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Dead cells shake longer

This is the music review of
Rise of the Giant (2019) | The Bad Seeds (2020) | Fatal Falls (2021) | The Queen and the Sea (2022) | Return to Castlevania (2023)

I will probably forever associate my student days with Dead Cells. Not because I played the game excessively back then instead of focusing on my academic education - that was with League of Legends, Overwatch and of course Skyrim. No, I actually remember the game so much because we featured the early access version in the first edition of our Game One imitation, called WohnGameinschaft (a pun with 'shared apartment' and 'game'). If you're interested, here's the link to the video.

My friend Noel was quite harsh at the time, claiming that the game was not worth playing in its current state and had little potential to be a hit. What may have been true at the time (after all, it was Early Access) should now be proven a lie by the large fanbase of the roguelike matroidvania. In fact, Dead Cells regularly lands on top lists and is still being developed further through DLCs and content updates ... so he could have just been wrong.

In my opinion, the soundtrack should also win a few prizes, as composer Yoann Laulan, also known on the net as 'Valmont de Ragondas', presents himself as a competent music maker in 25 tracks. It is not exciting motifs or unique compositions that make the OST for Dead Cells worth listening to, but the feeling. As is necessary for a fast-paced Metroidvania, where only quick reflexes and lots of practice save us from the death on the screen, the music is also pleasantly driving.

Not unlike a Bastion Laulan uses a mixture of percussion and acoustic guitars. Tracks like The Castle, Prisoner’s Awakening or Elite Fight hit the perfect sweet spot between upbeat tempo and positive optimism, suggesting that we are a mighty badass bludgeoning our way through the masses. This classic soundscape is supported by synths that emphasize the cyber-like aesthetic of the game and suggest depth / massiveness.

Other instruments such as flutes (Promenade of the Condemned), strings (The Village, Hand of the King) and the piano (Credits) add variance to the composition and are sometimes reminiscent of other genre representatives such as Diablo II or The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (particularly evident in Ossuary). However, the combination of faster rhythms and electric components gives Dead Cells a more modern and action-packed feel. I like it!

Consequently, I have very little to criticize about the quality of the soundtrack. One possible point of critique could be the arbitrariness that is introduced due to the lack of real motifs. But Dead Cells doesn't want to dwell on the same thing for long. It wants to be fast, captivate and chase us from level to level. This works brilliantly and even the more 'trivial' ambient themes still have enough pizzazz to keep us from getting bored. So a clear recommendation from me, so much so that it even made it into my Top 10 best indie scores . If you want to read more about the making-of, you can also find an interview with Yoann Laulan on lacedrecords, in which the inspirations and intentions are revealed a little.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Dead Cells	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
02	Prisoner's Awakening	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	5
03	Promenade of the Condemned	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
04	The Merchant	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
05	Prison's Rooftop	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
06	Black Bridge	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
07	The Village	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
08	Toxic Sewers	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
09	Ossuary	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
10	Elite Fight	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
11	The Old Sewers	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
12	The Cemetery	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
13	Conjonctivius	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
14	The Prison's Depths	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
15	Prison Theme	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
16	The Crypt	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
17	Weapon Merchant	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
18	Food Merchant	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
19	The Temple	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
20	Clocktower	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	5
21	Formerly Know as Assassin	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	5
22	Collector	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
23	The Castle	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	5
24	Hand of the King	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
25	Credits	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4

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Rise of the Giant

In the first DLC Rise of Giants much remains the same: Yoann Laulan is once again the performer and the tracks are, as usual, driving, epic and thrilling. This applies in particular to Guardian’s Haven, which almost takes on the feel of a boss battle from the Dark Souls-games with its over-the-top attitude. In contrast, Observatory could be called a relaxing journey through the Trine-worlds. All in all, a well-rounded experience, even if the title always reminds me of the Don’t Starve DLC Reign of Giants ... random facts brought to you by Mattis!

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Cavern	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
02	Guardian's Haven	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	5
03	Astrolab	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
04	Observatory	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
05	Time for Your Medicine	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4

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The Bad Seeds

Both the title and cover already reveal that this DLC will (presumably) take us out of the dark tunnels and caves and into nature. This is also reflected in the music, which is a little more cheerful and 'free' in Arboretum and therefore more in the direction of Valley geht. Swamp with its recurring vocals sounds more like catching your breath - but it's not a liberated breath. Something is still hanging in our lungs and wants to get out.

Heat of the Swamp moves in the direction of the main game, while Corrupted Prison balances somewhere between menacing and inspiring - I particularly liked the clacking of the strings (I'm sure there's a technical term for that). And Prisoner’s Re Awakening as well as ClockTower Pocket Watch Edition are of course variations of Prisoner’s Awakening and Clocktower from Dead Cells.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Arboretum	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
02	Swamp	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
03	Heat of the Swamp	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
04	Corrupted Prison	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
05	Prisoner's Re Awakening	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
06	ClockTower Pocket Watch Edition	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4

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Fatal Falls

Fatal Falls is the second most extensive score of the DLCs, but only contains five new songs. This is because the Demakes are bit versions of well-known titles. And the variation ClockTower (Geared Up Rework) only misses out on 5 stars because its duration of almost ten minutes is simply too long for me.

