Vampire Survivors’ Ode to Castlevania is more than just a tribute

Action-survival roguelike Vampire Survivors is already one of the best deals in gaming. For five bucks, you get an endlessly replayable time sink that’s stuffed with unlockable characters, dozens of weapons to experiment with, and clever secrets to discover. The game’s most recent add-on, Ode to Castlevania, somehow manages to make the original offering feel anemic by comparison. 

Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania under-promises what it actually offers for an extra $3.99. This is more than just a love letter to three decades of Castlevania games; it’s an exhaustive homage to the very inspiration behind Vampire Survivors.

Ode to Castlevania includes a massive new stage to explore, one that’s vaguely Dracula’s Castle-shaped. There’s some inspiration from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night to its structure, as the map includes recreations of boss arenas and teleportation rooms that can zip you around its huge 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 “20-plus new characters,” including various Belmonts, Belnades, good ol’ Alucard, and plenty of series deep cuts. Without spoiling any surprises, “20-plus” is hilariously underselling just 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 scrounging for XP and strategizing their randomized build. But Ode to Castlevania includes massive amounts of secrets, new weapons to equip (including eight new whips alone), and more than a few surprising variations on standard Vampire Survivors gameplay. Players will easily sink dozens of hours into the DLC to experience everything.

Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania offers more than just more. It’s something of a glow-up for the game too, as the enemy sprites borrowed from and inspired by the 2D Castlevania games are nicer than what Poncle’s offered in the past — some of which felt like knock-off, legally distinct versions of graphic elements made by Konami. And for the Castlevania music enthusiast, 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 that led to Vampire Survivors’ creation is on display here. With Ode to Castlevania, the 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 X, giving nearly everyone the opportunity to enjoy a piece of Castlevania nostalgia.