If you’ve been following the works of Motion Twin, you will agree that they are known for creating immersive and challenging gameplay experiences with their amazing Indie games. The Dead Cells series is my favorite, and I was to explore their latest release, Return to Castlevania. Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is an exciting new video game that was released on March 6, 2023. The game was published by Motion Twin Scop ARl and developed by Evil Empire and Motion Twin. Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania offers a unique blend of platform, fighting, and adventure genres. It is currently available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows platforms and is sure to captivate gamers of all levels. 

The Best Crossover Yet!

If you’re a fan of roguelike games, you’ve probably heard of Dead Cells. And if you’re a fan of classic action-platformer games, you’ve probably heard of Konami’s Castlevania series. But have you ever imagined a crossover between the two? Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania brought it out of our imaginations and made it a reality.

As you would imagine, return to Castlevania beautifully combines the base game of Dead Cells with the iconic characters, weapons, music, and locations of Castlevania. They succeeded in creating something unique and wholesome yet so familiar. The castle itself takes center stage and feels alive, with a more traditional story structure that is less mysterious than the connect-the-dots style of the past.

I also loved how they executed the crossover fantasy and the general view of Castlevania. Anyone could see that the creators put so much work into bringing it into the Dead Cells’ world, and it was wonderful. The same challenging and engaging Dead Cells action is present, which may leave players in tears of frustration or joy by the end, depending on how good you are at the game.

So Many New Additions I Lost Count at Some Point

What made Return to Castlevania even more exciting than the other Dead Cells games is that they added new weapons, enemies, bosses, and outfits to make the gameplay more interesting and engaging. These improvements were sure to make this game stand out from its predecessors. The gameplay in Return to Castlevania is fast-paced and exciting, where they have you engaging in some quick sword action and the satisfying moves of hitting (or rather pounding) your enemies on the ground. 

The best part is that you could even bash through different doors during combat to defeat a colorful pool of monsters and enemies. The new weapons added were also a welcome improvement, as I love the satisfaction of being provided with enough weapon options in any game. Interestingly, the game also allows you to use weapons, blueprints, and outfits from the original Dead Cells games across the board, giving you even more options to explore. I also noticed that there were many more challenges and surprises around every corner.

Explore the Unbelievable Powers of the Death Scythe

I was so glad when I found out that Motion Twin brought back our favorite Castlevania weapons, especially the holy water and the cross. The classic vampire-killing machine that hardly ever failed. When I thought nothing could top this revelation, the new Death’s scythe showed up majestically, and I wasn’t prepared for its amazing features. This double-sided weapon damages enemies and converts them into a spectral army that attacks other enemies and explodes on impact. 

Yeah, it’s amazing. This type of creation makes battling new enemies like skeletons and werewolves an unforgettable experience. Furthermore, encountering a few new enemies from the Castlevania series that I could attack with my new Death Scythe added to the immersive experience, making me feel like I’ve been transported to a fantastic world of violence and adventure.

Dracula’s Castle Features So Many Levels, You’ll Have to be an Expert to Reach Him

Dracula’s Castle comprises different areas or levels, including the exterior grounds and the interior. Each ground is packed with amazing features that surpass previous Dead Cells updates. Once you step into Dracula’s domain, you will find the soundtracks of legendary songs like Vampire Killer Welcoming. 

If you’ve been playing the Dead Cells or the Castlevania games, it will be easier to defeat the monsters and obstacles awaiting you at Dracula’s outer grounds. You could use your prior skills and experience to maneuver your way through anything the castle throws at you. The castle’s yard serves as some kind of testing ground to determine whether you are worthy enough to enter Dracula’s domain. When you finally get in, you must ascend several floors before reaching his doorstep. You will be met with more obstacles than you can imagine. The positioning and difficulty level of the obstacles you will meet is a clever way of demonstrating the magnitude of the danger posed by the iconic vampire. 

Getting Weapons Aren’t That Difficult

Like any roguelike game, the more weapons you accumulate, the higher your chances of defeating your enemies. This method is no different in Return to Castlevania, as you need as many weapons as possible to defeat the new enemies Dead Cells introduced, like Medusa, Buer, and Throw Master. To get most of the weapons in this expansion, you will need to find a blueprint for them. However, you should note that you can’t use the weapon immediately, even after finding the blueprint. You need to collect a certain number of Cells first. The good news is not all weapons require you to collect cells. Also, it is usually easy to identify them as they are marked with asterisks.  

You can get a few weapons without collecting Cells, which are marked with asterisks. These weapons include Alucard’s Shield, Maria’s Cat, and the Morning Star. You can obtain them by simply fulfilling the indicated unlock requirements.

Conclusion

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is hands down one of my favourite roguelike games, and the crossover with Castlevania just got the gameplay to a whole new level. This new expansion brings so many exciting improvements that make it an engaging gameplay for new players and fans of the Dead Cells series.