The first game, then another, then another, and so on for hours. A real videogame trance dictated by the full involvement of those who have not taken me for a long time. If I had to summarize my relationship with Dead Cells I would do it like this, but since we are on Gameplay Café for the review it is a must to go step by step.
First of all, let's introduce this game, probably already known to someone before its release given the stay for about a year in early access. For those who have never heard of it, Dead Cells is a lucky one roguevania developed by Motion Twin and serious candidate for the title of game of the year, at least in the independent landscape. It is immediately available for PC and latest generation consoles, including Nintendo Switch, so you have very little excuse to miss it.
If you are passionate about the genres we have just mentioned, you will already know that the term roguevania indicates the meeting between the two types of video games that bear the name of roguelike (or roguelite, as it has been fashionable for some time to identify lighter dynamics) e Metroidvania, mixing in the case of Dead Cells the procedural generation levels and the need to start over from "zero" of the first with the elements of exploration and action characteristic of the second.
In the title developed by the Bordeaux team, the player is called to take on the role of a mysterious being without a name, returned to life after having suffered a beheading thanks to a cluster of cells that has taken control of his body. With a kind of flame instead of the head we must try to escape from what appears to be a huge prison, while trying to understand something more about what happened to our hero by making our way through creatures of all kinds.
An exhilarating experience, which manages to completely break down negative feelings such as frustration and boredom even when the latter seem to have the right to knock on our door. The credit undoubtedly goes to the members of Motion Twin, adept at fine-tuning find particularly guess to act as a glue between the two genres mentioned above.
Do not think that Dead Cells makes discounts: defeat comes over and over again, even when we least expect it, making those who have the controller in hand swear not a little. Death, however, turns out to be part of a necessary progress to improve and thus overcome all the challenges proposed by the game. In making us start from "zero", Dead Cells takes us straight to the beginning, retaining some skills and in the more advanced stages also part of the riches and obtained in our going around between the levels.
In addition to the coins, the enemies provide some cells that can be given to this Collector, obtaining in exchange upgrades intended precisely to survive our death. Similarly, some runes scattered throughout the dozen levels that make up Dead Cells are able to give the protagonist special abilities, thanks to which to reach places that were hitherto precluded.
At this point, it is clear how the game works when we find ourselves retracing a level we have already seen: the random generation ensures that the same elements are never found between one passage and another, while the acquisition of new skills allows you to explore new parts. The main example is given by the first level, from which it is possible to access the Path of the Condemned or the Toxic Sewers, but to pass through the latter it is necessary to acquire the rune that gives rise to climbing plants in some parts of the map.
Before moving on to the conclusions and the summary box, it is a must to take a look at the weapons we have available and above all how they are used. Dead Cells offers us a truly disproportionate number of alternatives, to be combined according to the randomness with which we can come into possession of some objects. The secret to moving forward is in fact to combine the bonuses that are available with the objects found along the way, thus accumulating the possibility of inflicting damage points.
Generally speaking, the game offers us three types of equipment, upgradeable with special scrolls scattered along the levels: the red color distinguishes swords and other melee weapons together with grenades, the purple color identifies traps and weapons to be used at a distance, while the green color finally represents the defense objects, that is the shields . Collecting all the blueprints needed to make the weapons isn't easy, and it takes a lot of time as well as a good dose of luck in finding the loot we need.
USEFUL INFOI played Dead Cells for about twelve hours, appreciating its qualities with every single attempt.
Duration- At least ten hours but very, very variable, depending on the player's willingness to explore and collect all the objects.
- Texts in Italian
- Melee and ranged weapons, shields.
- Game Name: Dead Cells
- Release date: August 7 2018
- Platforms: macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Dubbing language: English
- Texts language: Italian
In a particularly crowded landscape, Dead Cells manages to carve out an important place in the heart of anyone who has the opportunity to play it. In short, it is not a question of good bread only for the teeth of those who already love the genres from which Motion Twin draws. As we said at the beginning, we are undoubtedly facing the potential best game of the year, at least in the independent panorama. However, I would not be surprised to see him nominated in other categories: seeing is believing.
Videogamingallday.com review
Graphics
Pixel art of a modern conception manages to fuse together the serious soul of Dead Cells "Souls-like" with some passages a little more ironic, destined to lighten the atmosphere. The same is done by the chromatic scale chosen by the developers, particularly wide and perfectly able to give each level a soul of its own, as well as to define a perfect identity for this title. The excellent animations are a solid scaffolding for the fights, holding perfectly even in the case of the most hectic moments.
92
SOUNDTRACK AND DOUBLE ROOM
Music with an often fast and lively rhythm, able to never tire the player by accompanying him through the levels even when he is forced to start over.
90
GAMEPLAY
The beating heart of Dead Cells. An all-encompassing experience, one of those that lead you to think "just one last try" while outside the window it begins to dawn. With a few more bosses, we would have come very close to perfection.
