Review of Death end re;Quest: Code Z for PlayStation 5

Alright, here we go—buckle up for this chaotic ride:

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So, uh, Death end re;Quest: Code Z—ever heard of it? Came out from those folks at Idea Factory International and Compile Heart. They’ve kinda mixed things up, tossing us into a parallel universe with this whacky, new genre twist. It’s been rattling around my brain ever since I started dabbling with it. Like, seriously—Picture this: you’re flung into World DE-1.5, which is like a mirrored Earth from the 2000s or something. Wild, right?

Now, not to totally lose myself here, but this game’s brimming with bugs—like, not the ‘oops, the game crashed’ kind, more of a ‘watch-your-back-or-you’re-toast’ vibe. There are over 100 ways to meet your doom here. Why? Because Makoto Kedouin, the mind behind Corpse Party (which, honestly, terrified me back when), had a hand in writing these ‘Death Ends.’ Anyway, where was I? Oh right, it’s not your usual RPG. Say goodbye to turn-based stuff. This time, it’s a roguelite dungeon crawler much like Shiren the Wanderer. You know, I reviewed that once… got sidetracked by the nostalgia.

Now, for difficulty, you can choose between Normal, Elite, and Expert. I mean, if you’re like me and lose patience quickly, Normal might be your jam—no penalties for ducking out or dying. Elite’s a step up—kiss your items goodbye if things go south. But Expert is brutal. You lose everything—Sayaka’s level, your stuff, all reset—like, it made me question my life choices a bit.

Oh, and speaking of Sayaka, you steer her through dungeons with the left analog stick. Classic, right? But here’s a kicker: it’s turn-based in a way—move, and the enemies move. Attack, and they do too. It’s like a strategic dance-off. Oh, and press R1 to move diagonally. Trust me, you’ll need it. Wacky controls? Yes. But, does it work? Somehow, yeah.

And the camera—you can fiddle around with it using the right stick. Real useful. Found myself zooming in and out, just ’cause I could. And a hot tip: running’s a lifesaver. Hit that Circle button and dash away, but beware—dash into something sketchy, and it’s over.

You level up by beating monsters, of course. Classic RPG trope. But it’s kinda satisfying watching those stats go up. There’s that yellow bar (top-left corner, if memory serves), keep an eye on it—level ups are your lifeline.

Oh hey, fun fact: no hunger meter here—it’s all about Sanity. Weird, huh? It drops as you fight or hit traps. If it tanks, visuals twist and, bam, self-damage occurs. Ether Codes help recover it. Found one lying around and was like, “thank heavens!”

The Death Ends, though! Oh man, they’re a spectacle. Horrifying in the weirdest way—a train wreck you can’t look away from. They give you Skill Points for the Skill Tree, unlocking cool stuff. Beats normal upgrades, I’ll say that much.

And last but not least, trophies. Dang, they’ve laid out a full platter. Bronze, Silver, Gold—you name it. Platinum’s the crown jewel here, but you’ll need to hustle through 100+ Death Ends for it. Not for the faint-hearted!

Now, wrap your head around this: Death end re;Quest: Code Z arrives on PS5 for $49.99. Slightly hefty, but if the chaos I described excites you…? Oh, there’s the Deluxe Edition too, ’cause who doesn’t like fancy stuff, right?

Gosh, I almost forgot. Got a disclaimer here: this review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy courtesy of Idea Factory International. Just putting it out there.

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Hope you enjoyed this odd little journey.