Action-survival roguelike Vampire survivors is already one of the best deals in gaming. For five dollars you get an endlessly replayable time bin full of unlockable characters, dozens of weapons to experiment with, and clever secrets to discover. The game’s most recent add-on, Ode to Castlevaniasomehow manages to make the original offering feel anemic in comparison.
Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania Underpromises what it actually offers for an extra $3.99. This is more than just a love letter to three decades of Castlevania games; it is an elaborate tribute to the inspiration behind it Vampire survivors.
Ode to Castlevania features a huge new level to explore, one vaguely shaped like Dracula’s Castle. Some inspiration comes from it Castlevania: Symphony of the Night to its structure, as the map features recreations of boss arenas and teleportation chambers that can zip you around its massive footprint. But exploring on foot is one of the best ways to appreciate what developer Poncle has built here with its tribute to the Metroidvania-style maps that repopularized the Castlevania series.
Poncle advertised Ode to Castlevania with “over twenty new characters,” including several Belmonts, Belnades, good old Alucard, and many deep cuts from the series. Without spoiling any surprises, ’20-plus’ hilariously highlights how many new characters players can unlock and play with in the DLC.
The action itself hasn’t changed much. Veteran Vampire survivors players will fall right into the game’s routine of dodging hordes of enemies while clamoring for XP and deciding on their random build. But Ode to Castlevania contains huge amounts of secrets, new weapons to equip (including eight new whips alone), and more than a few surprising variations on the standard Vampire survivors fun. Players can easily delve into the DLC for dozens of hours to experience everything.
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania offers more than just more. It’s also a boost for the game, as the enemy sprites borrowed from and inspired by the 2D Castlevania games are more fun than what Poncle has offered in the past – some of which felt like knock-off, legally different versions of graphics made by Konami. And for the Castlevania music lover, virtually every memorable tune and theme from that series is represented here in some form.
Ode to Castlevania is a fitting title for Poncle’s latest expansion for Vampire survivors. It’s clear that the love for the franchise led to this Vampire survivors‘ creation can be seen here. Of Ode to Castlevaniathe game’s creators are now sharing that love with all of us.
Vampire survivors And Ode to Castlevania are available on Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series