Vampire Survivors releases a Castlevania-themed DLC, with 20 new characters, forty new weapons, and a'monstrously huge stage'

Vampire Survivors is a game that takes a lot of inspirations from Castlevania. In the early days of Vampire Survivors, players accused the developer Luca Galante of ripping off Castlevania sprites. Galante later confirmed that they were actually from asset pack (even if it was almost like a copy). Ode to Castlevania, the latest DLC for the game, has been a long time in coming. It is one of the biggest extras the game has offered to fans.

"Vampire Survivors wouldn't have been the game it is today if Castlevania hadn't influenced it in the first place. This is the definition of a fantasy coming true," Galante writes in a blog. This is not your standard DLC. This is a celebration for this historical game series. It's a full-circle moment that we have put all our energy into.

The Ode to Castlevania, a DLC created in collaboration with Konami, adds more than 20 new characters, including pretty much all of the Castlevania heroes. The DLC includes Belmonts such as Simon, Richter and Trevor, as well as Belnades such as Sypha and Yoko and distant relatives such as Charlotte Aulin, Maria Renard and the Belnades. Over 40 new weapons are available for players to try out, including whips, spells and magic weapons, as well as projectiles and Glyphs. It'll take a while for players to find the character and weapon that suits them best.

The sheer size of the new stage is likely the most exciting aspect of this upcoming DLC. The Steam description says, "The new stage features many different biomes and is our largest yet." You'll see new icons on the map to help you navigate the stage. Galante goes so far as to say, "Please don't binge-watch it when it comes out: It's huge." IT'S BIG."

I'm glad there are measures to help players navigate this massive stage, because I'm used to fighting monsters at the mad forest or perhaps the inlaid libraries. This seems like a major upgrade that I am probably not ready for.

The final cherry is a new music selection of over 30 tracks, including remixes by Vampire Survivors composers Daniele Zandara & Filippo Vicarelli as well as fan favorites Evelyn Lark & Keygen Church! Patch 1.12 introduces Advanced Music Selection which will allow even the most experienced fans to choose the right soundtrack.

Vampire Survivors DLC: Ode to Castlevania will be released on October 31. It will cost $4/PS3/EUR4. It may be as expensive as the current base game, but it has taken a lot of effort to create: "This DLC was absolutely massive," Galante says. "I know that this might sound like hyperbole but you'll soon see why it isn't. The idea was to price the game at a similar level as Vampire Survivors, but with a lower price.