If there was ever a crossover that made excellent sense from the second you mentioned it, Lifeless Cells and Castlevania can be that perfection. After I initially performed Lifeless Cells again in 2018, I couldn’t assist however really feel like this was some lengthy misplaced tackle Castlevania. There was simply one thing with how the sport felt, the enemies you encountered, and the general thriller to your journey that really felt like a Castlevania journey. Now, years later, we see this excellent mashup with such an iconic gaming franchise. The outcomes are nothing wanting phenomenal. It’s one of many few occasions a DLC comes out and really nails each side you need. Whereas it is perhaps on the shorter aspect, Return to Castlevania DLC is an absolute should purchase for any Castlevania fan on the market.
Return to Castlevania does precisely what I had wished it could do, which is to nail the feel and appear of Castlevania. There’ve been loads of video games to return out which have tried to scratch that Castlevania itch, however one thing has all the time been lacking. Castlevania video games had been unforgiving and also you didn’t have issues down. Enemies had been powerful and also you by no means knew what lurked across the subsequent nook. Return to Castlevania does an important job creating this sense. It is likely one of the few Castlevania model video games lately to actually get that feeling down.
The opposite excellent side of Return to Castlevania DLC is its unbelievable soundtrack. I grew up enjoying the Castlevania video games, and people soundtracks are buried deep into my gaming thoughts. But one way or the other, what’s been finished in Return to Castlevania is completely phenomenal. It takes these traditional Castlevania tracks and makes them sound so good. It’s that second when Vampire Slayer begins enjoying that my mind immediately goes into Castlevania mode and bounces together with the track. Critically, take a second to easily seek for the Return to Castlevania soundtrack. The composers nailed their renditions of the traditional Castlevania tracks and are actually value a pay attention even in case you don’t play the sport.
The factor with Return to Castlevania is that it’s in the end rooted utterly in Lifeless Cells gameplay. That is the place some individuals will little doubt really feel a bit blended. Whereas Lifeless Cells performed extraordinarily properly, there have been many who performed it who felt that the sport felt bizarre. The general motion and fight felt somewhat off, needing the participant to be extraordinarily aggressive in almost each fight situation. Nonetheless different gamers (like myself) thought that it was completely flawless and the aggressive playstyle precisely what I might need. Return to Castlevania DLC performs precisely like Lifeless Cells. Which means that your enjoyment of how the sport in the end feels might be instantly tied to the way you suppose the unique Lifeless Cells felt. Should you felt that the controls felt somewhat off, like one thing wasn’t fairly proper within the general motion, then Return to Castlevania received’t change that. It feels precisely like the bottom sport. Now in case you’re somebody who loved Lifeless Cells, then be joyful to know you’ll expertise much more of that gameplay in Return to Castlevania.
One destructive of enjoying Return to Castlevania is that its brief play time left me feeling considerably dissatisfied. Don’t get me fallacious, the Return to Castlevania DLC is phenomenal, and I beloved each minute of it. Nonetheless, simply whenever you lastly get within the full groove of how the sport performs, it’s over. You may full the DLC in simply a few hours and but it’s the ultimate half hour the place all the things clicks in such a means that you simply want you possibly can preserve going longer. Whereas I admire not having a DLC that overstays its welcome, I can’t assist however really feel a bit dissatisfied that it’s over so quickly.
Total, Lifeless Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is an absolute triumph that everybody ought to play. It’s one of many few occasions we get a DLC to a contemporary sport that completely nails the traditional gaming franchise it took inspiration from. The sport seems to be, sounds, and completely performs like a traditional Castlevania journey. The soundtrack will depart you jamming in your head for hours at iconic Castlevania tunes. Its general shorter sport size will in the end disappoint you, because the DLC is so good you would like it didn’t finish as quickly because it does.
Right here’s hoping Konami decides to make a brand new Castlevania sport, as a result of Lifeless Cells: Return to Castlevania is improbable. Anybody who’s trying to scratch that Castlevania itch, or trying to get into the Castlevania franchise for the primary time, ought to completely take a look at Return to Castlevania. Now, in case you don’t thoughts, I’m going to return to take heed to Vampire Slayer for the 800th time.
