Dead Cells' creators Windblown gets its first proper gameplay trailer

The brutal rogue-lite Metroidvania-esque sidescroller Dead Cells has firmly established its position as a long-time indie darling, and the developer Motion Twin is moving on to an all-new game, Windblown. This new game has just received its first proper gameplay trailer, in fact, and it’s a doozy.

Moving on from the wildly successful Dead Cells was always going to be a challenge for Motion Twin. Though the Dead Cells IP isn’t done anytime soon, with an animated series slated for release in 2024, the game itself is being wrapped up, and Windblown will take its place as the Motion Twin flagship.

Windblown’s first gameplay trailer shows off rapid-fire combat and cutesy mascot-like characters

There was some concern, of course, as to whether Motion Twin would be able to transpose Dead Cells‘ legendarily chunky combat and movement gameplay from a 2D side-scroller to a full-featured 3D isometric hack ‘n’ slash. If the first gameplay trailer, featured above, is anything to go by, Motion Twin might have something special on its hands.

The combination of almost mascot-tier character design with satisfyingly brutal, hard-hitting combat is something to behold. The sheer speed of Windblown‘s gameplay, too, appears delightful already, and it’s impossible not to spot clear parallels with Dead Cells proper. The broader design considerations, enemy projectiles, and the general visual style are all a clear evolution of what Motion Twin had done with Windblown‘s predecessor years ago, making this project very promising indeed.

As Motion Twin is one of the studios responsible for the upcoming Triple-I Initiative, it’s a bit of a given that Windblown might end up being prominently featured in the upcoming showcase. The Triple-I Initiative’s first digital show will feature 45 minutes’ worth of “bangers,” and it is slated to go live on April 10, at 10 AM PDT / 7 PM CEST.