Dead Cells – Queen of the Sea DLC Review

With the release of the latest DLC, The Queen and the Sea, Dead Cells has cemented its place at the top of the roguelite pantheon. From the start, developer Motion Twin built a game that was immensely fun and challenging thanks to stellar gameplay as well as a variety of weapons and levels, meaning that no two runs will feel the same – one of the defining characteristics of roguelites. The other big reason for Dead Cell’s success is the obvious love the developers have for the game; constantly releasing new content for the game and embracing the fan service route (they even added in skins and weapons from some of the other most popular indies). There have been 24 free title updates for the game and three paid DLCs. Because of this massive undertaking Motion Twin teamed up with Evil Empire, a studio formed from Motion Twin developers who wanted to continue working on the game. Evil Empire is responsible for conceptualizing and developing The Queen and the Sea.

The new DLC consists of late-game content giving players an alternate route to complete a run (playthrough) with a new final boss. It also brings with it two new biomes. The Infested Shipwreck is the first and despite being a late-game level I found it nowhere near as difficult as some of the other later biomes in the game or even some of the other paid DLC levels. The level takes place in, you guessed it, an abandoned and rotting shipwreck that is covered in strange barnacles, and blanketed by a lingering cloud of purple fog (I think this is related to the Malaise – the corruption that has overtaken the island). This level introduces two new enemies. The main new enemy, the Mutineer, is a small humanoid-like creature that launches an anchor at you in an arc pattern. This move is very easy to avoid but is capable of breaking weak sections of the floor (indicated in white – there are a lot of these so if you don’t dispatch them quickly they could wreak some havoc, making traversal much more difficult).

The second new enemy, the Armored Shrimp, is much more interesting, and there’s nothing “shrimpy” about them. It looks more like a giant spider crab and it introduces one of the underlying themes of the DLC, the fact that you are being hunted or chased. When the level starts you walk through a narrow tunnel underneath a large hull area, but there’s something moving around up there – it’s the armored shrimp.  These creatures pop down out of the ceiling; there is a tell, however – a rumbling in the ceiling. Still, on your first run through it can be kind of startling, and because of the initial introduction to the creature it gives you the impression that these creatures are following you; however, I’m pretty sure they are found in static yet random locations on each run. They are much more difficult to deal with than the mutineers, but there is one good thing about these creatures. The newest pet, the leg hugger, is a smaller, much cuter version of the armored shrimp that can be used as a skill just like the other pets. You’ll get it as a reward for unlocking the path to the DLC in-game.

One of the things I like most about Dead Cells is all the secrets, some of which are more like quests or puzzles. Gaining access to the new DLC falls into the quest category. Once the DLC is installed there will be an encounter with a new NPC in the starting area, a cool-looking octopus fellow wearing a raincoat who will ask you if you want to escape the island. He tells you to find him in the Toxic Sewers if you wish to join him.

The second level of the DLC is the Lighthouse and it is a completely unique level in the Dead Cells world, it’s more of a hybrid level. It’s entirely vertical and most of the level is a chase sequence where you must climb the lighthouse as quickly as possible trying to escape both the fire (that you accidentally started) and the Queen’s three servants. The fire conveniently stops at three spots in the lighthouse allowing you to fight the servants. In the first encounter you’ll face off against one, two servants in the second, and in the final encounter you’ll fight all three, but luckily only two at a time. This third fight is very difficult even at lower BC levels, but the level as a whole is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed scampering up the lighthouse narrowly avoiding the servant’s attacks as well as the rising flames. Busting through planks and shooting up the rope pulleys that are strewn about the level felt really good. The movement mechanics in Dead Cells are perfect for a level like this.

If you can escape the Lighthouse you have the opportunity to face off against the Queen. I’ve only fought her three times, but she seems much more difficult than the regular final boss, the Hand of the King. She’s very quick and difficult to parry (I have to admit I’m not very good at parrying), she also has an interesting air slice move where a series of lines appear on the screen and pulsate with damage every second or so. You get a blueprint for the Queen’s sword for beating her and it deals damage like a regular sword but then has a delayed slash just like the move she uses against you, it’s pretty cool. The DLC introduces ten new items. I’ve only tried a few of them, but they seem interesting. Some of them have a nautical theme just like the DLC as a whole. There’s a trident that lets you charge forward on the second attack, a deployable cannon turret, a pirate hook, and a shark, yes a shark, after swinging it a few times you throw it forward and if it hits an enemy it will start chomping down, dealing a number of consecutive hits.

Difficulty is one of the biggest complaints heard from the game’s detractors, but the developers have done a few things to address this since the game’s original release. They added an Aspect system that allows you to equip one powerful mutation-like item before starting a run. Using one of these is a good way to test out new loadout ideas as well as farm blueprints and cells. You can’t earn new boss cells while using an aspect, so you won’t be able to experience the final end-game content, which is unfortunate, but it’s still a nice addition overall (everything in the paid DLCs is accessible). Just as useful, if not more so, is the practice area, which lets you fight any enemies in the game using any weapons you’ve unlocked. You can also practice against the bosses, which is extremely advantageous since they are usually what end my runs – actually, it’s probably an even split between bosses and curse chests. The only complaint I had with the DLC is that the first level, the Infested Shipwreck, stutters a lot once you get near the end of the level. It’s one of the biggest levels they’ve implemented so far and I guess it’s just too much for the game to handle; hopefully, they can find a way to optimize things.

Conclusion

If you are an Xbox gamer and have any interest in action roguelites and platformers I think it’s a no-brainer that you give Dead Cells a try – it is on Game Pass after all. The base game has a ton of content to enjoy, and if you like what you see then definitely consider picking up the DLC. Each one is only $5 USD and you can get them all together in a bundle at a reasonable discount. Motion Twin might have moved on from Dead Cells, but Evil Empire plans to stick with it and I look forward to seeing them make a fantastic game even better.

This game was reviewed based on Xbox One review code, using an Xbox One console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.