DEATH NOTE Killer Within Review (Steam)

Rating: 7.4
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · December 2, 2024

DEATH NOTE Killer Within Review, DEATH NOTE Killer Within is an online social deduction game for up to 10 players. Players will be split into two teams with different objectives. To win the game, players will need to figure out each other’s identities and either eliminate L who threatens Kira’s power, or seize the Death Note. Enjoy a battle of wits as Kira and his follower or as L and the investigators in the world of DEATH NOTE. As equally matched opponents, the two teams clash to control the game while hiding their true identities from each other. The Death Note is hidden among the players, leading to a thrilling game of cat and mouse until one team overpowers the other.

DEATH NOTE Killer Within Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
2.07GB Download size.
Steam achievements.
Graphics settings – window mode, resolution, anti aliasing, v-sync, FPS limit, texture quality, shadow quality, and depth of field.
Full controller support.
Cross play – on/off.
You can remap the controls for both the controller and the keyboard.
Online social deduction gameplay.
Full friend’s list complete with the ability to block and see recently played with.
Tutorial menu option to play as each of the four roles.
You can have tips pop up as you play. Optional.
Enter a player’s name.
Customisation tracks (two of them) are the game’s battle passes complete with a free and charged version. You can choose and swap between them.
Training lets you practice each of the roles and tinker with the settings like movement speed, sounds, the map you play on, and then settings for each team.
Three ways to play online – create a room, room search, and enter the room code.
Six server choices – Europe, America East, America West, Asia 2, South America, and Asia 1.
Fast loading times.
When an investigator dies the notes they wrote will stay in the game as dying messages and can then be collected by other investigators.
Incidents can pop up at any time and will flash red on your screen, your goal is to get to and resolve the incident as quickly as possible.
Meetings called will bring up your own task completion list, and then you will see how far up the investigation bar you reached so far. Hit a star on it for a command card, and fill it to win.
Kira’s judgments (kills) will be added to their own new world progress bar like the investigation bar, hitting stars for cards and filling it to win.
Your ID can be stolen by anyone close to you in the game for a short time. Luckily you can mark their name in your notebook so you can remember who you came into contact with.
All player names are hidden until arrested in the game.
Voting out a player happens in the last part of a meeting, you can all talk together and then cast votes with the majority taking action.
Arrested happens when you get voted out, when arrested your real name is revealed, and Kiran can judge you and will confiscate all items and restrain you for the day.
Excellent presentation skills.
L is the person overseeing the investigators and every day you must assign two players for a special investigation.
Special assignments are generally two-people interactions and tasks.
Surveillance cameras can be installed in any room, L you get notifications of activities in a room with a camera and can view the feed, if something happens you have quick access commands like body found, etc.
When an investigator on your side dies, you must get to their body quickly to retrieve their notebook as it may hold clues.
A great atmosphere throughout.
Plays in a 3D sandbox.
When you are L you choose which player will confiscate the person you are arresting items.
Kira will not be able to confiscate items.
In-game cutscenes and interactions mixed with Anime sequences.
The transceiver item is available only to Kira followers and using it gives you a direct line to Kira. No matter what only you and Kira can hear each other.
Your primary job as a Kira follower is to steal investigator IDs.
Rem is your flying buddy who can help you with trying to stay in disguise and is a must-have tool as a Kira follower.
Each player in the game is represented as a playing piece a bit like Hitman Go and they have no movable parts or facial expressions, it works really well.
Progress bars help with stealing IDs or completing tasks in the game world.
It is a very clever game and takes the Among Us formula but adds a bit more deception and depth to the proceedings.
The premise of it all makes me want to check out the Anime and comic books.
Kira is the one who has the death note and kills anyone whose name is written inside.
Kira’s primary role is to judge criminals which fills the new world progress bar.
Ordering the death note verdict has to be done alone as if anyone sees you your cover is blown, you have to enter a small button sequence to activate the action.
Judgments (kills) have a limit to how many can be done in a day.
As for Kira, you can use command cards to disrupt the investigations like setting up incidents knowing all members of the team will rush to resolve it.
Whenever an incident isn’t resolved the Kira team gets points.
Incidents going off (the screen flashing red etc) no investigation tasks can be completed until it’s resolved.
The cool part is you can use the death note and kill someone without being anywhere near them!
So balancing-wise for the Kira team you can only do a maximum of two judgments a day and you can only judge someone if you have their ID.
The death note being on you at an arrest will end the game but you as Kira can give the death note to a follower to keep yourself safe even if you are arrested. When passing the note names change color briefly meaning if an investigator is nearby they can see who is Kira.
Investigator deaths are announced before a meeting begins even if the body isn’t found.
When arrested you are tied to the person who carried out the arrest. It’s dangerous as if you are the Kira you know their name and can judge them.
The game plays out over the course of days and at the end of the day a meeting is called and this is where investigations and judgements are shown.
Full avatar customisation for clothing, hats, eyes, and mouth items.
Customise and select your own cut-ins and nameplates.
Doorways are highlighted at all times regardless of your team and this does make travelling around easier.
You can play the game with voice chat or disable it and use the pre-written commands and accusation prompts.
When setting up a room online you can set max players, set up spectators if role selection is free will or pre-determined, and if the room is private or public.

DEATH NOTE Killer Within Review Cons:

Not a lot of voice work.
So much information and mechanics to take in, it will take a fair few games to get the general idea.
It’s one of those games where it gets better over time, you need to play or watch so much that you start to learn what the tasks are so you can blend in as a Kira follower or learn how to spot Kira followers as an Investigator.
Training is the only offline single-player r experience and it’s limited and basic and not on way the true experience.
Only two stages at the moment.
Quitting out of the game completely is hidden in the menus.
It’s a daunting experience and continues to be for quite some time.
If you go in thinking it’s a reskinned Among Us then you will really struggle as the ideas are similar but the execution is completely different.