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 of an aeroplane 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.[citation needed]
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, scheduled to fly to Zanzibar, that contains a high-tech car. 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 spy 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 spy learns from the defector that Zor is working on something called the Death Engine. The spy 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 spy steals a personnel spacecraft off screen and docks with the Death Engine space station. Though they are initially mistaken for a Zoraxis assistant, the spy is found out later in the mission. Using a robotic arm, the spy manages to gain access to the Death Engine's reactor and using either radioactive waste thrown by the Zoraxis assistant or a crystal found inside the pod, blows it up. The spy manages to survive the explosion, but is officially dead. The game ends with the Support Agent stating that they "expected you to die."
Development and release
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.[9] 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. Sound Design by Audio Lead Bonnie Bogovich, with additional audio by Tim Rosko and Brandon Guillot. The game launched for Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR on 6 and 13 December 2016, respectively.[10] It was made available for HTC Vive via Steam on 25 April 2017.[11] The game was also released as a launch title for the Oculus Quest and the Oculus Rift S on 21 May 2019.[12]
Theme song was co-written by audio designers Bonnie Bogovich, Timothy Rosko, and Game Designer Connor Fallon (who also designed the intro credit animated sequence). Song is available for purchase/download on most audio platforms.
Composers: Tim Rosko, Bonnie Bogovich, & Connor Fallon
Lyrics: Connor Fallon & Jared Mason
Lead Singer: Bonnie Bogovich
The Yinzer Singers (choir): Emily Swora, Anna Ciaccio, George Milosh, Tim Rosko
Violin: Garrett Overcash
Trumpet: John Robert Matz
Percussion: Doug Perry
Orchestration: Tim Rosko
Recording, Mixing, & Mastering: Jesse Naus & Red Caiman Media, Pittsburgh, PA
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.[14][15]
