Windblown is the next roguelite by Dead Cells developer Motion Twin. The France-based indie team is once again bringing a game filled with action-packed goodness to the forefront. Windblown was first shown off with a trailer at The Game Awards in 2023 during the ceremony in Los Angeles, California. It managed to rank high on all the Steam Next Fest charts. The free demo for the game showcases just what the indie game has in store for its future players. After experiencing all that the demo has to offer, it’s easy to see why.
The Pros
Art & Environment
The first and brightest thing players may notice when loading up the game for the first time is how bright and colorful the entire game is. This goes from the animal avatars available to pick from all the way to the backdrop. This action rogue-lite takes place in a world that is in constant danger of being overpowered by the giant and deadly Vortex. As a type of warrior known as a Leaper, players are tasked with traversing this beautiful but dangerous world in order to save their home. As simple as Windblown’s story is, it blends well with the art style and music found within its world to create a beautiful journey.
The environment and characters are not where the pleasingly cartoonish style ends. The array of colors found within the fighting itself is pleasing to the eye and makes it easy to see exactly what is going on despite some sporadic chaos. To put it simply, fighting is an art form within itself in this game. Combined with the energetic soundtrack, players can enjoy taking down robots in the Motion Twin‘s unique style.
Fast-paced Combat
Sticking with combat and having smooth and satisfying fights is important when it comes to games like Windblown. The developers managed to achieve just that while letting players explore and experiment. During each expedition taken in Windblown, players have the chance to discover new abilities, tactics, and weapons that can make the runs a bit easier. What stands out most about the combat is the combo attacks that can be done with the primary and secondary weapons players can equip. Each combination of weapons can result in different and flashy attacks that deal major damage. This allows players to explore each weapon and discover their favorite pairings for taking down enemies.
While the game is challenging at times, as both roguelikes and rogue-lites should be, Windblown still feels forgiving. There are multiple ways to get health back, which include abilities, shops, and permanent upgrades. While dying teaches painful lessons to players, it also allows them to go back to The Ark, the village found within the game. At The Ark, players can use their spoils from expeditions to make themselves stronger to help them venture farther than the runs before.
The Cons
Oddly enough, the biggest drawback of Windblown also involves its combat. When doing expeditions over and over again, combat can start to feel repetitive. In the game’s current state, a limited amount of enemy types can be discovered and battled. It’s easy to learn all their move sets after encountering them once or twice, which makes each fight predictable. However, only one area is available to explore and fight in at the moment. With its incoming Early Access release, this issue may very well resolve itself.
Final Thoughts
Windblown is shaping up to be an excellent addition to Motion Twin’s library of games. If it’s as successful as Dead Cells, players may even be talking about this indie action rogue-lite for years to come. The official Early Access release for Windblown is on October 24, and the developers will be using this period to look for and listen to any acclaim or complaints that players are willing to voice.
Score: 4.5/5
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