Ode to Castlevania DLC review – whip it! Today

It’s time to grab your garlic and holy water because the Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC is here. As Pocket Tactics’ resident Vampire Survivors fan – yes, I have all the achievements – I jumped at the chance to check out the new DLC ahead of its release, spending the last few nights busting out the whip Devo style and taking on all sorts of monsters. There are still no vampires; the game hasn’t abandoned its tongue-in-cheek approach for this expansion, but outside of that, this DLC crossover showcases the best of both Konami’s genre-defining franchise and poncle’s indie smash hit.

I have to caveat this review by pointing out that while I’m familiar with Castlevania, I’m by no means a super fan, so some of the in-game references might be a bit lost on me. I know the characters from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a couple of other familiar faces from the series, but that’s as far as it goes. Still, what I’m here for is that classic and almost concerningly engaging Vampire Surviors gameplay, the stuff that makes it one of the best Apple Arcade games, and I’m happy to say that the Ode to Castlevania DLC delivers that in droves.

Let’s start with the new map, Ode to Castlevania. When I wrote our Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell and Operation Guns reviews, I complimented poncle for its approach to making DLC maps bigger and better than those of the base game, but that is nothing compared to what we have on our hands here. Ode to Castlevania is a sprawling monster of a map, featuring a massive castle that feels like multiple levels from the base game tied together. Just as you think it can’t get any bigger, it does, and seeing the whole thing on the pause menu requires zooming out further than I ever have before.

In fact, the map is so big that it includes portals to help you find your way back to where your last run ended so you can continue your crusade through the castle. This is something new for the game; as with most other maps, you can get nearly everything done in one good run, especially once you unlock endless mode. That’s not an option here, not in my experience at least, but that’s a good thing, as not only does it keep you engaged and hunting for secrets, but it also gives you a chance to keep coming back to the map with new characters you unlock as you battle through the castle.

Moving onto new characters and weapons, here’s where it really gets exciting if you’re a Castlevania fan. There are over 20 new Castlevania icons to try out, including Leon, Sonia, and Simon Belmont, plus many more. I’m a big fan of Sonia in particular, with her Sonic Whip weapon busting through ghouls with ease and evolving into something even more devastating. As you might expect, whips are a big deal in this DLC, but none of them feel too similar, nor do their evolutions, and they all lend themselves to different build styles. There are also a couple of new unique drops that provide a health boost, which you need, even if you’re a VS veteran like me.

Still, the best thing about Ode to Castlevania is the return to the gothic aesthetic that a lot of us Vampire Survivors fans first fell in love with. All the DLC packs have been a lot of fun, but they veered more into the worlds of sci-fi and fantasy than the gothic core of the original game.

It’s no secret that Castlevania served as a big inspiration for Vampire Survivors, so this DLC sort of feels like the game returning to its roots, giving us grand castles, skeleton enemies, and brilliant boss battles. I’ve always been a fan of Vampire Survivors’ approach to bosses, but it gets even better both in terms of design and gameplay in this DLC, and there are plenty of big bads to contend with across the mammoth map.

Unfortunately, this slice of DLC doesn’t offer any Adventures content, but I already knew that after speaking with Luca Galante, the game’s creator, in our Vampire Survivors interview. However, it starts to make sense why there’s no update for that game mode after you play the DLC for a couple of hours, but I won’t ruin how here. Just trust me. There’s something of a twist, and it’s going to keep you coming back for even more Castlevania-inspired goodness.

Finally, I have to mention the music. Ode to Castlevania is full of reworked tracks from the series, including tunes like Successor of Fate and Tragic Prince, that sound fantastic and perfectly lend themselves to the intense gameplay. If I’m being entirely honest, I often find myself playing games like Vampire Survivors on mute with the TV or an audiobook on in the background, but after hearing the score for just a second, I turned the sound effects down and the volume up so I could jam out to some classic video game score while going ham on some creatures with a garlic-orientated build. That’s my happy place right there.

All-in-all, Ode to Castlevania is another in a long line of fantastic Vampire Survivors DLC offerings, showcasing once again that poncle is capable of taking some design risks without alienating those of us who haven’t been able to stop playing since first setting foot in Mad Forest over two years ago. Even after finishing this review, with countless other games on my plate, I’m counting down the hours until I can uncover more of the new map’s secrets and weapon evolutions. If that’s not the sign of a great bit of DLC, I don’t know what is.

There you have it, our Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC review, which you can now pick up yourself on mobile, Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation for $3.99. If you’re looking for more gothic games while you’re here, be sure to check out our picks for the best horror games and the best Roblox horror games.