Agents, as the story of our award-winning I Expect You To Die series unfolds, we think it is vital that the history of this amazing trilogy continues to be preserved and highlighted.
That's why we developed this blog, codenamed Operation: Rewind. Our mission at Schell Games: find and compile all of the intel floating out there from Wikis and secondary channels, then compile it all into the following. Read along for I Expect You To Die developer commentary, reactions to speedruns, and more hidden gems you might have missed from our can't-miss VR spy franchise.
Developer Commentary Hidden in the Game
"You have to be careful when you're conducting playtests in VR, to make sure your guests aren't too immersed. We've had a half dozen or so people fall right out of their chairs" -Shawn Patton (Dev commentary when you click the rug)
Did you know? I Expect You To Die is filled with developer commentary. After beating the game, simply click the Commentary button in your office and clickable word bubbles featuring the voices of Charlie Amis, Francisco Souki, and Shawn Patton as they walk through the intricacies of design decisions, the power of playtesting, and iterations that didn't make the cut.
That painting in the office? That villainous librarian is an antagonist who never was. Hivemind's bees? They almost didn't make the cut (and we're so thankful they did). Go into each level and click around, there's a wealth of information here that's best enjoyed in-game (transcriptions of all developer commentary can also be found here).
Devs React to IEYTD 2 Speedruns
"Even in the speedrun, there's still time to enjoy yourself." -Charlie Amis
IGN's Devs React videos are one of our favorite series on all of YouTube, and Schell Games' own Charlie Amis (project director) and Francisco Souki (design director) were featured in this episode covering I Expect You To Die 2. In it, the developers are blown away by speedrunner Schnappea as they find new and inventive ways to skip dialogue and solve puzzles that even the devs couldn't have predicted.
Top moments include the Die% run where the goal is for the player to expire as quickly as possible, which astoundingly only takes 33 seconds. When watching the regular speedrun, the developer pair quickly develop a system for giving style points to the Schnappea for the number of snacks and drinks consumed while also speedrunning.
Devs Tell Their IEYTD 2 Highlights
You can watch the full conversation in our Dinner with the Devs video, but this quick highlight video was our favorite part. In it, Amis, Souki, and John Kolencheryl (principal engineer) each remark on their favorite parts of developing I Expect You To Die 2. It's worth noting that this interview took place before the release of the game, making Souki's excitement about hearing the iconic song for the first time all the more prescient. These devs knew right away that this game was going to be next level.
Chatting IEYTD 2
"Our dream is that you finish the game and go, 'Wow! I just starred in my own movie.'" -Francisco Souki
Francisco Souki also has a wonderful conversation with VR Reviews that goes in-depth into the process of making I Expect You To Die 2. This includes intel on what goes into designing memorable levels, the importance of narrative going into the sequel, developing during a pandemic, and why the restriction of a tight space in your van/office only upped the amount of interactive elements Schell Games could add into it.
Secret Hivemind Commentary
"Being asked to perform in I Expect You To Die is my PROUDEST personal achievement! Little ol' Hivemind out there on the big stage... I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for my 45,732 assistants! You da real M.V.Bees!" -Hivemind
We'll end with these secret bit of knowledge: Hivemind is the only character who makes an appearance in any developer commentary or interviews for the entire series. What a diva! Not even John Juniper inserts himself into that.
