Dead Cells

It’s fast and fun; satisfying and elegant. You won’t want to put Dead Cells away.

Dead Cells surpasses expectations regarding gameplay and destroys the developmental cap for pixel art games. It not only reinvents a genre that has seen little diversity in the last decade, it does so in a way that encourages everyone to invest time to improve and progress. The balance between permanent upgrades and complete wipe-out upon death is perfect, as it will never feel too discouraging to reset due to the optimism that the next run will see a further dive into the world.

As much as Dead Cells tries - and largely succeeds - to make some concessions to wider accessibility, it is still a game for players with patience and tolerance. Death is frequent, replays inevitable and while the hack-and-slash is almost always engaging in the moment, there's a fair amount of visual repetition and, thanks to the procedural generation elements, fun is little bit dependent on the luck of the draw. Dead Cells may be a near masterpiece of the genre, but the genre's conventions are still a barrier to greatness.

When I finally finished my first full run my heart was pounding. Then it's time to repeat the process again, experimenting with a wild newfound power that's unlocked after completion and items I've never used before. I'll probably be doing that for longer than any roguelike in recent memory.

Dead Cells, from any imaginable approach, thrives in a powerful cycle of surprise and satisfaction.

Dead Cells is frenetism in its purest form, and one of the few games in the genre that can grant a sense of progression and skill in the first few minutes, without demanding a grind from the player or a slow-paced levelling system. It takes you in with a powerful soundtrack and a gorgeous visual style, but it’s the combat and how quick and responsive the controls are that make it stand out from the rest.

Dead Cell’s challenging encounters, rewarding exploration and meaningful upgrades mash together in a slick and successful way. While some moments can be frustrating and feel like a bit of a grind, conquering the island and unraveling its many mysteries is a gratifying journey.

At first glance, Dead Cells might seem like another overhyped Metroidvania-style platformer trying to break into the stuffed platformer genre, but it's actually worthy of all its praise. Motion Twin's impeccable implementation of roguelike elements into a classic 2D exploration game is the key ingredient that makes it all work, and the impressive controls don't hurt either. The enemy variety and story might not be groundbreaking, but the positives eclipse any of the game's small negative aspects. Dead Cells is a standout in the genre.

Dead Cells is one of the more approachable and rewarding roguelikes I’ve encountered. Dying is never fun in games of this ilk, but the well-designed reward loop softens that blow and bolsters all subsequent runs, making the experience more about exploration and time committed than just player skill.

It’s clearly a game that’s designed to be played for a hell of a lot of hours over an extended period of time, and has a lot of substance going for it. I’ll probably come back to it after a while, but even if the sense of burnout I wound up with persists, my initial experience with Dead Cells was still a hell of a good time.

Dead Cells sets an example for the rest of the industry as far as Metroidvanias are concerned. If Dead Cells sounds even remotely interesting to you, pick it up and give it a go.

Dead Cells is a phenomenal effort to blend together some very disparate genres into a tight, cohesive whole. It's one of the better examples of how to remix ideas without losing their individual strengths.

Dead Cells is an amazing rogue-like 2D action platformer. Fast, fluid combat is enjoyable, especially with the different weapons and tools you can find. Permanent upgrades add a sense of progression and give you more goals to work towards.

Dead Cells is a triumphant union of instinct, forethought, fun, and failure.

Dead Cells is a pure gem, and it comes close to perfection. Top notch game design and super reactive playability are what will make you feel like playing it again and again, until death do you part.

Dead Cells is a complete success. The more you dive into what this castle-island has to offer, the higher the reward, while you battle thousands of monsters in unexpected ways. A true indie gem that any die-hard retro gamer will play forever.

One of the best made Metroidvanias of recent years, but despite all the clever inspiration taken from other games it’s a shame it doesn’t have more unique ideas of its own.

Dead Cells is one of the best rogue-lites I've ever played. The combination of fantastic control, rewarding progression and superb presentation make for an experience that anybody who's not too afraid of a challenge should look into.

Dead Cells may not shift the genre’s trajectory or implement rogue-like mechanics in any new or inventive way, but it remains a consistently exciting and thrilling experience, even when you’ve seen that rapier for the fourth or fifth time.

You often learn by dying, yet this somehow never feels unfair. Compelling and endlessly replayable, the quality of Dead Cells is unlikely to cause division among your friends. [Issue#153, p.94]

The best roguelike of this generation and a bonafide Game of the Year contender, Dead Cells is simply beyond peer and utterly, utterly essential for anyone that owns a black plastic box stuffed with silicon that has 'PS4' scrawled upon it.

Dead Cells has raised the bar for the rogue-lite genre going forward. A combination of astounding combat mechanics, an unfathomable amount of weapon variety, and a spectacular art style had us coming back for second helpings, while an array of enemies made sure we always had something new to dispose of. Dead Cells has delivered in every way imaginable, making it one of the PS4’s very best.

No need to reinvent the wheel when you have a fast combat system, a good algorithm and a lovely artistic design: this is why Dead Cells has become one of the best habits of this summer. Don't miss it it you loved any Castlevania game ever made.

This brilliant rogue-like is much more than a 2D Dark Souls.

Dead Cells could be the most surprising success of the year. Coming into the crowded Metroidvania genre was a bold move, but one that seems to have paid off as Dead Cells has delivered the best example of the genre in years. The game is deep and rewards exploration, with exceptional combat and so much content it’s honestly a little intimidating.

Dead Cells is undoubtedly one of the best games I've played all year. It implements both roguelike and Metroidvania elements divinely and features smooth and exciting combat with controls that will leave you aching for just one more run.

Dead Cells is, at times, constrained by the genres it so heavily draws from, but its vibrant pixel art, furious combat, and rigorous execution make for a winning formula all its own.

And as painful as the end of a run can be, Dead Cells’ steady introduction of new mechanics made it easy for me to pine for one more go. In my view, that’s the hallmark of a successful arcade experience.

Dead Cells sets a high bar for what can be accomplished within the framework of a Metroidvania. Each randomly generated encounter feels like it was handcrafted for the player and are as challenging as they are rewarding.