Monster Hunter was a 'big inspiration for both co-op combat and weapon design' on Dead Cells dev's new roguelike: 'The depth of each weapon means there's always more to learn'

Motion Twin, the developer of Dead Cells, drew inspiration from Monster Hunter for its new roguelike Windblown, emphasizing deep weapon mechanics and co-op combat, resulting in a compelling gameplay experience that emphasizes weapon mastery and strategic combos.

When we spoke to Dead Cells developer Motion Twin about the studio's new roguelike Windblown, an unexpected influence came up: Monster Hunter. Ahead of Monster Hunter Wilds, the series' sterling weapon design pushed devs like Thomas Vasseur to revisit the weapons in their own game, amid several design iterations, and give them some more oomph. 

"I was also playing Monster Hunter, and the weapons are so incredible in this game that it was impossible for us to do nothing about those weapons," Vasseur said. Fellow dev Yannick Berthier notes that the team had tried three or four different weapon systems before settling on the version that's now in the early access build of the freshly launched roguelike, which encourages players to combo two weapons together in "Alterattacks." 

"Monster Hunter was a big inspiration for both co-op combat and weapon design," Vasseur said in a follow-up comment. "In Monster Hunter Rise, the depth of each weapon means there's always more to learn, even after hours of gameplay. We wanted to bring that same complexity to Windblown, with weapons that have an immediate, powerful impact but also a deeper layer that rewards mastery. For instance, some weapons feature invincibility frames, letting skilled players dodge attacks while keeping up the pressure on their opponents.

"Some weapons also require precise aiming or positioning to unleash their full potential. Of course, we don't claim to have recreated Monster Hunter's incredible arsenal, but we put a lot of effort into bringing that sense of depth while keeping them accessible and enjoyable, even for players unfamiliar with their mechanics."

The Monster Hunter Wilds beta, currently available on PS5 via PlayStation Plus early access, has quickly proven that Capcom has also been iterating on its weapons to give all 14 new combos and counters. The addition of Focus Mode, which enables pinpoint attacks and wound-destroying specials, shifts the established rhythm, and several moves can now be chained together in different ways. It's taking some getting used to, but the more I play, the more I like the new hotness. 

I'd say the same of Windblown – the Dead Cells dev's new co-op action roguelike Windblown is so good that I'm already struggling to put it down.