Taking on the challenge of creating a soundtrack based on a beloved franchise, especially in a commercial release that more people are likely to hear and scrutinize, had to have been daunting. This is often the case when fans are allowed the opportunity to show love to a series or franchise that inspired them. It’s clear from the start that the entirety of Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania was crafted with all sorts of love and care for its source material while also being very Dead Cells. The demakes certainly aren’t annoying, but I also found myself more likely to just pass on them. However that sort of music is tough to pull off because it can be hard to make a song super catchy and not a bunch of annoying beeps and boops. This isn’t to say that I hate old-school 8-bit music. None of the tracks were inherently bad, and a few I even somewhat enjoyed, but on the whole they were relatively boring, especially compared to the rest of the soundtrack. This all being said, I found the latter half of the soundtrack, which consists of 8-bit demakes, to be underwhelming. Even after multiple listens, this was the track I always thought about and found myself humming well after I was finished listening. The two styles previously mentioned complement each other rather than compete, making for a wholly unique sound. It exemplifies the overall theme and sound Yoann was going for the most, and I often found myself either drumming along to the beat or bobbing my head up and down. I’d like to give special attention to the track “Tragic Prince” however, as this was one of the standout tracks of the album. It’s a delicate balance to maintain two different styles in any kind of music, but Yoann managed it very well with Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania. While the soundtrack does have that rock motif, there’s plenty of other instrumentation, which makes both orchestral and rock elements feel subdued, but not underwhelming. This was intentional of course, as composer Yoann Laulan made the music with the intent of just being “ Castlevania with a Dead Cells vibe,” and it works very well.Ĭastlevania remixes tend to favor a single genre, often rock. Neither one of these elements necessarily overpowers the other, making for a good mix. The next song, “Vampire Killer,” is a blend of orchestral and light rock. From here, the rest of the soundtrack is a solid mix of all the classical songs you’d expect from anything Castlevania. Just like the original, this is a slow and somewhat subdued acoustic track which adds in very light vocals around the first minute. Starting off, we have an excellent acoustic rendition of “Prayer,” the file select music from Symphony of the Night. Needless to say, this DLC’s soundtrack did not disappoint. Even we here at RPGFan found it surprising! Once I heard about it, my initial thought was that there would be Castlevania music, and even if I wasn’t a fan of Dead Cells and its roguelike gameplay, I was still very hungry for some new Castlevania remixes. Finding out about it was quite a shock, to say the least. No one expected the hit indie game Dead Cells to have Castlevania DLC (aptly entitled Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania). Unfortunately, thanks to a certain company making certain choices which I won’t get into here but that I’m sure most of you already know about, anything Castlevania is all but dead as Dracula himself in the sunlight. The very foundation Castlevania helped to build in terms of VGM is still present in modern games. From the triumphant “Vampire Killer” to the somber yet beautiful quietude of “Lost Paintings,” the series’ music has cemented itself up on high for the rest of time. There’s a level of powerful consistency with these games: no matter your opinion on the quality of the game itself, the music is guaranteed to be legendary. 05 – The Tragic Prince (Collector’s Version)Ģ1 – Beginning (Collector’s Version) (8 Bit Demake)Ģ2 – The Tragic Prince (Collector’s Version) (8 Bit Demake)Ģ3 – Dracula’s Castle (Ghost Dance) (8 Bit Demake)Ģ4 – Vampire Killer (Librarian Shop) (8 Bit Demake)Ģ9 – Bloody Tears (Ending) (8 Bit Demake)ģ0 – Divine Bloodlines (Ending) (8 Bit Demake)ģ1 – Dead Cells Theme (Ghost Dance) (8 Bit Demake)Īmongst the upper echelons of VGM, Castlevania must surely be there alongside Super Mario, Zelda and Mega Man.
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