Dead Cells Review – PC

Metroidvania, Roguevania, or maybe just Castlevania with pixel-art graphics; any of these are valid descriptions for the new Dead Cells game that recently launched out of Early Access.  Invoking serious levels of Castlevania charm and design style, Dead Cells surprised me, not just on being something totally original while simultaneously derivative, but also the level of polish this game has maintained throughout Early Access leading up to its triumphant launch.

As expected from the genre, there isn’t much of a story aside from you playing a headless decomposing corpse running around gothic 2D dungeon levels collecting cells to rejuvenate your body. From there it is your typical Metroidvania dungeon crawl with the classic die-learn-repeat mantra from the Roguelike genre. You will die…a lot… but each time you restart you are just a little bit better, armed with more (and hopefully better) weapons, skills, and knowledge of what lies ahead, even if the levels are procedurally generated each time.

Dead Cells is a total action slash-fest with two quick attack weapons assigned to the face buttons and more powerful (time consuming) heavy attacks for the triggers. The beauty of the game lies in its variety. There are countless weapons to be discovered and equipped, each with their own pros and cons, not only for certain areas of the dungeon with certain enemies, but also in pairing them up with your secondary weapon for the deadliest of combo attacks. Almost every weapon has one or more unique sister weapons you can match up for devastating one-two punch attacks leaving your enemies lying on the ground in pixelated bloody heaps. The devil is in the details, and you really need to check the stats and properties for each weapon to find the ultimate pairings.

No matter how good you are or what weapons you choose to equip you are going to die and that means starting back at what will soon become the unholy purgatory of starting screens. If you thought Bill Murray had it rough in Groundhog Day you ain’t seen nothing yet, but at least each fresh start in Dead Cells lets you try things just a bit differently and progress just a bit further. Collect the dead cells from your slain enemies and use them to purchase weapons and upgrades assuming you can make it to the end-level store without dying.

Between the massive number of weapons and the randomized levels Dead Cells offers near endless gameplay potential for those accustomed to roguelikes along with the inherent frustration of starting over from scratch time and time again. A big part of playing Dead Cells is knowing when to step away, but there is also knowledge that comes with death, and at no time did I not feel I was just a little bit better and a little bit smarter when I reappeared at the beginning destined to do it all over again.

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed Dead Cells. I’m not a big fan of roguelikes and I almost always avoid pixel art games, and this has both, but the graphics design is surprisingly awesome, taking me back to the late 80’s with side-scrollers like Prince of Persia. The use of bright colors and realistic lighting juxtaposed against a dark foreground creates an engaging atmosphere and the detailed special effects, character and combat animations are outstanding. It’s all complemented with a surprisingly competent audio package that sets the proper mood with music and fuels your adrenalin with sound effects.

If you’re tough enough to deal with the permadeath of a Roguevania while mastering hundreds of weapon combos, dealing with soul-crushing bosses, and the unpredictable nature of procedurally generated levels then Dead Cells might just be the best adventure you’ll undertake this year.

MORE SCREENS

Author: Mark Smith
I've been an avid gamer since I stumbled upon ZORK running in my local Radio Shack in 1980. Ten years later I was working for Sierra Online. Since then I've owned nearly every game system and most of the games to go with them. Not sure if 40+ years of gaming qualifies me to write reviews, but I do it anyway.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *