets allow you to buy your spot in the vastly superior retirement home. The bucket list is quite short at first, but as you discover more locations, you get things to do and thus more opportunities to earn those sweet tickets. These JDA tickets (Just Die Already) are the currency in the world and are needed to buy unique items at a special vending machine.
There are a few different vending machines to discover. Some of these will grant you weapons to kill innocent millenials, while others will grant you items or clothing pieces so you look even more ridiculous. The last machine takes tickets as a form of payment for either rare items or your retirement ticket. This machine doesn’t have much in stock at first, but after spending some tickets you’ll unlock more and more things to buy. Once you purchase these items, you can spawn these items freely, with a limit of eight items per vending machine. The stretch towards your end goal feels long, as it costs a whopping 50 tickets to buy your spot in the retirement home. Nonetheless, the title lends itself perfectly to just blow off some steam and good around, making the need to retirement feel somewhat redundant.
Controlling an old retiree might sound difficult and it can be in certain situations. The controls are easy, straightforward and most button prompts are shown on the screen most of the time. Old people handle pretty wonkily and their brittle limbs are known for breaking. The latter could make clearing certain objectives more difficult until you recover from your wounds or respawn entirely.
Conclusion
Just Die Already is a goofy sandbox game where you are free to spend your time causing havoc to the inhabitants that call you a filthy boomer, while not fearing the loss of limbs or your life. There are no limits or restrictions to the amount of fun you can have in this game and hours will fly by when terrorizing the inhabitants of different locations in a very violent Benidorm Bastards style. The graphics and sounds are decent but nothing to write home about. The only small downside of Just Die Already is that your character sometimes feels a bit too wonky, but at the same time it adds to the charm of the game.
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