One of the best roguelikes on PC is getting a farewell of sorts this week. Twitchy slashfest Dead Cells received its final major update, introducing new enemies, fresh weapons, and a few mutations. Unfortunately, all this new stuff is very cursed.
In other words, it all toys with the game's "curse" status effect, a hex that causes you to be killed if you take even a single hit. You'll probably die a few times as a result of this update, which in some ways is a fitting finalé for this fast-paced jar smasher of a game. You can see the new features in the trailer below.
Usually, you suffer the "curse" status by agreeing to open cursed chests in a risk-reward gamble for good gear. It's a Faustian bargain that plops a number over your head - kill that amount of enemies to lift the curse. But take even a teeny weeny bit of damage and you are toast.
With this final update, there are going to be some new ways to catch the curse, and new ways to benefit from it. Enemies like the Doom Bringer and Curser will curse you with their attacks. And a new "cursed flask" will let you regain health infinitely but you'll also take a stack of curse with every slurp.
There's also a mutation that increases your damage by 30% if you're cursed. The new mobs won't appear randomly like other enemies, though. They only appear in biomes marked as "cursed".
You'll see a special skull showing this is the case before entering the area, letting you make the decision to face those creeps or take another rout.