Heilige Kreuz(ung)

The year is 2023 and I still haven't gotten around to playing Castlevania or Dead Cells,, let alone its crossover DLC, Return to Castlevania. Yet the music promises great things. What began in The Queen and the Sea is continued here in the form of brute electric guitar riffs (Vampire Killer, Beginning, The Tragic Prince).

At the same time, the 31-track score with the Collector’s Versions also offers quieter passages with a fantasy aesthetic reminiscent of the first Trine with their fantasy aesthetic. In contrast, Dracula’s Castle (Ghost Dance) sounds like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at the beginning. Quotes such as Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears or Lost Paintings evoke pleasant memories of Konami's gothic horror action adventure. And with Vampire Killer (Librarian Shop), a pinch of the Orient has found its way into the game.

It seems that composer Yoann Laulan has successfully fused the Asian interpretations of European soundscapes from the Castlevania-series with the Dead Cells-DNA. The result is an interesting composition that allows the vampiric prince of darkness to wander between the two worlds. And with the eleven 8-bit demakes, there's even more of a retro feel to be enjoyed. For more information, you can also read this interview with Laulan .