Dead Cells Review (iOS)

Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong

Title: Dead Cells
Developer: Motion Twin
Publisher: Playdigious
Genre: Action, Adventure
Price: $7.99
Also Available On: PS4, Steam, Switch, XB1

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When news of Dead Cells being ported to iOS devices first hit the grapevine, mobile gamers were skeptical. They had reason to be; after all, France-based developer Motion Twin’s intellectual property is already extremely hard to beat on eighth-generation consoles. The notion of doing so with virtual controls on the touchscreen proves even more daunting and makes the exercise decidedly Sisyphean. Even though only those who have been living under a rock all this time don’t know that death is a requisite to finishing the roguelike-Matroidvania offering, acceptance figures to become infinitely harder when technical issues are considered as well.

The good news is that Dead Cells excels on iOS. In fact, publisher Playdigious has done such a yeoman’s job of translating it for Apple devices that even the most critical quarters in the intrinsically finicky community will be hard-pressed to find fault with it. Even with all the action required, gamers will encounter little to no trouble navigating the Prisoner — a blob-like mass of cells able to possess bodies — through dungeon after dungeon en route to the castle’s throne room, where the king and his right hand need to be defeated.

Combat is complex and difficult in and of itself, and often requires gamers to learn the characteristics of their enemies to progress. In this regard, death is inevitable, and the running count of “cells” collected from dead bodies — which can be used to secure power-ups at the end of completed sections — will then revert to zero. Thankfully, the interface is so smooth that it doesn’t add to the hurdles. It likewise helps that buttons can be mapped according to personal preference. The screen real estate subject to constant pressing has likewise been maximized with the transfer of informational visuals to the top; inputs are thus registered without fail and delay.

Needless to say, Dead Cells is best appreciated on a large screen, and with the benefit of tactile feedback. Parenthetically, it gives the most bang for the buck via an iPad Pro and a console controller in hand. That said, the iPhone affords gamers the privilege of playing it on the go — and how. It’s the best of the year by far. Highly recommended.

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THE GOOD

• Outstanding port
• Stellar touchscreen controls
• Unique roguelike-Metroidvania blend on the go

THE BAD

• Intrinsically frustrating
• Paper-thin narrative
• Need for precision favors larger screens

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RATING: 9/10

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