As you may have already found out, the world of Dead Cells can be punishing. Fortunately, there are a few tips that can make all the difference in the latest rogue-lite Metroidvania adventure to hit the PlayStation 4.
Get Ready to Die
- It’s quite literally the name of the game, “Dead.” Don’t get frustrated, it is going to happen. That’s part of the mechanic.
- Each time you die, you’ll be brought back to the start of the game. You’ll lose any progress you’ve made on the map and any items you have found along the way. That might sound daunting, but it’s actually not. There are some upgrades that can be carried over after death. As you play through the levels, you’ll be collecting Dead Cells. These Dead Cells can be traded for skills and upgrades before you begin each level.
- Deaths should be viewed as progress. Each time you die, the progress made on the previous play-through will make your next play-through less challenging as long as you’re spending your Dead Cells appropriately.
Invest
There are a few permanent upgrades you’re going to want to invest your Dead Cells in with The Collector right away.
- Health Flask. This will extend the amount of times your health potion can be used.
- Gold Reserves. This will carry over some of the money you’ve collected from previous play-throughs.
- The Random Starter weapons. These will give you a different weapon to start off with each time you die. There are three categories: Bow, Shield, and Melee Weapon.
Know Thy Enemy
- Outside of the bosses, the enemies of Dead Cells are not overly challenging, but they can quickly kill you if you aren’t careful.
- Always remember to roll away from their attack using Circle.
- The enemies telegraph their attacks with a red aura and “!” symbol above their heads. As soon as you see this, quickly roll behind them or parry the attack with a shield using Triangle.
- With enough playthroughs, you’ll learn the enemies movements and attacks.
- They can be defeated quickly, but they will make you pay for any mistakes made.
Hit ’em With a Stunner
Before engaging with enemies, there are a couple of things you can do to get the upper hand.
- There are a lot of doors in each of the levels. Often times, there are enemies behind these doors. This can be used to your advantage. Do not open the doors with R1. Instead, break them down with a melee attack using the Square button. If the enemy is close enough to the door, this will temporarily stun them.
- If you’re above an enemy, you can jump with X and then press Down and X together to use a charged drop attack. If this does not kill the enemy, it will stun them.
You’ll only have few seconds before they get back up, but these few seconds will be all the time you need to finish them off.
Secrets Everywhere
Be sure to keep your eyes open for any secrets within each level or even on the enemies themselves.
- There are secrets hidden in walls that can be obtained by hitting them with attacks.
- Some enemies will have a star over their heads. Killing these enemies will drop scrolls for you to use.
- There are scrolls through out each level in vats that can be picked up with R1.
General Tips
- Obviously, your health is important. Keep an eye on it. You don’t have to kill every enemy you encounter. Some battles can be skipped if you’re running low.
- Falling too far down can cause damage and stun you. It’s best to use the Down + X charged drop attack when jumping off or falling off of ledges. This will prevent any damage to you and may even kill an unsuspecting enemy if there is one below you.
- Some enemies will chase you. If you’re in a pinch, find the nearest teleporter and teleport away to any of the other teleporters you’ve activated.
What tips have you found in your Dead Cells adventures? Feel free to share by posting them in the comments below.
