Cats, I like cats and I can see why they are cherished and loved as pets. However I do not trust cats, each and every single cat has a motive, a reason behind what they do and they are above all simply looking to make their own lives better. They will come and go as they please, take your seat and give you that evil almost sinister cat stare when they want to be fed. Few seem to understand cats as I do and they make the mistake of believing that their car is their pet but I know that it Is the other way round. So what happens when a cat decides that they have had enough of the human need to dress them in silly outfits and pose them for stupid photographs to share online…..you get She Wants me Dead!
She Wants Me Dead is a rhythm based side scrolling puzzle game from disclosure developer Hello There AB, and they clearly understand cats s I do! In this game you play Max, the proud owner of Lula the cat. Lula is not a happy cat and has reached the breaking point of being dressed up and photographed as well as being stepped on and ignored. Lula has been busy on the many nights of prowling the streets and has planned the ultimate revenge on Max, and he had no idea what is coming!
The game is made up of ten stages, each one will put Max is increasingly deadly danger ad he must make his way through devious traps and hazards to reach the end and defeat Lila’s monstrous plans for his demise. Levels are full of swinging battle axes, roof and floor spikes, land mines and grinder discs and are all positioned with the intention of inflicting injury, pain and death to Max. On just stage one it is abundantly clear that Max has really ticked off Lula, and also that Lula has an incredible access to property rights, heavy machinery and a direct line to the Tower of London’s dungeon designer!
I really had fun with she Wants me Dead, in the same torturous pleasure in games like Super Meat Boy, She Wants me Dead requires timing and precise movements to navigate Max through each stage. To help with timing, each stage is set to the same music track that inspired the name of the game ‘She Wants me Dead’ by Cazzette. The traps all follow to the bass and beats of the track and flows just so wonderfully well that th track for me never became annoying to being the only song used. It helps you find the rhythm needed in the timing of the hazards and especially in the later stages when the combination of traps require pinpoint timing to pass through safely.
Completing each stage will reward you in seeing Lula present one of the many silly photographs she was forced to endure, much to her disdain which only fuels her hatred for Max and desire for revenge which explains why the next stage is even more devious and cunning. Max will also be rewarded with cosmetic items that Max can wear which is rather ironic as essentially this is also a form of revenge on Max as the outfits are just as silly as the ones Lula was forced to wear, oh Lula you are an evil cat indeed!
Playing on PS4 I did at times feel the jumping could be rather frustrating as often a section may require cm precision to land on a platform and missing can result in immediate death for max. Checkpoints are fair and placed just after tricky sections to avoid too much back tracking. The clever level designs ramp up in difficulty just enough to keep the challenge building without making it too hard for a more casual player. The sense that Max is being made to pay for all of Lula’s pain never leaves the atmosphere of each stage.
It is a shame that it only features ten stages but it is a really fun experience to play if you like a puzzle and fun challenge. Visually the Noir style is striking and helps bleed Lula’s anger into the gameplay and say stage also has cheeky secret areas to discover that can serve as a shortcut. Whilst the controls and movement can be cumbersome at points, each attempt only serves to improve your skill in that stage.
I really enjoyed She Wants Me Dead from the concept to the gameplay and challenge. It serves as a great little puzzler and also a reminder that if you do indeed have a cat in your home, beware of how you treat it, beware of what you think is ‘cute’ and always be wary of what your cat is doing and going at night!
