Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania combines one of 2017's best games with a timeless classic

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Dracula, Alucard, and the Belmonts join the Dead Cells universe

Dead Cells
(Image credit: Motion Twin/Konami)

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is about to bring the 'vania back to the roguelike Metroidvania with a piece of crossover DLC announced at The Game Awards live.

The DLC will launch in the first quarter of 2023. There aren't many details on what we can expect from the release, but the animated trailer which accompanied the announcement features Dead Cells' protagonist joining up with Alucard and Richter Belmont to take on Dracula himself, for proper Symphony of the Night vibes.

The trailer even features a few classic Castlevania tunes, including Bloody Tears, so it seems we're getting a properly authentic Castlevania experience here.

While Konami has been a bit of a sore topic among gaming fans in recent years, the company has recently been making efforts to revive its classic franchises, and it's been working with external developers to do so. Most recently, the company announced a massive slate of new entries in its beloved horror series, including a Silent Hill 2 remake, Silent Hill f, Silent Hill Ascension, and Silent Hill: Townfall. A Metal Gear Solid trilogy remaster is also reportedly in the works.

Motion Twin has been promising that 2023 would be Dead Cells' biggest year since launch, and this Castlevania crossover is a great way to start.

Check out the most notable new indie games for 2022 for more to keep on your radar.

Dustin Bailey
Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.