Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea by Motion Twin, Evil Empire
Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea is the fourth DLC (and the third paid DLC) for the excellent 2018 Rogue-like. Adding three new stages and two new bosses along with an assortment of smaller additions, the DLC brings another boost of content to a game that is already bursting at the seams with great levels and hidden secrets. Coupled with the previous installments, The Queen and the Sea breathes fresh life into a game that already effortlessly eats up the hours.
Getting Shipwrecked
Like much of Dead Cells, The Queen and the Sea is well-hidden and requires a little exploration to find. Once discovered, however, it launches straight into some fantastic action, a great new setting, and a couple neat set-pieces that do a great job of standing out from the rest of the game. The first new level is set in a shipwreck and makes full use of its creepy and corrupted setting. This gives way to an amazing climbing level that puts on constant pressure and introduces a particularly enjoyable boss fight.
As with all of Dead Cells, the action is sublime. Several new weapons are added, and they all provide diverse new ways to play. Perhaps one of the more interesting additions is a new pet, guaranteed to be acquired during the first run to unlock The Queen and the Sea. The pet is a bizarre little critter that will gobble up just about anything it comes across.
It also has family…but they aren’t quite so friendly.
Only a few new enemies are introduced in The Queen and the Sea but those that are provide a great challenge and are very memorable. It’s the environments they inhabit that are the real stars of the show, however; each of the new levels is a stunning location dripping with atmosphere. There are new secrets to unlock, too, with powerful hidden items to find and dig up.
Heed the Siren Song
My favorite new feature has to be the music, though. In the soundtrack for the shipwreck level, Dead Cells outdoes itself with a creepy piece that slowly escalates into a magnificent choir that makes the whole sequence feel incredibly epic. Each new level added by The Queen and the Sea has gripping music and fantastic new art that continues to expand the corrupted world Motion Twin have built.
The Queen and the Sea is the latest addition to Dead Cells, and like the rest of the game, it doesn’t disappoint. There are only three new stages, but they are all solid and more than worth the price. More importantly, the new levels elegantly slot into Dead Cells as a whole, and the whole is very much more than the sum of its (already superb) parts. Like the other DLC, The Queen and the Sea adds to the longevity of a game that seems endlessly fun to play and adds yet more diversity to ensure its replay value stays strong.
If you’ve not already jumped into Motion Twin’s twisted “Roguevania” world, then now is a better time than ever; this is easy to recommend for action-adventure fans looking for silky smooth combat, great design, countless secrets, and enough content to play for days.
Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea DLC is available via the Nintendo Online Store, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam.
Watch the official trailer for Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea below:
Have you played Dead Cells? Let us know if you’re excited about the new DLC in the comments!
