Life Goes On: Done to Death (PlayStation 4) Review

In Life Goes On, players take control of an infinite army of knights as they try to search out the one cup destined to give them immortality; however, in the place of the true treasure are plenty of imitations designed to only throw them off course. Throughout the game's four worlds, gamers will guide the knights as they jump, climb, and mercilessly throw away their lives for the sake of treasure. In fact, whereas death in other video games usually means "Game Over," here, it's a gameplay mechanic.

Each level consists of a variety of different contraptions and mechanisms that must be operated in order to reach the end goal: the cup, real or fake. There are only two actions the knights can perform - run and jump - and while they do wield and acquire new weapons throughout the game, these only serve as a mere novelty, and are not used whatsoever during the stages. As stated prior, death is not an issue for the expendable army of men in armour; if one dies then another can be immediately spawned in. Often, the bodies of fallen comrades are utilised to overcome obstacles, such as spike pits or walls, or to manipulate the devices scattered around the room.

Levels are creatively designed, with new gadgets being introduced in each new world; at first, they consist of the previously mentioned spikes, plus buzzsaws and fire vents; soon, though, new contraptions, such as ice vents, teleporters, and gravity wells that either attract or repel, are brought into the mix. Thus, stages become increasingly complex as the game continues on, and secondary goals found in every level add intensity to the proceedings.

While the endless sacrifices of knights are played well to comedic effect, they disguise the fact that underneath this veneer is a surprisingly challenging game. Part of the difficulty lies in the additional objectives found in all of the levels; besides having to acquire the cup, there is also a time limit to beat the level within, and an overall number of knights to try and beat the stage with, even though their numbers are infinite. This puts the pressure on the player, in a good way, to try and figure out the inner workings of the stage, and then play through it all with no problems. There is plenty of trial and error involved, for sure, but there's a strong sense of satisfaction from taking the time to work a level out, and then blast through it like a professional.