Are Dead Cells' DLCs Worth It?

More than four years have passed since the release of Dead Cells on PC. The roguelike title boasts amazing support from two development teams who, in addition to countless updates, also prepared a handful of paid add-ons. Are they worth your money?

Dead Cells is one of my favorite games. Easy-to-learn, dynamic gameplay is spiced up with a gradual difficulty increase that challenges us every time we start feeling strong in the game. Already upon release, the production offered rich content, sufficient for several dozen hours of fun. However, with constant support from the developers over the years, the content in the game has increased several times.

What are the Dead Cells DLCs?

• Rise of the Giant (free)
• The Bad Seed DLC
• Fatal Falls DLC
• The Queen and the Sea DLC
• Return to Castlevania DLC

Rise of the Giant (free)

Initially, the game mainly received free updates, which modified the balance and added new locations. However, after just a few months, the Motion Twin team released the first, and so far only one, free DLC – Rise of the Giant. With it, we received the highest difficulty level, four new locations, additional enemies and bosses, and several outfits, a dozen or so new weapons, and new achievements. This type of support would become the standard with subsequent expansions, which became the responsibility of a newly established studio, Evil Empire.

The Bad Seed DLC

The first paid DLC for the game was The Bad Seed, released in early 2020. It focused on three new locations (Dilapidated Arboretum, Morass of the Banished and Nest), and the main theme was ubiquitous, lush vegetation. Along with the new biomes, five new enemies and one boss, a total of six new weapons and fourteen outfits have been added. It costs $4.99, which isn't an exorbitant price, although compared to the remaining DLCs, The Bad Seed may seem a bit short and lacking in content.

Fatal Falls DLC

A year later, Evil Twin released the second DLC – Fatal Falls, which took us to the skies (hence the title). The game was expanded with three more biomes (Fractured Shrines, Undying Shores and Mausoleum), eight unique enemies and one boss, seven weapons, 11 outfits, and 12 achievements to complete the whole thing. Locations were completely changed and brought a breath of fresh air, although seasoned players will complete the DLC in a similar time as previous ones. And the price? Still just five bucks.

The Queen and the Sea DLC

2022 brought an unexpected, third DLC. The Queen and the Sea focused more on storytelling, taking us to the nearby coast, where another three biomes (Infested Shipwreck, Lighthouse, The Crown) awaited. This time, the DLC offered only two new enemies and bosses, focusing on delivering 10 new weapons and 15 outfits, as well as 17 new achievements. The standard price of $4.99 encouraged the purchase and even the seemingly poorer content didn't affect the positive reception of this DLC, which, as we mentioned, focuses on expanding the lore of Dead Cells.

Return to Castlevania DLC

And finally, the fresh and, in my opinion, best DLC for Dead Cells (being a fan of Castlevania has nothing to do with it...). Return to Castlevania was created with the full blessing of Konami, so we get four completely new locations (Castle's Outskirts, Dracula's Castle, Defiled Necropolis, Master's Keep), taken straight from the original. Guest appearances include the characters known from the Castlevania series (Alucard, Richter, Maria), and we'll face enemies such as Death or Dracula (in both forms). There are also 9 new opponents, 14 weapons and as many as 20 outfits (including the iconic Simon Belmont or Trevor skins for the protagonist). This DLC was more expensive than the rest ($10), but we think the price is completely justified.

Is it worth buying Dead Cells DLCs?

There's no indication that Evil Twin will end supporting Dead Cells with new DLCs, despite the game being almost five-years-old. The add-ons released so far are worth the price, even when they're bought individually. However, buying them in a single bundle will bring some benefits.

It not only lets you save a few dollars – it also adds more than a dozen hours to the experience. On top of that, if we wanted to complete each of them and get all the achievements, the game will last even for a few months. And this should answer the question of whether it's worth buying the DLCs for Dead Cells. The answer is simple. It's not only worth it – it's recommended!