Taylor explains why the latest DLC is a must-have for Dead Cells fans.
Return to Castlevania is an excellent chunk of DLC that not only adds a ton of content but also gets to the core of the original’s inspirations, speaking to the true nature of what the devs wanted to make from the outset. They’ve wanted to make a modern take on Symphony of the Night, and they’ve fully achieved that and more. Visually it’s as great as all of Dead Cells is, the amount of weapons and detail callbacks to Konami’s series are prevalent, and the music reimagines the Symphony of the Night soundtrack. The experience self proves that a lot of love went into its development.
The DLC’s challenge is good too, providing solid difficulty across the board and adding to the time we play. It’s not a walk in the park, in other words, and makes even a 40-minute playthrough become extended. In fact the hardest part is the fact that while we get dropped right into Dracula’s castle, we can’t break the candelabras at the onset, one of the most common ideas in a Castlevania game, but thankfully there is a mode where we can. I’ve easily spent too much time sitting there trying to break them, so having to work that out in the beginning takes a brain shift. The “Richter” mode, in which we take on the character (as a skin), lets us use the whip to smash things, but it’s purposefully slower compared to the speed of the main game.
Dead Cells has been an amazing endeavor, making every weapon and every piece that’s come out of the collaborations work so well together, and this latest is no different. Return to Castlevania is a must for any Dead Cells fan, and probably even for those who haven’t played any version of the game yet.
This review is based on a Steam code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. It originally appeared on the March 8th, 2023 episode of The SideQuest. Logo, images, & game video courtesy Motion Twin & Evil Empire.
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