Have you ever wished Hades starred cuddly (but lethal) animals and had co-op? If your answer is positive, you ought to check out Motion Twin‘s Windblown, whose early access launch is just around the corner and is preceded by a killer Steam Next Fest demo.
If the studio’s name sounds familiar, it’s because the team put out one of the roguelite-Metroidvania subgenre’s best, Dead Cells. Now, it’s going for a different approach, starting with a top-down view and a brand-new, distinct art style. After a number of trailers and previews, its early access launch is set for October 24, and that Next Fest demo is a sweet appetizer, I must say.
Windblown, at least in its demo, gets right into the action, with little dialogues and storytelling getting in the way of awesome-feeling movement (you can speed over so many chunks of land in a few seconds) and breezy isometric-view action. In that regard, it feels very much like Dead Cells, a game that had a well-formed mythology, but wasn’t bogged down by too much worldbuilding nor walls of text.
Another strength that’s been successfully transferred from one game to the other is an easy-to-grasp but slightly-harder-to-master set of controls. Windblown is simple to pick up and play, but there’s a rhythm to each blow, shot, and dash. Battles soon turn into a brisk symphony that’s both visceral and tactical; the right split-second decisions (and not just reacting to visual cues) can mark the difference between coming out of a short combat encounter unscathed or barely ready to fend off another assault. ‘Alterattacks’ also seem to be key to cracking the perfect flow; they require you to quickly switch between two equipped weapons at the right moment, much like perfect dashes.
The setting, an archipelago broken into many pieces of land that are floating up high in the sky, is captivating from the very beginning as well. The vistas are gorgeous thanks to a colorful art style that’s also easy on the eyes and doesn’t feel overstuffed. Return to the village/HQ and the vibes are much more peaceful, but even inside the spooky vortex which threatens to eat everything and everyone you know and love, there’s a constant sense of beauty to Windblown that isn’t derivative.
I also got the impression from this demo alone there’s a bigger mystery to uncover (Who are we really? Why are we stuck up there?), and the fact you’re tasked with other Leapers’ knowledge and equipment teases a larger history that’s gluing the entire premise together. Again, Windblown doesn’t seem too interested in overcooking its narrative, but I can imagine Motion Twin adding more meat on top of those bones as the early access period goes on.
Even with a limited set of weapons and loot available to be found in chests and taken from fallen enemies, there’s a sense of progressing towards specific builds that is also reminiscent of Dead Cells’ approach. Instead of stacking random passives and equipment aimlessly, striking a balance between two weapons that fit your playstyle and then upgrading around them is more rewarding. That said, it’s hard to evaluate the whole thing from the demo alone, as I’m sure the meta layer of helpful progression will add lots of juice to the brew.
In any case, slaying the mysterious emissaries from the Vortex, an army of constructs as far as I can tell, always yields rewards that can be used to upgrade the next run and help the village grow. You know the drill. The big difference here is that Windblown appears to have a faster loop than other games in the roguelite space. It’s strange to just come back from an expedition (even if you fail) empty-handed; there’s always a new thing or friendly someone waiting to be interacted with.
On top of everything, Windblown comes with online co-op built in from the moment it hits early access, making it an even better option to play while you chat over Discord. I’m happy to report it’s already Steam Deck verified too, with the graphic settings even including a full preset for Valve’s little big machine. Framerate on that hardware can be uneven though, so capping it to 40 FPS feels like the right call. I’m expecting performance to get better over time though (remember it’s launching into early access).
For a game that’s dashing into an overcrowded chunk of the market, Windblown already comes across as shockingly confident and polished. I wasn’t expecting any less from Motion Twin, but it’s always great to go hands-on with a highly anticipated indie release and come out satisfied. My experience with Dead Cells also tells me they’ve got that special touch and will turn it into something notable, so bring on the next week.