Dead Cells’ Return to Castlevania DLC is joyous roguelike fan service

polygon.com:

Dead Cells’ development studio, Motion Twin, has never been bashful about leaning into the roguelite’s Castlevania-inspired roots. From the 2D side-scrolling medieval levels to the Metroidvania-esque exploration systems that hinge on finding new exploration abilities, it’s obvious that Dead Cells owes a lot to games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. So it comes as little surprise that the team convinced Konami to hand over the Castlevania license to be fully integrated into the world of Dead Cells.

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It’s a big step for Motion Twin, which, thus far, has only teamed up with other indies for costume collaborations. Blending in a major, established franchise like Castlevania is another step entirely. And thankfully, the studio pulls it off swimmingly.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is the fourth paid DLC for the game, and, at $10, it’s also the most expensive of the bunch. But for lovers of Castlevania, there’s a cornucopia of glorious fan service hiding within.

As with Dead Cells’ past DLC packs, Return to Castlevania adds a new path through the game, bringing you to the outskirts of Dracula’s castle, over its well-worn drawbridge, and into the depths of despair that lie within. In practical terms, it consists of basically two new “biomes” inspired by the outer walls and the inner sanctum