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Windblown uses friendship to get around roguelike dread
- Windblown, the newest game from Dead Cells developer Motion Twin, was released in early access in late October. It offers two-to-three-player co-op to conquer its sky-high challenge with friends, tackling and beating the game’s “roguelike dread.” Windblown is distinct from Motion Twin’s last effort with challenging combat and substantial meta-progression unlocks to keep each run feeling fresh. The soundtrack is also catchy with a new emphasis on chaining different attacks for maximum damage. Playing roguelike Windblown with a friend(s), is reminder to open up gaming experiences to other people - success feels more within reach. Absent in my experience is dread, replaced with a sense of shared possibility.
- Roguelikes pursue an addictive structure that reviewers often describe as the “one more run” feeling. Another common phrase you’ll hear tossed around is the idea that you “lost time” to a game, as though the game has tricked you into giving it more of your life than you were consciously willing to give.
- Trading the sidescrolling, pixel art vibe of Dead Cells for a top-down, cel-shaded romp through skybound islands, Windblown succeeds at feeling both distinct from Motion Twin’s last effort and close enough in spirit that it’s easy to sink into its loop.
- Roguelike dread is inevitable for many people, and they find it best to wait out a game until at least 1.0, if not later. But Windblown can be a great single-player experience, but the real point of Windblown is two-to-three-player co-op.
- Usually, playing a roguelike, people begin asking myself questions like “Has this become a waste of my time?” or “Are there other games I’d rather be playing right now?” So a multiplayer roguelike can be a revelation: The answer to roguelike dread is other people.
- Playing Windblown with a friend was a good reminder to open up gaming experiences to other people. Even failure feels better when someone else is there to pick you back up again.
- Windblown was released Oct. 24 in early access on Windows PC. The game was played using a download code purchased by the author.
- Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
- Windblown can be a great single-player experience, but as the game’s marketing will readily tell you, that is definitely not the point of Windblown.
- Combat is the star in Windblown, with a new emphasis on chaining different attacks for maximum damage. The soundtrack is also catchy as hell, equal parts synth and rock. Even in what feels like a very early build, design-wise, Windblown clearly has what it takes to keep you playing for days, months, and years on end.
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