We really hope we get some news about a brand new Castlevania game soon. But until then, the Return to Castlevania DLC for Dead Cells will do.
Dead Cells is no stranger to fun crossovers, but one featuring Castlevania we did not expect. What’s more, Return to Castlevania is the biggest DLC for Dead Cells yet. Add this DLC to your library and you’ll be able to access two new biomes, encounter three new bosses, and more, such as new weapons, enemies and costumes. Put it this way: you can even play Dead Cells as Dracula if you want – you’ve just got to put some effort in.
As ever, Return to Castlevania is woven into the main game seamlessly. Take your time to explore the starting area on your next run, and soon enough you’ll find Richter, who asks for your help regarding a troubling matter he has. From there you can enter a new area – the Castle Outskirts – and indeed, return to Castlevania.
While everything remains true to Dead Cells‘ art style, Castlevania fans will find plenty of familiar things as they delve into the Return to Castlevania content. Its two biomes, for example, may not be exactly how you remember them, but they certainly are identifiable as being Castlevania-inspired. And then there are the enemies, such as skeletons that throw bones, axe-wielding knights and harpies: they’re not just ripped out of Castlevania, but rather reimagined.
While there’s not much to the story of Return to Castlevania if you’re a skilled Dead Cells player, the amount of content the DLC adds to the entire package is fairly considerable overall. It will take you a while, for example, to discover and unlock all of the weapons it offers, which include the iconic Vampire Killer. The same goes for the outfits. And once you have them, they make Dead Cells simply more enjoyable to play in general.
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The real draw here, though, especially if you’re an ardent Castlevania fan, is the introduction of a wealth of music tracks. Not only does Return to Castlevania feature 12 reimagined tracks for you to journey along to as you explore the new biomes, but you can also play the entire game while enjoying an alternate soundtrack comprised of over 50 classic tracks. It certainly does the trick for us.
So, whether you want to hunt down Dracula while listening to a new arrangement of Bloody Tears, or blast through Dead Cells‘ original biomes with a classic track blaring out, Return to Castlevania has you covered. And even if you’re not a Castlevania fan, the new biomes, bosses and other extras here are bound to prove enticing. It hasn’t quite satiated our desire for a brand new Castlevania game, but it has at least provided aa very good reason to return to Dead Cells.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC.
