Compile Heart has updated the Japanese official website for Death end re;Quest Code Z. While the update also comes with new pages for some of the appearing characters, a substantial amount of information comes from the gameplay system pages.

To summarize the game’s features, it will have a similar basic roguelike dungeon gameplay to other titles, but the game will distinguish itself by having a Reason gauge that replaces Hunger in other games while adding more vision-related disadvantages. The player will control the game’s protagonist Sayaka Hiwatari to explore the dungeon to its deepest floor, defeat the boss there, and escort the rescued heroine to the dungeon’s Exit Point.

You can find our translations of the gameplay features after the opening movie right below. Death end re;Quest Code Z will be available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in Japan on September 19.

Dungeon

The dungeons in Code Z will take place in an otherworldly space called Strain Area. The player will control Sayaka to head towards the dungeon’s deepest floor while rescuing heroines like Shina and defeating enemies called Strangers. However, there will also be numerous Death Endings based on what causes a Game Over.

The dungeons will generally have features that are also commonly seen in other roguelike RPGs like Shiren the Wanderer and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. The player will have a limited number of inventory slots to store items that have varying effects from recovery to damage. There will also be traps with various effects from damage to forced teleportations. And Sayaka will only be able to safely exit dungeons by reaching the Exit Point.

Reason Points

One of the defining aspects of this game will be the Reason Point gauge that appears on the screen’s top center side. This gauge will gradually deplete every turn, but it can deplete drastically if Sayaka steps on a trap that specifically reduces this gauge. The player can restore Sayaka’s Reason gauge by using items called Ether Code.

Lower Reason Points will gradually bring more detriments to the player. It will start with gradual decreases in the field of vision and mini-map features. The gauge going under 20% will bring real danger as there will be a gradually increasing chance of Sayaka inflicting self-harm on herself. It is also possible to get a gory Death Ending this way.

Vanquish Style

Sayaka can transform to Vanquish Style once the VP (Vanquish Point) gauge under the HP bar has maxed out. This mode will greatly improve her attack power while nullifying all status ailments. She can also survive an attack that would kill her once. However, the style transformation will be canceled if the VP gauge—which gradually depletes every turn while the style is active—has become empty.

Heroine Rescue (and Special Death Endings)

Defeating the boss on the dungeon’s deepest floor will spawn the heroine character who needs to be rescued. However, that won’t mark the end of the dungeon stage, as the player has to make sure that both Sayaka and the heroine can arrive safely at the Exit Point. The heroine will generally stay behind Sayaka and cast supportive spells.

Having an accompanying heroine is also a pre-requisite for special Death Endings. If the heroine dies but Sayaka can survive the dungeon, there will be a conversation event with other characters where Sayaka will regret the death. But if Sayaka dies together with the heroine, there will be a new gory Game Over scene.

Gritch Girls

These characters are created by the evil version of the original Death end re;Quest protagonist Arata Mizunashi, and they can suddenly appear in dungeons as the strongest enemies that surpass even the dungeon bosses. They can even destroy Exit Points should they see one.

Camera Control Mode

While many other roguelike RPGs would usually only offer bird’s eye view, Death end re;Quest Code Z will have a feature that lets the player freely adjust the gameplay camera’s angle and zoom level.