Dead Cells varies-with-device

A strange delight of an action platformer

Dead Cells is a hybrid of a roguelike and Metroidvania-style action platformer in which you take on the role of a blob of cells inhabiting a decapitated corpse. You’ll battle your way through a series of levels, confronting different types of enemies and collecting weapons and power-ups along the way.

You’ll die a lot and be thrown back to the beginning of the game, but Dead Cells’s challenge level is not that frustrating, compared to games like Hades. There are more than 150 weapons to collect, and the interconnected levels throw a non-linear approach into the mix.

Blob into battle

Dead Cells is a beautiful game that combines aretro game-inspired pixel art style with a grisly, Gothic aesthetic. The controls are simple and the procedurally generated levels are challenging but enjoyable. Although the levels are slightly different each time, the basic concepts are the same — each level leads to the same subsequent level, and each includes the same challenges, but the precise details differ.

Bosses and minions use pattern-based attacks, prompting comparisons to the Dark Souls games, but this title lacks their tooth-grinding difficulty. Playing the levels over doesn’t feel as frustrating as it might, thanks not only to the procedural regeneration but also to the many hidden secrets. There are 17 levels to explore all in all, with five various bosses of varying difficulty levels to beat.

Return to Castlevania DLC

To celebrate the first anniversary of the game’s collaboration with Castlevania, an extra DLC titled Return to Castlevania will be released. There are two significant levels to explore, which are the Castle Outskirts and Dracula’s Castle itself. Three bosses are up for a bloody battle, while 14 weapons can be collected throughout the gameplay. Beyond that, there are 20 outfits that you can unlock as you traverse the castle, allowing you to roam as your favorite Castlevania characters.

Of course, no gameplay is complete without a great soundtrack to set the atmosphere — and this DLC comes with that, as well. It takes inspiration from the original game’s soundtrack but provides a twist that makes the tracks sound utterly Dead Cells-esque. Finally, a bonus Richter Mode is unlockable when a hidden room is discovered. Upon discovery, your character gets bestowed with a new move set inspired by the vampire hunter’s Symphony of the Night appearance.

Get slashing today

Fast-paced, good-looking, and a little ridiculous, Dead Cells is a fun roguelike dungeon-bashing experience that incorporates the skill, timing, and excitement of a Metroidvania action platformer. The base game is not too long or deep, but it’s fun and compelling, thanks to the non-linear progression of the story, interconnected levels, and a thrilling permadeath mechanic that forces you to restart once you fail.