The remaining new tracks are driving as usual (e.g. Undying Shores), but this time the strings dominate. This gives tracks such as Fractured Shrines or Distillery a Celtic feel, but this doesn't detract from the action. Keep Off the Flowers is also an interesting addition with its whispering vocals, reminiscent of Remember Me . Only The Mausoleum falls a little short in direct comparison with its deliberately calm atmosphere, but all in all I have no complaints here either.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Fractured Shrines	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	5
02	Undying Shores	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	4
03	The Mausoleum	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	3
04	Keep Off the Flowers	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	4
05	Distillery	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	5
06	Fractured Shrines Demake	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	4
07	Undying Shores Demake	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	4
08	The Mausoleum Demake	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	3
09	Keep Off the Flowers Demake	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	4
10	ClockTower (Geared Up Rework)	Yoann Laulan [Valmont de Ragondas]	4

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The Queen and the Sea

As a non-gamer, I immediately thought of nautical themes when I heard the title The Queen and the Sea . Something that reminds me of water, of the sea - either in the form of free/liberated melodies, such as we heard in The Bad Seeds or as a relentless force of nature that crushes us in its waves. The DLC leans more towards the latter, although we are not in for a God of War kind of action. Instead, The Crown or Shipwreck have an increasingly dark, almost horror-like tone, which tends to give us a taste of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing .

In between and afterwards, the score plunges us back into the usual hustle and bustle (Lighthouse) and even mixes in an electric guitar in Beyond Reasoning (The Queen) . Everything shreds and culminates in Bloc Party Boat, which brings up hillbilly-meets-techno vibes. Admittedly not for everyone, the penultimate DLC still offers the most variety - excluding the Demakes from Fatal Falls - in terms of instrumental variance.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	The Crown	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	3
02	Lighthouse	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
03	Shipwreck	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
04	Beyond Reasoning (The Queen)	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4
05	Bloc Party Boat	Yoann Laulan (Valmont de Ragondas)	4

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Return to Castlevania

The year is 2023 and I still haven't gotten around to playing Castlevania or Dead Cells,, let alone its crossover DLC, Return to Castlevania. Yet the music promises great things. What began in The Queen and the Sea is continued here in the form of brute electric guitar riffs (Vampire Killer, Beginning, The Tragic Prince).

At the same time, the 31-track score with the Collector’s Versions also offers quieter passages with a fantasy aesthetic reminiscent of the first Trine with their fantasy aesthetic. In contrast, Dracula’s Castle (Ghost Dance) sounds like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at the beginning. Quotes such as Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears or Lost Paintings evoke pleasant memories of Konami's gothic horror action adventure. And with Vampire Killer (Librarian Shop), a pinch of the Orient has found its way into the game.

It seems that composer Yoann Laulan has successfully fused the Asian interpretations of European soundscapes from the Castlevania-series with the Dead Cells-DNA. The result is an interesting composition that allows the vampiric prince of darkness to wander between the two worlds. And with the eleven 8-bit demakes, there's even more of a retro feel to be enjoyed. For more information, you can also read this interview with Laulan .

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Prayer	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
02	Beginning [Collector's Version]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
03	Vampire Killer	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
04	Beginning	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
05	The Tragic Prince [Collector's Version]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
06	Dracula's Castle	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
07	The Tragic Prince	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	5
08	Dracula's Castle (Ghost Dance)	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
09	Vampire Killer (Librarian Shop)	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
10	Bloody Tears	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
11	Divine Bloodlines	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
12	Dracula's Room	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
13	Prologue	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
14	Illusionary Dance	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
15	Simon Belmont's Theme	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
16	Lost Paintings	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
17	Bloody Tears (Ending)	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
18	Divine Bloodlines (Ending)	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
19	Dead Cells Theme (Ghost Dance)	Yoann Laulan	4
20	Prayer [8-Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
21	Beginning [Collector's Version][8-Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
22	The Tragic Prince [Collector's Version][8-Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
23	Dracula's Castle (Ghost Dance)[8-Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
24	Vampire Killer (Librarian Shop)[8-Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
25	Divine Bloodlines [8-Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
26	Dracula's Room [8 Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	3
27	Prologue [8 Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
28	Lost Paintings [8 Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
29	Bloody Tears (Ending)[8 Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
30	Divine Bloodlines (Ending)[8 Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan; Konami Kukeiha Club	4
31	Dead Cells Theme (Ghost Dance)[8 Bit Demake]	Yoann Laulan	3