Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania – Review
Roguelikes aren’t my cup of tea, thus I’m not the greatest fan. Although I now avoid them somewhat less often than before, including this minor factor among the game’s features still isn’t a good method to get my attention. Still, Castlevania is one of my favourite games. If you really want to make me salivate, include that whole name (not “Metroidvania”; see below) in your press release. That extra Castlevania content convinced me to buy Dead Cells entirely.
Since Castlevania had a major influence on Dead Cells, the inclusion of properly licenced Castlevania downloadable content is a natural fit. It turns out to be a terrific addition not only because it adds themed stages, but also because the unlocks you gain from completing them improve the Castlevania tastes of the main game.
The Return to Castlevania downloadable content is simple to initiate. It is possible to locate Alucard in the Prisoner’s Quarters if you have the flasks dangling outside the entrance. This simply means that, if you’re beginning from scratch, you’ll need a few (failed) runs in order to trigger his appearance. Next, you’ll head to the outskirts of the castle to begin your journey. Just two entire biomes and two boss areas are accessible. Nevertheless, you’ll need to enter Dracula’s Castle twice: once through the Prisoner’s Quarters to vanquish death, and again through the Clocktower.
It’s a little more convoluted than it has to be, but it’s not completely incomprehensible. After a squandered run or two trying to reach Drac, I finally figured out the regulations. It’s also a long trek back to Drac if you die trying to fight him, but that’s the nature of roguelikes. Dead Cells requires a significant time investment, as anyone who has played the game can attest. Although while a half-hour run isn’t that long compared to the entirety of the game, it can be frustrating when a single mistake might set you back several minutes.
It’s a gradual ascent. The failure rate is high, but the use of used cells improves the difficulty of succeeding runs. You learn new techniques and improve your existing ones. Finding your preferred weapon increases your chances of victory.
There are only two ecosystems in this package, but they pack a lot of nutritional punch. It’s a good buy for the money, but my main gripe is that it doesn’t have nearly as much Castlevania as I’d want.
There are technically three bosses, but only two boss rooms. Of course, there is Dracula; nevertheless, we also have Death and Medusa. The final showdown with Dracula is as terrible as it should be, with a significant difficulty bump that can test even the most prepared players.
The main game of Return to Castlevania is where you’ll get the most use out of the unlockables. I was worried that the downloadable content would be a separate experience, yet it works well with the main game. Holy water and Maria’s cat Byakko are only two of the famous Castlevania weapons you can acquire. Then you can use them to play the original games. While it may not seem like much, it adds to the overall sense that you’re playing Castlevania.
Also, the Prisoner has unlocked cosmetics. The fact that Maria was one of my first unlockables is very satisfying. Richter, Simon, and Trevor are there, along with a few random bystanders. It’s a breeze to finish the illusion with this.
Much better is the music that has been remixed. Vampire Killer’s cover art is arguably the best adaptation, whereas I was underwhelmed with Divine Bloodlines’s treatment. On the whole, nevertheless, I’m keen on acquiring this score.
You must be familiar with Dead Cells before attempting Return to Castlevania. There is simply no escaping it. You’d be wise to give Dead Cells a shot because it’s a real treat.
What elevates Return to Castlevania is the ability to transform Dead Cells into a Castlevania roguelike, and a rather solid one at that. The downloadable content is an excellent tribute to one of the games that was influential in the development of Dead Cells. To be frank, I’d be happy to make a Castlevania sequel out of a lot of other games. So, Mario, what gives you such a bad feeling? So, you think you can take on Castlevania and win? Now that you’re clearly not, arm yourself with this leather armour and a whip. Well, that’s just strange sounding.
