Unfortunately, for a lot of people, Dead Cells might only be remembered because of some bad press but, in reality, it was an immensely clever, innovative and gorgeous platformer where death is only the beginning and each run leaves you battle-hardened and prepared for the next. And the next, the one after that and every run until you eventually topple the game. It’ll seem insurmountable at first, but persistence is key.
Motion Twin’s roguelike is an indie darling with AAA ambition and it does plenty to cement itself amongst the big hitters of the year. You’d be doing yourself a great disservice if you don’t tackle Dead Cells and put yourself through the wringer because not all games should hand it to you.
Put your nose to the grindstone and thank us later.
At Press Start, we didn’t manage to review Dead Cells during its release period, though that didn’t stop us from sinking hours into it. This tweet isn’t much, but the enthusiasm is palpable, to say the least.
I sure hope no one else has said this yet, but: Dead Cells is dope.
— Brodie Gibbons (@brodie_dg) August 8, 2018
The game has been gold-stamped by just about everyone who has consumed it as it maintains a high Metacritic average across all of its platforms, though Xbox One is its best at 91.
Shannon chose Dead Cells in his top ten and said: “Dead Cells was a game I’d never really heard much about before that controversy. It’s not a game I’d really expected to enjoy, but I’ve continued to go back to it months and months after launch. It goes hand-in-hand with the Nintendo Switch due to the fact that you can pick it up and play for two minutes or get sucked in for hours, and it’s a game that will always welcome you back. The art style is charming, the combat is fantastic and it’s incredibly addictive. It’s gaming at its simple best, really.”
Brodie chose Dead Cells in his top ten and said: “Dead Cells is comfortably in my top few games for the year with its ability to make the punishing palatable with a pretty satisfying game loop and rewards system that keeps you always wanting just that one last run. So many nights I sacrificed sleep for that one last, fruitless run. Despite my best efforts, I’ve never tasted the ultimate success in Dead Cells and part of the excitement and stomach-churning quality of the game is knowing I never might. It’s a special moment reserved for those tough bastards who eat glass for breakfast and breathe Dead Cells.”
Congratulations to Motion Twin for Dead Cells, a truly remarkable roguelike that is fairly simple in its execution but is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Current Top 10:
7. Dead Cells
8. A Way Out
9. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
10. Florence
