Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania
PC/XBOX/PS/SWITCH
10/31/24
Poncle
In my mind, the Castlevania franchise always made perfect sense as a crossover DLC pack for Vampire Survivors. Just recently we saw Contra enter the fray, another classic Konami property, so I can't say I am all that surprised that the Belmonts were next on the list. It’s exciting nonetheless, and after spending numerous hours attempting to discover the secrets of Dracula’s castle, I can confidently say this is the BIGGEST expansion pack the series has seen so far. But did Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania suck the life out of me? Or did it have me crying bloody tears? Let’s find out in our full review!
As a huge fan of Vampire Survivors, I have enjoyed just about every piece of expansion content that the game has received. What’s not to love? We’ve seen everything from Contra to Among Us introduced to this universe, with each pack featuring new maps, characters, songs, and more. To be honest, I am not one that revisits games very often, mostly due to my insane work schedule, but it's a testament to the addictiveness of Vampire Survivors that I always find myself gravitating back towards it. I also happen to be a huge fan of the Castlevania series, with my love for the franchise dating back to the early NES days.Â
The long running joke with Vampire Survivors is that it doesn’t feature any vampires. Surely this Ode to Castlevania content will remedy that issue, right? Well, I won’t spoil that here, but what I will say is that Ode to Castlevania is packed with content and secrets that make it a no brainer purchase for both fans of the original Vampire Survivors release, and newcomers alike. Even putting my fandom for Castlevania aside, this is in my humble opinion the best piece of expansion content that we have seen for the game so far.Â
In Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania you are once again tasked with surviving on a massive map for as long as possible while trying to take down an assortment of bosses from the Castlevania franchise. I’m not going to sit here and explain Vampire Survivors gameplay to you in detail because odds are if you are watching this video, (or reading this review) you know how this works, but the core gameplay loop of the game as you know it remains ever present. This DLC has you exploring both the outer and inner workings of Dracula’s castle, which is chalk full of secrets to be discovered.
Dracula’s Castle isn’t just fun to explore, it's nostalgic heaven for fans of Castlevania. You’ll encounter bosses and enemies from all throughout its storied history. Newly orchestrated versions of classic themes will accompany your fight for survival, and over 40 new weapons help to give you a swinger's chance. Amongst those weapons are a variety of whips and other iconic weapons and spells that fans will instantly recognize. The castle itself also calls back to different eras of Castlevania that will send chills down the spine of late 80s and 90s era gamers. Basically, this is an incredible tribute to Castlevania as a whole.
If the weapons and iconic enemies and bosses weren’t enough, this DLC also features over 20 new characters all of which are either themed around or originally featured in Castlevania history. From Simon to Trevor, it is an absolute delight to use these characters on the Castlevania map, but they can also be selected and used across the entirety of the game. It’s not just about the Belmonts either, as other characters appear that only hardcore Castlevania fans will be able to recognize, but they’ll be over the moon when they do. Without giving too much away, not every character uses a whip as some are also spellcasters. There’s a nice balance of characters overall that are almost all fun to use for different reasons. Worried about being attached to one weapon depending on who you select? Fear not, as a weapon selector is available for each character allowing you to change things up.Â
For as much as I enjoyed all of the new characters and weapons in this DLC, the real star of the show would be the new Castlevania themed level. This is the largest map to date for Vampire Survivors, and it feels like it. Players may even feel slightly overwhelmed at times, though thankfully a map of the castle can be found that offers some guidance. Even with that map, there are teleport points, hidden passages, and long hallways full of secrets to be found and bosses to defeat. I even found a 2D section which threw me for a loop but was an absolute riot.Â
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania is a great addition to the game and offers amazing value at a low cost. If you are a fan of the Castlevania franchise and happen to love Vampire Survivors as much as I do, what are you waiting for? I haven’t even been able to talk about the biggest secret of all, but I will let you discover that for yourselves. Are you still wondering if the game finally has a vampire in it? Grab this DLC and find out for yourself.
GREAT
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