2018’sDead Cellswas an indie smash hit and remains a fan-favorite to this day. InDead Cells, players must escape an island prison playing as a reanimated corpse wheredying repeatedly was all part of the fun. Its levels also changed each time players died, and the idea was to come back better and stronger, as players gradually unlocked more weapons and upgrades for their Prisoner. Fast-forward six years later, and Motion Twin is preparing for the release of another roguelite game,Windblown.
Many fans of the genre andDead Cellsare no doubt eager to find out ’s gameplay and see how it compares. Game Rant recently saw about 10 minutes of footage, and while that’s rather brief, some easy comparisons between it andDead Cellsemerged immediately.
Dead Cells' formula of holding up to only two weapons at a time and the option to choose between sets of three rewards is something that also looks set to continue inWindblown. InWindblown, players still move from point A to point B while collecting more weapons or rewards like Trinkets. For example, players can choose from sets of three Gifts or Trinket rewards, a structure that feels similar toDead Cells' upgrade selection. Similarly, players can also dual-wield and hold up to two weapons at a time, a bit likeDead Cells' weapons.However, whileDead Cellsemphasizes collecting weapon blueprints,Windblownseems to focus more on weapon mix-and-matching, with different combinations changing players' builds and their benefits on the go.
Windblown’sTrinkets also work a bit differently from its weapons because they have a cooldown and build up passively, compared to more permanent upgrades that players can make at the Ark,Windblown’s hub. Overall, while there looks to be somesimilarities withDead Cells,Windblown’s traversal and combat style looks to offer fans of the genre something fresh.
Of course, there are a few obvious differences betweenDead CellsandWindblown. The first is the differences in setting and camera perspective. WhereDead Cellsis a2D side scrollerset in deadly dungeons and diseased landscapes,Windblowntakes to the skies for its lush 3D setting with an overhead camera view.Windblown’s biomes and art style also looks generally lighter and brighter when compared toDead Cells, a lightness that seems to reflect its superfast traversal and combat through its emphasis on dashing movements.
Indeed, platforming inWindblownis lightning fast thanks to how dashing works, something that’s also important in its fast-paced combat. Players can zip across platforms from enemy to enemy at high speed in an experience that’s said to set a new dimension for theaction Roguelite genre. WhileDead Cellsfeatures some fast abilities and movements, such as dropping onto enemies from above,Windblown’s traversal looks comparably much faster. It’s difficult to say how the combat compares in terms of speed until seeing the full effect of its weapons and abilities, but the combat looks noticeably slick and dashing looks to play a significant role. It’s likely more points of comparison emerge asWindblownmoves closer to its Early Access release, but it should already have the eyes of manyDead Cellsfans.
