Hey there! I'm Yoshinori Ono, CEO at Lasengle.
Welcome to my blog and thanks for dropping by!
How's your gaming life been treating you?
Me? I spent most of the Golden Week holiday trying to dig away at the mountain of games I've been putting by to play, and getting ready for new releases.
Which is why this blog is a slight departure from my usual indie games topics. Yep, as everyone with an active gaming life knows, the legend that is "The Legend of Zelda" finally launched the newest adventure on May 12th!
In the build up to the release, I was watching Nintendo's official trailers, imagining what the game was going to be like, and my anticipation levels were at peak excitement. We have a regular morning meeting at Lasengle, where usually I go over recent developments and important strategies, but all I could talk about was Zelda this and Zelda that.
And, as if that wasn't enough, at one point I blurted out, "You have to play this game! If you haven't pre-ordered yet, I'll get it for you, just promise you'll play!" Which is a nice idea, but in hindsight I realized that my family wouldn't be happy about buying a game for everyone at Lasengle. So, instead, I held a prize draw, with five people selected at random to win a version of the game.
Needless to say, May has been a month of balancing my mission of restoring peace to Hyrule with the daily tasks of running a business (it's tough being a hero and a CEO).
Zelda made its debut in 1986 as the first game on Famicom Disk System (an add-on for the NES). Despite being nearly 40 years old, it continues to be right at the forefront of gaming. Every iteration brings something new to the gaming world, and each is a masterpiece in entertainment.
Every time I sit down and play, Pro Controller in hand, I'm in awe of the creators. It's a game that fills me with huge respect and a ton of gratitude.
It's also a game that inspires me to put even more energy into Lasengle, and to think about what we need to develop a company culture that could produce a legacy like this. Yep, it's safe to say I'm truly hooked!
On the subject of company culture, Automaton featured some of our tech team members in an interview (available in Japanese only). It's a great way for you to get an idea of what it's like to work at Lasengle. If it sounds like a good fit, then go ahead and check out our latest openings and see if there's anything that sparks an interest.
We've also opened up the second round of applications for new university graduates. If you graduated university in April 2024 and are interested in working with Lasengle, then check out our entry page and get your application in. (See all available positions for April 2024 graduates here.)
Okay, enough of that. On to my featured game which, for blog #30, is Have a Nice Death.
Have a Nice Death is a 2D side-scrolling action where you play as Death, the CEO of Death Incorporated.
The action is super smooth and the easy-to-master controls allow for high-speed gameplay.
There's a wide variety of weapons and skills, and with some basic button mashing, you can get some really sharp animation and combos with the cool comic-style characters. I also like the contrast between the muted color palette and the flashy, neon colored effects.
As the title Have a Nice Death suggests, dark humor and satire are a big part of the game's world and charm.
The game has themes of murder, death, difficult work conditions, violence, harassment and other trigger topics which, while fictional in nature, could be upsetting, so it's no surprise that the game includes a warning before you play. In the same spirit, as I'll be touching on these topics in my blog too, here's my warning to you. (Sure, it's just a blog but better to be safe than sorry!)
In the game, these themes are all portrayed with an ironic twist and a heavy dose of lighthearted humor. I get how some might not enjoy it, but I had a lot of fun, and loved all the side jokes and digs at corporate life.
The protagonist of Have a Nice Death is the CEO of Death Incorporated. The opening animation has no dialogue, but manages to beautifully illustrate the events leading up to the present day.
Death began as a solopreneur, reaping the souls of the deceased with his trusty scythe all on his own. But at some point, he decided to get organized and start a company.
The company got off the ground, but now as the CEO, Death's days are spent dealing with paperwork. The paperwork keeps piling up and up until he's literally crushed under the weight of it all. He's working so hard as the CEO, he's about to work himself into the grave. Which, as he's literally Death, just adds another unnecessary complication.
And this is where you start the game.
You play the CEO and it's your job to tackle the company's issues head-on. You ride the elevator, going through the building and literally whipping your useless employees into shape.
Through conversations with the employees, shown as dialogue, you soon find out that most of the people working under Death are not the type to listen to reason. The CEO really has their work cut out.
Power ups and effect bonuses are called Curses, which was a cool way to work in the theme. And, looking back at the things I've gained during my working life, not completely inaccurate either.
Have a Nice Death is not only a lot of fun to play as an action game, but it also has an incredible world, story, and characters that bring together the joys and sorrows of work, in a brilliant blend of sarcasm and humor.
Of course, some of you might wonder what kind of CEO posts an enthusiastic review of a game where you play as a CEO who slashes apart (both metaphorically and literally) his terrible subordinates. Well, all I can say is, I did give you warning!
That's my take on Have a Nice Death.
Thanks for reading.
The next game is calling my name so gotta go--till next time!
Yoshinori X（Twitter）