A Useless Cells animated collection is coming in 2024, however untangling the game’s patchwork story is a frightening job
On: June 15, 2023
I really like each single one in all Useless Cells’ animated trailers—they’re humorous, well-produced, and hit me right in my weak spot for chunky and expressive linework. I am not, nonetheless, totally certain how the writers and animators are going to dig up a compelling narrative from Useless Cell’s bloated, five-year-long story.
Useless Cells – The Animated Sequence will likely be made by Bobbypills—the identical workforce liable for their trailers—and co-produced by the French Animation Digital Community. It is set to span 10 seven-minute episodes and can “initially be unique to France earlier than being made accessible worldwide” in 2024.
Whereas I am assured the collection will likely be good enjoyable, ‘good enjoyable’ would not carry a great story. They’ve added loads of lore and worldbuilding to the 2018 roguelike since my preliminary excursions because the Beheaded, however the act of tying these threads collectively right into a single narrative is a large job. I can solely think about that Movement Twin’s narrative docs resemble the dizzying internet of biomes and interconnected tunnels which make the game itself.
There’s additionally the difficulty of tone. Bobbypill’s type is loud, messy, grownup, and charming, with killer motion sequences and a few nice sight gags. I am significantly a fan of their trailer for Useless Cells: The Dangerous Seed, a DLC from 2020, which flexes their chops for kinetic motion. It will feel and appear spectacular.
I fear, nonetheless, that the studio’s distinctive appeal will rot away when it is dragged out over the course of an hour. It is one factor to function compelling eye-candy for a game with an already-strong visible id, it is one other to carry a selected tongue in that exact cheek for 70 complete minutes.
Very similar to the loveable Beheaded—who meets a grim destiny in nearly each trailer Bobbypill’s animated—I am not totally assured they’ll pull this off, however I will be rooting for them as they struggle.
