GamesRoguelikeThe new roguelike from the Dead Cells devs looks like an incredible co-op Hades where the dodge is intentionally overpoweredWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRoguelikeThe new roguelike from the Dead Cells devs looks like an incredible co-op Hades where the dodge is intentionally overpoweredWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Dead Cells isofficially finished after seven years of support, and based on what I’ve seen of it so far, developer Motion Twin’s next game may quickly take its place in the hearts of many fans and join the ranks of thebest roguelikes. Windblown is an isometric action roguelike with support for up to three-player co-op, it’s hitting PC early access later this year, and it looks like a compelling mix of modern genre staples and Dead Cells DNA.
Motion Twin released a new trailer for Windblown earlier today, and GamesRadar+ sat in on an extended hands-off showcase beforehand. The trailer hitsthe same high notes as the reveal, but in a little more depth: a colorful world, cute playable characters with a bestial, fishy theme, melee and bullet hell combat, and a die-respawn-die gameplay loop. Defend the Vortex from the nefarious Sentinels, and build the best character you possibly can. Windblown is more sprawling than Dead Cells but shares its single-minded focus on action. It’s also a heck of a lot faster, which is saying something.
What really jumps out to me is how proudly Windblown glues things together with a lightning-fast dodge, as designer Yannick Berthier explained in a presentation. Sweeping enemy attacks and intense boss combos vanish in your flurry of i-frames, and your fittingly named Leaper scales lengthy chains of fantastical floating islands as easily as you or I might walk up stairs. “Dashing is part of the combat, it’s part of the exploration, it’s part of everything,” Berthier says. “It’s a really free way to move. You don’t really have to think about how to do stuff, it’s just about ‘where do I want to go.'”
(Image credit: Motion Twin)
Dead Cells is obviously the primary reference here, but I can’t help but see the likes of Hades in the presentation of Windblown’s combination of melee and ranged combat, cooldown-based support items called Trinkets, and its mix of draftable stat and gear upgrades. In the preview I saw, alternating between ranged kunai – with a familiar embed effect that I think is partly what’s bringing Hades to my mind as a topical touchstone – and a hefty greatsword would bust out a fancy Alterattack combo. There’s a similar flow to the dungeons too, with branching paths putting challenge rooms and extra healing on the scales of risk and reward. It’s all very Motion Twin, but modernized and translated for 3D play.
The roguelike cascade looks as engrossing as ever. As you clear chambers and challenges, you’ll obtain Gifts packing passive abilities like one that summons homing arrows on hit, boosts for basic stats like health and damage, and blueprints for additional weapons to find in future runs. The discrete resources you amass can be spent at base, a homey little hub called the Ark, on permanent upgrades like more healing items and improved starting gear. Faster, stronger, more broken – the allure of the perfect run is unmatched, and Windblown openly encourages you to chase it. Brave the procedurally generated islands alone or with up to two buddies, then bring your haul back to the hub to cash in.
(Image credit: Motion Twin)
“Windblown’s closed alpha period recently concluded, with a number of key improvements to the game being incorporated following player feedback, including beefed up versions of Alterattacks plus new and surprising types of enemy encounters to keep players on their toes,” Motion Twin says. “Players hoping for a chance to take part in the next closed playtest can sign up for more information on the game’s officialwebsite.”
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Elsewhere, a dev on my most-anticipated open-world game talks about the exact things I was hoping for:roguelike build-crafting and cool hoverboards in Hyper Light Breaker.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”