I remember when Dead Cells was in early access on Steam. Watching the preview trailer and reading about the game’s mechanics, on top of sporting a gorgeous art style, I had to have it. After buying in, downloading the game, and playing for an afternoon, I was hooked. Since the game was released for consoles, I have bought the game two more times: one for my PS4 and one for my Nintendo Switch. Across all 3 platforms, I have amassed a little over 50 hours of gameplay that is sure to continue to grow as I take on the game’s higher difficulties and new boss. I love Dead Cells so much that I bought the soundtrack on Steam and a behind-the-scenes art book that sits proudly on my shelf.
So, why do I love Dead Cells?
Gameplay
Rogue-likes are a polarizing genre of games; you either love them or hate them. The beauty of a good rogue-like is its ability to make each new play fresh and exciting. This is something that Dead Cells capitalizes on with flair and mystery. In Dead Cells, you go through a series of levels with increasing difficulty in an attempt to make it to the end. If you die, you start back from the beginning with the gear and items you’ve unlocked, along with an upgradeable coin purse so you can buy more powerful gear early on. This may sound terrifying to some players but considering that most playthroughs (or as I call them: runs) take around 15-20 minutes, and there are only 5-6 levels, that’s not all that bad.
As you progress and unlock items, each new run becomes easier and an opportunity to experiment with new weapons, mutations, and builds. No two runs are the same. The game encourages you to experiment and augment your load with perks to create the perfect build. And when you fight the right build, with the right gear, it becomes a satisfying power trip.
Dead Cells eases you into combat, introducing you to the different weapons, traps, bombs, etc in a steady-drip fashion. As you unlock more and more blueprints to craft new weapons, the opportunities for experimenting widen. This is where your particular play style is honed and refined. Prefer to keep your distance? Traps and bows will be your best friends. Prefer to get in your enemies’ faces and attack? The brutality tree with its swords and hammers will be your bread & butter. To get a better idea of the different mechanics, check out the video in this article.
Dead Cells combat gets so complex that it can be daunting. But if you stick with it, you’ll find yourself with a satisfying combat system. And you might even learn that you’re a better gamer than you think.
Support
One last thing I’ll mention about Dead Cells is how well Motion Twin has supported the game. You can follow them on Twitter or follow their website and see when updates are coming and what is being changed/adjusted. Since release, they’ve heavily supported the game with balances, fixes, and even adding in new features such as a Custom Mode that allows you to tweak certain aspects of the game for that extra bit of challenge. Recently, they’ve added a new area, boss, and items via the Rise of the Giant DLC. Oh, and that DLC is completely free by the way.