What? We have a new Death Note game?
That’s my first reaction too. Death Note Killer Within is not the first Death Note game, but it is a first for the international audience.
It is an online social deduction game that fields up to 10 players divided into two teams — Team Kira or Team L. Naturally, they have opposing goals. To win, players must uncover each other’s identities and either eliminate L, who poses a threat to Kira’s power, or take control of the Death Note.
Death Note Killer Within reflects the series’ core concept, where a mysterious notebook holds the power to cause the death of anyone whose name is written in it.
ONE Esports had the chance to playtest its pre-launch build and speak to Aoba Miyazaki, the Main Producer of the Death Note Killer Within game, and Assistant Producer Kishin Okabe in a media roundtable to find out more.
Death Note Killer Within was intentionally designed for the social deduction genre
Death Note is a classic that remains popular with people of all ages around the world, a key source of motivation for the producers, who wanted to develop a game that appeals to a diverse audience.
“We began the game development based on the werewolf game, which is a game genre that is both enjoyable and has a wide appeal, which also allows you to enjoy the psychological warfare that is characteristic of Death Note,” they said.
During the development process, they chose to adhere to the traditional werewolf game structure, which in turn influenced game balance. “We set L, who is opposite Kira, as a strong role who can advantageously drive investigations and deductions, and we set the Kira follower as allies who can powerfully help Kira find and kill L,” the producers explained.
Following this line of thought, they proceeded to give both sides special abilities to balance them out, while at the same time being mindful of the overall difficulty level.
Original Light, L, and Misa seiyuus reunite for Death Note Killer Within game
Death Note fans will be thrilled to know that Mamoru Miyano (Light), Kappei Yamaguchi (L), and Aya Hirano (Misa) recorded new lines for this game title.
Even though the anime series is more than 15 years old, the producers recognized that it was important to include famous scenes that anchor the story, so they brought the seiyuus back for high quality recordings.
The producers hope that by doing so, new players would also be able to enjoy Death Note Killer Within to “experience the atmosphere and worldview of Death Note.” Specifically, they wanted players to create a constant tension of never being able to let your guard down because someone on the opposing team might find out your true identity.
Additionally, the game includes cut-ins, direction, and voice acting inspired by iconic scenes from the original series, along with other features that Death Note fans will appreciate.
“I always think about what kind of gameplay will be fun for IP fans. We develop titles by thinking about what genre will allow players to experience the world of the IP in the game. After the COVID situation, we saw an opportunity to develop Death Note, which we had always wanted to turn into a game,” Miyazaki-san shared.
Death Note Killer Within is available now, exclusively for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 (purchasable independently or as part of the PS+ subscription), and for PC via Steam in Standard or Special Edition.
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