The Indie Informer

Motion Twin knows how to make games that, from the moment I begin playing, make me smile and hum an audible, satisfied “Yeah.” When I played Dead Cells after it hit 1.0 in 2018, I said to myself “Self! This may be the best-feeling action game I’ve ever played.” Run after run, the buttery-smooth controls made its fast-paced combat a challenge to put down. That secret sauce is smothered all over Motion Twin’s next roguelite, Windblown, making it a blast to play ahead of its launch into Steam Early Access this year.

We previously witnessed Windblown in action during a hands-off session in April (check out that preview here), but I got to spend a couple of hours making runs in a pre-early access build. This isometric action RPG unfolds among shattered collection of suspended islands on a collision course with an all-consuming black hole. As one of an assortment of anthropomorphic animal warriors called Leapers – such as a pangolin, lizard, or, my favorite, an axolotl – the game tasks players with rebuilding and repopulating a deserted floating village to, hopefully, prevent their impending doom.

Supergiant Games’ Hades immediately comes to mind upon taking my first trek in Windblown due to the isometric perspective but, most importantly, the rapid pace of combat. Wielding a primary and secondary weapon, such as various swords, daggers, or throwing knives along with a “trinket” like a bomb or immobilizing goo, tearing through enemies evokes the combo-centric thrill of Zagreus’ epic. Though I regularly encountered the same weapon types, they’re differentiated by ability traits (such as inflicting a Bleed ailment) and strength levels. Unlocking perks sweetens the pot, such as inflicting and stacking a curse status or adding a shockwave blast to physical strikes. The EA launch will feature 11 weapons total.

Each run tasks players with locating and absorbing memories of fallen fighters, which unlock new combos and weapon synergies. These take the form of Alterattacks, a neat system triggered by nailing a button prompt during a weapon combo that unleashes a unique and powerful assault with the opposite weapon. It’s a neat system that helps mix up my approach to combat and experiment with weapon combinations. Later, I gain the power to execute a big finishing move (such as an impactful downward strike, depending on the equipped weapon) when an opponent’s health drops low.

Combat rocks, but that’s also because it’s wrapped around Windblown’s true show-stealing feature: lightning-quick movement. A swift dash allows Leapers to dart up staircases and across the floating platforms in a flash with virtually no cooldown. Thus, traversing this fragmented world feels immensely satisfying. Windblown wants players to keep moving, evidenced by how pots break simply by walking into them. Bigger confrontations require quick reflexes and a keen eye, as enemies move and attack almost as quickly as you move. Many battles become fun exercises in outmaneuvering opponents by getting behind them, unleashing a flurry of attacks, and dashing away at the last second to avoid retaliation (including dash canceling). 

Despite how quickly characters move, locomotion remains tight, and never feels like I’m losing control. Perhaps it’s growing up a Sonic fan or because I want a good video game based on The Flash, but I’m a sucker for games that utilize speed in a good, fun way. Windblown already sits among the upper echelons of games that succeed on this front, and I’m impressed with how fantastic movement already feels.

Windblown also supports co-op for up to three players, which winds up doubling or tripling the fun. Despite how fast the characters move, you can never leave a partner in the dust since players can explore sections independently. That was my biggest concern, and I’m glad to have that fear alleviated. Certain items are shared between players, such as currency, but weapons, health pickups, and perks only go to one player, engendering strategic discussions over who gets what to build a strong team. Or you can be a jerk and steal health items from languishing teammates for laughs.

I’ve had a blast with Windblown so far, and Motion Twin already has a strong foundation to build upon throughout its impending Early Access period. The satisfying sense of speed and frenetic action are my biggest and most exciting takeaways, and it will be fun to see the rest of the framework continue building around that. If all goes well, Windblown has a shot of dethroning Dead Cells as the best-feeling roguelite ever made. 

Windblown enters Steam Early Access on October 24, but players can try it ahead of time via a limited-time Steam Next Fest single-player demo on October 14. Progress from this demo will carry into the Early Access release.