The new roguelike from the Dead Cells team was already great, and it’s bringing me right back with a big update adding new bosses, weapons, and a lot more

Windblown, the newest action roguelike developed by Dead Cells studio Motion Twin, has just received a substantial update brimming with additional content that enhances the game’s core mechanics: new weapons, areas, biomes, and a lot more. The game was already in excellent condition upon its early access launch in October, and now it appears I’ll be spending many hours exploring Sanctuary.

Sanctuary is the first new biome introduced in Windblown since its release. It becomes accessible through a new quest linked to an NPC named Carlos, located at the end of the factory biome. Upon reaching Sanctuary, players will encounter a new boss defended by an assortment of novel adversaries.

While you navigate this new area, four brand-new weapons will invigorate your builds: the dual daggers known as the Sharp Sisters, the substantial Elder Sword, the laser-emitting Sentinel Wings, and a Fishing Rod that can snag foes off stages, reminiscent of Super Smash Bros.

The new Remains System significantly contributes to the game’s allure, maintaining my interest in this genre of roguelike, much like the appeal of Dead Cells. This system allows “players to recover precious Cogs, Memonites, and Encrypted Memories lost during their previous Expedition, conserving resources to earn lasting upgrades for subsequent ventures into the Vortex,” according to Motion Twin. “Failure to recover these assets means they are lost… indefinitely.”

If you’ve ever reclaimed lost experience points in a Soulslike title, this system’s mechanics will feel quite familiar. Initiate a new run and return to the location where you fell, seeking an indicator that will “surface at the corner of your screen as you approach your remains.”

This revision undoubtedly streamlines progression and mitigates the impact of dying, while simultaneously presenting a thought-provoking design trade-off for what remains a challenging action roguelike. The debate around what is forfeited during consecutive runs and how those experiences are perceived within the game world continues to evolve within the dynamic roguelike genre.

Windblown has had a robust early access experience up until now, and this update appears to be a continuation of that trend. Alongside this and Hades 2, gamers are definitely spoiled for choice with outstanding action roguelikes lately. (I find myself more drawn to Windblown due to its lesser focus on narrative, while I prefer to wait for the plot of Hades 2 to settle in.) I eagerly await both of their full releases.

“How can we improve upon Dead Cells?”: Motion Twin faces immense but “positive” pressure to develop a cooperative game following a roguelike masterpiece with “millions” in anticipation.

Austin has been a games journalist for 12 years, contributing to outlets such as PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while completing his journalism degree. He’s been part of GamesRadar+ since 2019. They have yet to realize that his role serves as a guise for his extensive Destiny column, which he continues alongside a variety of news and occasional features, all while enjoying as many roguelikes as he possibly can.