If there ever was a crossover that made perfect sense from the moment you said it, Dead Cells and Castlevania would be that perfect. There was something about the way the game felt, the enemies encountered, and the overall mystery of the adventure that really felt like a Castlevania adventure. Now, years later, we’re seeing great mashups with such iconic game franchises. The results are astounding. This is one of the few DLC’s he has that truly nail all the necessary aspects. It may be short, but the Return to Castlevania DLC is an absolute must-buy for any Castlevania fan.
Return to Castlevania does exactly what I wanted. It’s about nailing Castlevania’s look and feel. A lot of games have come out that tried to drown out the Castlevania itch, but there was always something missing. The opponents were tough and I didn’t know what was lurking in the next corner. Return to Castlevania does a great job of creating this feeling, and he’s one of the few Castlevania-style games in recent years that really makes it feel soothing.
Another great thing about the Return to Castlevania DLC is the incredible soundtrack. I grew up playing Castlevania games, and those soundtracks are embedded deep in my gaming mind. Still, somehow, what’s done with Return to Castlevania is absolutely amazing.It takes a classic Castlevania track and makes it sound so good. As soon as Vampire Slayer starts playing, my brain instantly goes into Castlevania mode and bounces to the tune. Seriously, just do a quick search for the Back to Castlevania soundtrack.
What makes Return to Castlevania special is that it ultimately grounds itself completely into Dead Cells gameplay. This is no doubt a little complicated for some. Dead Cells played very well, but many who played it found the game strange. Overall movement and combat felt a little off, requiring players to be very aggressive in nearly every combat scenario. Yet other players (like me) thought it was absolutely perfect and the aggressive playstyle was exactly what I wanted. Return to Castlevania DLC plays exactly like Dead Cells. This means that enjoying how the game ends up feeling is directly tied to how the original Dead Cells felt. , if the controls feel a little off, returning to Castlevania won’t change that either. If you’ve enjoyed Dead Cells, then you’ll be happy to know that Return to Castlevania lets you experience that gameplay even more.
One of the downsides of playing Return to Castlevania is that it was short and somewhat disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, the Return to Castlevania DLC was phenomenal and I loved every moment of it. However, when you finally hit the full groove of how the game plays, that’s it. , I would like to continue for a long time. I’m grateful that there isn’t more DLC than I expected, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that it ended so quickly.
Overall, Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is an absolute win that everyone should play. It’s one of the few instances where you can get his DLC for a modern game that completely nails the classic game franchise it inspired. This game looks, sounds and plays like a classic Castlevania adventure. The soundtrack will have you jamming in your head for hours with iconic Castlevania tunes. The overall short game length will ultimately let you down.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is great, so I hope Konami decides to create a new Castlevania game. Anyone wanting to scratch their Castlevania itch, or just getting into the Castlevania franchise for the first time, should definitely check out Return to Castlevania.
