The vampire-fighting Belmont family were not the faces fans were expecting to see during 2022's Game Awards -- but that doesn't mean they weren't well-received. Gamers were not shocked to hear that the successful 2018 roguelike-Metroidvania hybrid Dead Cells was receiving DLC, but it was a surprise to hear that the DLC would take the form of an official crossover with Castlevania, the franchise that helped inspire it. The announcement of the Dead Cells DLC could be good news for the Castlevania franchise, which has not seen a new installment in nearly a decade.

The announcement of Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania was the first major reveal during the pre-show of the 2022 Game Awards, officially kicking off the event prior to any awards being handed out. It was shown off in the form of an animated trailer showcasing The Prisoner, the protagonist of Dead Cells, fighting alongside Richter Belmont and Alucard as they take down Dracula. Fans can already tell that lots of love has been put into the crossover, especially when a remix of iconic Castlevania track "Bloody Tears" played during the trailer.

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Dead Cells Draws Inspiration From Castlevania

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The developers of Dead Cells revealed the Castlevania series as a major inspiration behind the game, which took the award for Best Action Game at the 2018 Game Awards. Dead Cells centers around the Prisoner, who awakens with amnesia inside a mysterious prison. The Prisoner is immortal, but must possess the corpses of other prisoners in order to be able to move around and fight. As the Prisoner repeatedly attempts to escape the island on which he is trapped, the player gradually learns about how the island used to be a mighty kingdom before it was taken down by a mysterious plague called The Malaise. The design, plot, and mechanics of the game all draw heavily from Castlevania, especially the powerful bosses which the Prisoner must face.

So far, Dead Cells has received two DLC expansions, Rise of the Giant and The Queen and the Sea. Both allow the Prisoner to learn even more about the island's history, and introduce new locations such as a creepy, long-abandoned lighthouse. While the initial trailer for Return to Castlevania did not reveal much information about the DLC's plot, it is likely that it will see the Prisoner leave the Island and somehow travel to Dracula's domain, where he will apparently ally with the Belmonts and attempt to take down Dracula. Unfortunately, the trailer did not yet reveal how exactly the Prisoner gets to the Castlevania world, but hopefully more information in future trailers will clear up this mystery.

Fans Are Hoping for a New Castlevania Game

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The most recent game in the long-running Castlevania series was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which released in 2014 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It starred Dracula, who had previously primarily served as an antagonist to the Belmont family. The game received mixed reviews, in particular for the decision to force the player into stealth-based gameplay during several sections. While earlier Castlevania titles have received ports and re-releases over the years, and the franchise has been adapted into a well-received series on Netflix, no new titles have been announced, despite high fan demand.

Many fans of the series are hoping that the announcement of the Dead Cells collaboration mean that Konami or some collaborator may be working on another main series game in the franchise. Even if one is not currently in development, many are hopeful that the Return to Castlevania DLC for Dead Cells will re-ignite interest in the series and bring in many new Castlevania fans. While nothing has been set in stone, the announcement of new Castlevania-themed content after so long is enough to leave many fans feeling optimistic. No release date has officially been announced for the Dead Cells DLC, but more information will be revealed at a later date.

Dead Cells is currently available for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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