Just Die Already Switch Review – Indestructible Grands

Sandbox games are a tough genre to really make a statement. Since the release of Goat Simulator, many teams have attempted to do their own spin of crazy in a sandbox environment only to find that magic doesn’t always work. Just Die Already has their own twist, and it is surprisingly fun. Don’t get me wrong, it is still marred down a bit by the casual strains of a sandbox game, but it does something special to keep you around.

But are these old folk worth killing off? Or do they need to stay put in the retirement home? Let’s find out!

There is really no story to Just Die Already, but the beginning, which serves as a tutorial of sorts, has you breaking out of your locked (And very dangerously equipped) room at a retirement home as you learn how to interact with items and people. Eventually you are thrown out of the old folks home, and you are on your merry way to dying in all sorts of grotesque and dismembering ways.

Each time you launch the game (Or any time during play within the menu), you are given the option to choose one of four old avatars: Stanislav, Wally, Kamala, and Lucky. None of them have any particular perks, but they are all quite amusing to control and cause havoc with.

The city, which is split into a handful of areas, is a lovely playground to do silly stuff on, and there are loads of things and people to interact with. The bustling City Center has maniacally driven cars whipping around corners, the docks and its waters are haunted by hungry, hungry sharks, and the Sports Centre is loaded with basketball courts, punching bags, tennis courts, and more to enjoy.

One of the major selling points of a good sandbox is the freedom to be creative in a world that is simply bustling with things to do. Thankfully, Just Die Already has tons of stuff to discover and play with, and unlike other sandbox simulators, our old fogies are quite capable, albeit in a fragile state. Driving mopeds, bicycles, and jet skies are a lot of fun, but the controls for vehicles are janky beyond measure. Even after dozens of hours playing, I still struggle to get the gist of driving.

Speaking of things being janky, this is a sandbox, and glitches, clipping, and other problems are considerably rampant and are part of the experience. People who enjoy this kind of stuff will have tons of fun finding more ways to “break” the game, but for those who are looking for a bug-free time, this is definitely not going to be your cup of tea.

A nice addition to Just Die Already that has been borrowed from previous sandbox games is a “Bucket List”, which is essentially a big list of tasks (A different list for each area of the game) to accomplish while you are out and about. Completing these tasks rewards you with tickets and items that become available immediately after unlocking. In order to receive the item, you will need to find it in a local vending machine. Finding particular items is not as simple as going to any vending machine, which I found to a bit bizarre, but loading up the various vending machines with the items you unlock is entertaining and simply gives you more to do in this wild city.

The available actions are running, jumping, ragdolling, respawning, and taunting, but you are also able to use the bumpers to grab on to items (and people) and use them with the trigger buttons if that is available. Certain items even allow you to do weird and amusing stuff, like if you drink anything, you are given the option to pee your pants. This action, particularly, pisses (hehe) people off, and let me tell you, just about everyone in this city hates old people. You are a target for violence.

Your avatar can basically be beaten to the point where they are just a rolling torso. Yes, you read that correctly. Because of your old and fragile state, your limbs and head will be lobbed off regularly, and the way you paint the world red as you limp or roll your somehow-still-living body around is a riot and never gets old. There are even some fun puzzles to help unlock new places and items by returning to that point with the correct limbs missing. Thankfully if you are struggling with your current physical state, pressing the respawn button will put you all back together and spawn you in the nearest dumpster (Because that is apparently where old people hang out).

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Just Die Already has a nice cartoon-look about it that makes all of the violence seem less gory and unappealing. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a bloody mess that is not particularly targeted towards children, but it is the right kind of graphics to use for such a goofy sandbox concept. Some of the city designs are a bit out there, but I guess that is par for the course in a game like this. Overall, it has a Fortnite-likeness about it when it comes to its overall presentation in regards to graphics and character designs, which is a nice choice for more welcoming aesthetics.

Just Die Already is not shying away from what it is meant to be. This is a hysterical sandbox title with a great concept that will definitely have players laughing for hours, and it even has online co-op for two players in case you want to cause mayhem with a friend.

Sure, it has its problems, as many sandbox games do, but the overall presentation and pure silliness of it all ultimately wins in the end. If you are a fan of sandbox titles, then this is a geriatric convention that I highly recommend visiting.

It is even better to play while you suck down on a Werther’s Original and complain about how kids these days don’t know how good they have it. Or how they haven’t had to walk 10 miles to school, uphill, both ways, and in the snow. You know what? These old people are tough.

Just Die Already Review provided by Nintendo Link
Developer: Double Moose
Publisher: Curve Digital
Release Date: May 20, 2021
Price: $14.99, £11.99, €13,99
Game Size: 1.2GB