Windblown – Early Access Impressions

Windblown is a game that launched in Steam Early Access on October 24th, 2024. This title is developed by Motion Twin who is best known for their 2017 breakout hit Dead Cells. Windblown is a top-down isometric Roguelike in which players are tasked to go through different biomes and defeat bosses, collecting the various forms of currency while getting familiar with the weapons and their combos. After perishing in a run we are sent back to a hub area to prepare to go on another run. It is a pretty simple gameplay loop that aims to get you back into the action quickly and continuously, and this is where the addictive nature of Windblown shines. 

Introduction

After watching the beautifully animated introduction sequence, we are immediately put into a run receiving the fish knife as the first weapon. This is Motion Twin putting its best foot forward showcasing to players that gameplay is king. In the base repertoire, there is a dash that acts as a means to dodge enemy attacks along with moving to the various platforms.

Combos & Alterattacks

Gradually through the course of runs, new moves are added to the move set. The first of these is called an alterattack. This is where one aspect of combos comes in. For example with the fish knife, you only need to pull off three basic attacks to trigger the alterattack, furthermore, each weapon has a different attack cadence tied to launching successful alterattacks. There is also a move called crystalize that is initiated by the left trigger after dealing enough damage to an enemy. 

The game incentivizes stringing the alterattacks together sort of like a character action game. But here is where I see Bayonetta’s influence because Windblown has a dodge offset-like feature where dashing does not reset your combos. Executing a perfect dash also has this super cool but brief slowdown effect. The main thing to keep track of is figuring out which weapons synergize with your play style. All weapons are unique and viable but I do recommend in the beginning runs to prioritize equipping your character with one close-range weapon and one long-range weapon. 

Currency in Windblown

There are currencies earned in each run that stay with you, and then there is one currency that can only be used during the runs. The currencies that are shared between runs are used in the hub world to get various upgrades or unlockables that will then be available in subsequent runs. Then there is the currency earned that can only be used during the runs and does not carry over. This currency is used to purchase weapons, trinkets, healing flask refills, or gifts during each run.

Creating Your Own Stories

I will say that the story is not as captivating as a game like Hades where the characters and lore are fleshed out in consecutive runs. Some enemies that you face in Hades also show up in the hub area after each run and the protagonist actually has dialogue with these characters which further fleshes out the lore. Some of these aspects are present in Windblown such as short cutscenes and a few side missions. But they were brief and just to keep it blunt, there is not really a cohesive tale being told as of right now.

But the funny thing is I was still creating my own stories while playing the game. This would be a great time to mention that Windblown has co-op. Three-player co-op to be exact. And this is the main driving force for the stories I made with the game. On a whim, I joined an open lobby and we actually made it to the final boss, but the game glitched out on us mid-fight and we failed the run. Safe to say we did not go to bed that night happy. However the following day I looked at the lobbies and funny enough the same people were hosting an open lobby so I joined them right away. They even acknowledged our previous failure via text chat and we proceeded to successfully get our run back. This is where I finally completed one full run and unlocked a higher difficulty which not only makes the game more challenging but also slightly changes the world visually as well. 

Developer AMA

This is usually where I would talk about downsides but since Windblown is in early access, the game will change and evolve with time. The developers posted an AMA recap on the titles community hub on Steam, and taking a glance at the list of proposed additions, they pretty much cover all my nitpicks. Motion Twin is at least aware of where the game comes up short such as in the narrative department, bugs and glitches/performance, or even the ability to track stats during runs. But the main one they will be addressing soon is the sudden death mechanic. 

As of right now, this is how the sudden death mechanic works in the game. If one of your teammates dies in battle, you are then put into sudden death requiring you to kill a certain number of enemies to get your teammates back. The kicker is you die in one hit and the enemies do not. Earlier on in runs, it is not that difficult killing 10 enemies without being hit, but later on, when almost every enemy you run into is a mini-boss it becomes damn near impossible. A possible solution is they add a downed state that allows players to be able to revive their teammates within a certain time limit. But if the player fails to pick their downed teammate up then the sudden death starts. But we shall see what solution is provided in the next month or so. 

Final Thoughts on Windblown Early Impressions

Windblown does a lot right. From the little things like having a banging soundtrack, fluid cell-shaded art style, and providing good visual and audio indicators, to having a varied and viable arsenal of weapons to choose from. The biomes each come with a different vibe and aesthetic and in each biome, there are new enemies to fight. While there are some downsides such as an almost nonexistent story, no way to track your stats during the runs and the punishing sudden death mechanic. As of right now, Windblown is truly is one of one. It is awesome to see a team of around 20 people punching so far above their weight and this is one title I will be revisiting in the coming months to witness their progress. 

Windblown is available now on Steam via Early Access.