Dead Cells game Review: Rise From Your Grave
TEST by Dead Cells: Good to make you lose your mind?It's been a long time since we told you about Dead Cells. And for good reason: the French game of Motion Twin, in development for several years, made us drool at each of its appearances. After more than a year of early access on Steam, the Metroidvania matte Rogue-like has finally been tamed by us. Was the wait worth it? Answer in a handful of paragraphs guaranteed without procedural generation.
If you are among those who have managed to pass between the drops, Dead Cells is described as a "Roguevania" by its developers. Behind this term undoubtedly piloted by a tip of marketing hides indeed a marriage (for all) between the progressive exploration of a Metroidvania and the fear of having to start all over again with each encounter with the Grim Reaper.
Cellular recomposition
Side storytelling, Dead Cells fits without blushing in the category of resolutely minimalist titles: immersing yourself directly in the heart of the action, in the chiaroscuro depths of a moist prison cell, the game of Motion Twin takes precedence l action on the script. You will exchange a few niceties with the rare interlocutors who will tirelessly punctuate each of your attempts, but the reconstruction of the puzzle will then depend only on you. Very concretely, Dead Cells will grant you here and there some clues on the events preceding your arrival in the form of parts to inspect or scribbled notes left at your discretion, but this will require fueling your brains and your tendency to conspiracy to detect any red thread there. References are not lacking, however, and also demonstrate a tasty eclecticism, since the Legend of Zelda is cited as Firewatch. As for the git gud ...But who cares: his barely whispered speech in no way handicaps this mixture of genres, and we must not seek at all costs to intellectualize an experience that always and always emphasizes learning and the acquisition of very real experience. Of course, we will quickly understand that your pile of autonomous cells systematically colonizes a mass-produced carcass, but it is the feeling of discovery and the desire to survive always a little longer that will push us to go on and on. . And to get up.
Sick in the head, living but dead
Rogue-like obliges, death is omnipresent in Dead Cells: by starting the adventure armed with a simple blade and (as desired) an equally basic shield or bow, the first runs of players having no hands on the beta version will be in pain, forced that they will learn the hard way the rules of this universe as dangerous as sumptuous. In addition to your melee attack, it will not surprisingly have to deal with a classic and effective double jump, but also a roll allowing to dodge a good number of enemy attacks. And since your life bar will take a certain time to reach the four digits, the escape and the delay will initially be your best allies so as not to be sent back too early to square one, without going through the prison box.And obviously you will not have to rely on your elephant memory to pull out of the game, since the Rogue-like tradition is scrupulously respected, and all the areas crossed will therefore have their topography transformed. But where the spirit of the times now pushes many studios to opt for a simple procedural generation of levels, Motion Twin intelligently combines the best of both schools. If each death does reset the counters to zero, the main structure remains drawn in mano, as in the good era when level design was not just a distant memory. And it must be said that in terms of progression, the flower is important: certain areas thus remain horizontal in their structure, while others will systematically require you to aim a little closer to the stars. But even the most tortuous of labyrinths will situate its exit door in the same area in each test each time, just not to dwell too long on the first levels which you will only have to spend a few hours of play .
With a baguette
The game quickly reveals a demonic nervousness, once you have assimilated the very demanding timing of the dodge or the shield parade, which will bring you once improved nice offensive or defensive bonuses. And with the hordes of enemies who can, following a clumsiness or a bad reading on your part, start in a handful of seconds three quarters of your life bar, you will have to stay concentrated in all circumstances like the tomato. This is because there is information on the screen! Seasoned ghosts can always deactivate part of the HUD in the options, or on the contrary add a few additional visual indications, or even an intelligent roll function that stops your movement when approaching a precipice.And that those who yell at cheating quickly change their minds: in view of the difficulty there is no shame in offering optional tools so as not to discourage players with somewhat rusty reflexes too quickly. Faced with the different bosses that we do not always expect to face, it will be necessary anyway to show a determination in hardened steel. We should also point out the possibility of deactivating excessively intense flashes, a very nice (and rare) feature that will delight photosensitive people. Finally, how can we not mischievously mention the various completely cosmetic diets, but which will allow vegetarians as well as French people unable to do without good bread to be always satisfied.
Second to none
And each end of level will be an opportunity to jump for joy, since then will come the time to transform your booty into main weapons, secondary, but also and above all to unlock precious abilities, real nerve of war in Dead Cells. Some murderous enemies will have left behind bluish orbs that will serve as currency with the Collector, the only authority empowered to make you ever more Baleze. But since life is a matter of priorities, your style of play will determine the increases most likely to make your lifespan soar.As for options, Dead Cells is once again showing unlimited generosity: offering a series of secondary weapons (incendiary grenades, circular saws and flame throwers), but also very, very numerous knives, shooting, or magic to discover as and when, each player will necessarily find the right shoe. But because even in this game, life cannot be reduced to the outright annihilation of your neighbor, it will also take time for yourself, and improve for example the number of transportable healing potions or the amount of money who will survive you, with a living love.
Piffe gadget
This is why the management of your inventory and your expenses will prove to be simply crucial to hope to progress past the ten hours of play. If your permanent improvements will allow you to take some shortcuts and other alternative paths to gain a little time, or on the contrary risk big to maximize the spoils, it is your capacity to act as a good father who will determine your aptitude to advance in the adventure. Like a Spelunky, a run can be completely rotten by a series of bad drops, while the reverse will give you a feeling of overwhelming enjoyment.And if despite this you continue to tirelessly break your teeth on the same boss after many attempts, the starting drop can, with a few dozen orbs, play in your favor from the first minutes, and the possibility of always keeping more 'money will allow you to zap the shops of the first levels to hope to pay you a new powerful secondary weapon when the time comes to rub against those who do not forgive. On the other hand, a slackening of attention will be systematically punished by a death as stupid as sudden: if the bosses with upgrades disappear once the loot has been recovered, the other guards prove to be unboltable, and need to be defeated with each new attempt .
Meet the sickle
It goes without saying that repetition and relentlessness will be the watchwords of Dead Cells. Merciless in its early hours, the game can only be revealed by dint of restarting. Needless to say, in this little game, the less patient may quickly drop the case in front of the mountain to climb. And it would obviously be a shame, since if the game refuses to sleep from the first evening, it reserves its share of surprises for the fierce. The first environments especially let admire the fabulous work done on the animations of the different characters, the atmospheres and the backgrounds will only gain in superb as you progress. The palette of colors chosen turns out to be almost systematically relevant to removing one's galurin, and the management of light continues to amaze as it literally radiates to each new area. And when everything fits together and the picture that comes alive before our eyes remains thanks to the frank hues borrowed from the genre of danmaku (the hardcore cousin of shoot'em up) with flawless readability, the hallu is almost total . Almost, because at the moment some small latencies and cropping still spoil a frantic action at times.What can be said, finally, of the music which illustrates quite discreetly but with a lot of ingenuity your journey, except that they will have known how to convince everyone in your servant, including his very demanding companion, music teacher of his state. Picking greedily in a vast palette of instruments, they actively participate in the atmosphere interspersed with mystery and adventure which transpires without a word thanks to a setting certainly stripped down, but undoubtedly rich in evocations. Signed by Yoann Laulan, the Dead Cells soundtrack is also freely available on the bandcamp page of the bearded composer (and we are not talking about the late Corbier here), who also has the good taste of adoring cats . Certainly, certain signs do not deceive.
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