It's been four years since we found ourselves talking about Dead Cells. At the time the Metroidvania created by the boys of Motion Twin left us pleasantly impressed.
What struck us particularly was his way of re-proposing classic elements of the roguelike genre, integrating inside metroidvania mechanics that made Dead Cells distinguishable from the crowd.
Once again the Motion Twin gave us a chance to replay Dead Cells to test Fatal Falls, DLC that adds to the content of the base game 2 new areas, new enemies, equipment and a new boss.
Fatal Falls will it have been up to the standard game? Find out with us through our review!
A Warrior without memories
Before we talk to you about Fatal Falls, it seems fair to take some time to brush up quickly the incipit of Dead Cells and its mechanics. Motion Twin's roguelike metroidvania will see you take on the role of a headless warrior who awakens inside a prison.
Your goal will be to explore the various areas of the game and advance by killing the enemies that will come in front of you. In this way you will get some "cells" useful to unlock new weapons, abilities and permanent upgrades.
While exploring the maps, it may also happen that you recover some scrolls that will allow you to temporarily improve 1 of the 3 characteristics of your hero. In this way you will activate the effects of the weapons linked to the aforementioned characteristics.
Within the levels there will not only be equipment, but you will also have the possibility of obtaining blueprints that, if delivered to a particular NPC, will allow you to unlock its weapon, upgrade or in some cases a new outfit.
A look at the new areas of Fatal Falls
To reach the first new zone, you will have to cross the Black Bridge and consequently eliminate the Concierge. Once defeated you can use the elevator located in the transaction area to enter the Ruined sanctuaries.
The first new area introduced by Fatal Falls features floating platforms between which to juggle. Here will be the platform component to be the master, as you will find yourself jumping from one "base" to another paying attention to the various traps scattered throughout the level.
The ruined shrines will be filled with elements and enemies designed with the purpose of making you fall into the void. In this regard they have been included 2 new enemies, the Myopic Crow, some red crows that will roam freely around the area and i Cold Blooded Guardian, serpentine-looking beings capable of teleportation.
Finally, some hidden segments of the map will be available that will only be unlocked by eliminating the guards placed in its defense, the Stone Warden, immense beings equipped with an ax. After defeating them, it will be possible to obtain treasures, as well as having access to new weapons.
From the ruined shrines you can reach the second additional area of the DLC. However, to do this you will first need to retrieve the dress as a storyteller and equip it so that you have permission to enter the Imperishable coasts.
This new level is very reminiscent of the ossuary, although it is decidedly less punitive than the latter. This is where you will encounter most of the additional enemies of Fatal Falls, endowed with the ability to parry against your attacks. If you manage to overcome the coasts you will reach the area of the new boss.
The new boss of the mausoleum
Once you reach the mausoleum you will find yourself facing the new boss, The Scarecrow, He will make extensive use of melee attacks and will randomly try to move behind you to attack you by surprise.
The most interesting mechanic in the new boss fight is linked to the possibility of attacking him using the mushrooms he will create on the battlefield as springboards. These new additions increase the overall variety, making the Scarecrow quite interesting to deal with.
New weapons and armor
Fatal Falls adds to the already vast number of equipment seven new weapons, among which the Serenade a sword that you will get by entering one of the secret passages of the ruined Shrines and that once equipped it will circle around you, automatically hitting the enemies that are close to you.
In addition to this we also had the opportunity to try the iron stick, a weapon that will allow you to defend yourself and attack by constantly damaging your enemies. Along with the new weapons, this DLC also adds a new set of well-diversified outfits.
A new area that dares in terms of game design
Although the Mausoleum and Imperishable coasts are visually the same as already seen in Dead Cells, the same cannot be said of the Ruined shrines, which stand out for their atypical level design compared to any other scenario in the game.
This is due to the strong platforming component and the need for the development team to create a new area, full of traps ready to kill you, that is not too nerve-wracking to overcome.
In conclusion
Summing up, Fatal Falls proves to be a DLC capable of deepening the already appreciable gameplay of the base game, thanks to the addition of new mechanics and the area of the Sanctuaries in ruins, (a breath of fresh air for the game formula) managing to diversify itself from most of the others explorable scenarios.
