Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Review (Sherlock Van Helsing)
There are few franchises that have changed, evolved, and influenced the gaming landscape as much as Castlevania. Over thirty years, its entries have ranged from genre-defining classics (Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse for 8-bit side-scrolling adventures and Symphony of the Night for exploratory Metroidvanias) to ambitious failed experiments (the chaotic multiplayer of Harmony of Despair and the smartphone-exclusive Grimoire of Souls). The series has laid dormant since the critical and commercial disappointment of Lords of Shadow 2, existing exclusively through a strong Netflix animated show and revamped collections of previous titles.
While the absence of the vampire-hunting clan of the Belmonts may be felt amongst fans who grew up with Konami’s flagpole IP, there have been plenty of developers (both large and small) that took the gothic setting, monstrous creatures, and multi-layered level design to push the genre into new directions. One such game is 2018’s Dead Cells, a highly addictive and very humorous roguelike homage to Castlevania. Thanks to an ingeniously rewarding gameplay loop and constant updates (both free and paid) from developer Motion Twin, Dead Cells has stayed among the top charts of most-played indie games of recent years.
The game is back with a surprise collaboration, as Motion Twin convinced Konami to let them create new content set within the universe of Castlevania. Enter Return to Castlevania, the fifth DLC for Dead Cells and the first one to feature a non-independent licensed property. With two new biomes (the outskirts and inside of Dracula’s castle), three bosses, a dozen new enemies, and fourteen weapons straight from the game, there is plenty of bank for everyone’s buck. Getting the chance to meet series staples like Alucard, Richter Belmont, and Maria through the game’s highly stylized 2D visuals is an absolute treat for fans who grew up with that series.
You can read the full review on Cult Following.