Dead Cells -PS4&PS5- 9.5

October 26, 2024

I first reviewed Dead Cells eight months after beating the Hand of the King, but since then I have frequently revisited this devilishly addicting gem. So this is my review part 2. There is so much to discover and conquer in Dead Cells that I feel like I will be playing this off and on for years to come. I even purchased all the DLC earlier this month, which were the Bad Seed, Fatal Falls, Queen and the Sea, and Return to Castlevania expansions.

My big recent accomplishments in Dead Cells have been discovering the Ram Rune and Spider Rune, and defeating Dracula at the end of the Return to Castlevania DLC. The Ram Rune lets you break through certain floors and the Spider Rune allows you to climb up walls, both deepening the experience further by opening up brand new sections of each level. After unlocking new abilities, the way the levels in Dead Cells expand like traditional Metroidvania’s mixed with the randomness of Roguelites is absolutely brilliant.

The Return to Castlevania expansion was also a great addition to the base game. Konami teamed with Motion Twin to make a beautiful mashup of the Dead Cells game engine mixed with the Castlevania motif. It works flawlessly, and contains many cool surprises and homages for fans of the classic Castlevania series. And defeating Dracula’s two forms at the end was an epic battle that got my hands shaking and took my breath away!

Dead Cells is overflowing with replay value and loaded to the brim with new items to discover and areas to explore. I still have so much to do in this game, it’s almost impossible to put down. The frenetic combat is absolutely exhilarating with an endless multitude of fun weapons to mix up in your arsenal. I also love the soundtrack, with tunes that instantly put me in the mood to persevere through the barrage of relentless foes. I originally rated Dead Cells a nine back in February, but I am going to have to bump that score to a 9.5 out of ten now in my second review. Dead Cells really is that special, and I cannot wait to dive in again to play more.

February 26, 2024

Dead Cells is a critically acclaimed indie title that released in 2018, and is famous for its combination of metroidvania elements and rogue-lite gameplay. I just beat the main boss (Hand of the King) earlier today and saw the end credits, after 46 total attempts. Even though there is much more for me to explore and conquer after my one completed playthrough, I can confidently express the excellence of this game. I am relatively new to rogue-lites, but this is quickly becoming one of my favorite game genres of recent years.

No matter how many times I died in Dead Cells, I just kept coming back for more until I saw the end. Even after finally reaching the end credits, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of this game’s intricate and varied world. There are tons of weapons and abilities to discover, as well as many different areas to explore. Every run has randomly generated level layouts and gear to find. So, you have to work with the hand you are dealt, and decide what equipment works best for you the deeper you go. The randomness and loss of your gear every time you die can feel frustrating, but you get better at playing the game the more runs you do.

The combat is sharp and fast paced, and all of the weapons are super fun to use. A lot of upgrades and abilities you find and purchase along the way are permanent, so this makes Dead Cells a great entry point for those who are new to the genre. However, the difficulty can be quite unforgiving with merciless enemies and bosses, so it’s great for veterans as well. I also like how you can choose your path and enter different levels in each run. This further adds to the replay value and enticement to explore.

The game sports a low resolution graphical style that may appear archaic, but don’t let that fool you. Making your way through Dead Cells is a deep and addicting experience. I already want to go back and play more so that I can find more blueprints for gear, and reach the secret Collector boss. But for now, I’m going to rate Dead Cells a 9 out of ten.