"Dead Cells" Review

Combining the brutal difficulty of "Dark Souls" games with the 2D action/exploration sensibilities of the Metroidvania genre, "Dead Cells" puts you through a gauntlet of unforgiving platforming challenges, just-out-of-reach upgrades and dastardly enemy placement.

Economical storytelling courses through the game's chilled veins. As with "Castlevania," the monsters you face are a rogues gallery of eclectic horror archetypes. You inch your way through vertically dense levels, making leaps of faith through platforms that give way below, climbing down ladders and searching out hidden pathways to guarded upgrades.

Item juggling is key to survival. You rack up funds to buy items from shops you discover along the way. The best stuff, though, you'll need to put your neck on the line for. It takes your wits and dexterity to work your way through the layers of tribulations that stand between you and the prize you seek.

A whimsically gothic art style accompanied by an entrancing soundtrack adds a modern touch to the retro-styled gameplay. At its core, "Dead Cells" is the type of game that was common in the 1990s but is rarely seen these days. With no hand-holding or kid gloves, the devs hurl you into a colossal challenge, forcing you to use trial, error and experimentation to make your way through.

Death creeps around every corner, ready to deal out harsh lessons you'll use to regroup and incrementally improve. As you learn the game's hard lessons, you find that some things are worth dying for.
Publisher provided review code.