It can indeed be tough to pitch a metroidvania game, a roguelike game, or an old-school 2D game with pixel art to the general public these days, let alone a game that combines all of the above. For many gamers looking at the current lineup of indie titles, games like that can indeed come across as a possible case of “Been there, done that.” But that still doesn’t mean that you can’t create the best possible game that fuses together all of those previously-mentioned elements. And indeed, that’s what Bordeaux-based developers Motion Twin appear to be aiming to achieve with Dead Cells, which is now seeking approval on Steam Greenlight.
As seen in the initial trailer below, Motion Twin is referring to Dead Cells as a “roguevania” game, deciding to combine their love of roguelikes and Castlevania games. And with this blending comes a bit of a twist, and as its title would suggest, death is major factor when it comes to the gameplay. The traditional exploration elements from metroidvania games are still here, but now, death is used a method of backtracking. Permadeath is indeed present, but every time you die, new levels, new secrets, new shortcuts, and more are unlocked, meaning that dying will end up providing you with even more options to choose from when it comes to tackling the massive, ever-changing castle ahead of you.
Of course, in addition to that unique approach to the constant opportunities for a grisly death that roguelike games provide, Dead Cells also boasts gorgeous artwork, impressive combat, and an intriguing world to explore, thus hopefully setting the stage for a surprise indie hit. So if you want to support the game, you can check out its Greenlight page here, and if all goes well, we should be welcoming Dead Cells to Early Access sometime in the near future.
