A ragtime tune plays as I hop over a huge, monstrous enemy. A cruel mix of attacks fly towards player character Ms. Chalice, forcing me to dodge rhythmically while taking every opportunity to shoot my foe. After mere minutes that were so stressful they felt like an eternity, I have finally triumphed over another level of Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course.
It’s clear within moments of starting this DLC that The Delicious Last Course is well and truly one for the fans. In the simplest of terms, it’s more Cuphead, which is what we’d expect, of course. We’re talking more 1930s-style cartoon characters. More challenging levels. More punishing enemies. In fact, we’re talking more punishment in general
See one of the new levels from Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course here:
The premise of Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course is straightforward enough. Protagonists Cuphead and Mugman team up with the adorable spectre Ms. Chalice - who is now a playable character - in order to find the ingredients required to make a dish that will bring the latter back to the land of the living for good.
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These ingredients essentially take on the role of the contracts from the original game, meaning each one is guarded fiercely by a brutal opponent. I’m not big on spoiling things so I won’t be describing these enemies in detail, but I can say with some certainty that they all fit into the stereoscopic world of Cuphead. It’s also worth noting that beating levels on ‘Simple’ mode won’t yield ingredients, much the same as how contracts work.
Perhaps the biggest addition is Ms. Chalice herself. Equipped with a modified moveset that boasts double jumps and dodge rolls, this golden girl makes for a smoother gameplay experience in both the DLC and the core game. Honestly, I’ve seen no reason to go back to Cuphead or Mugman since unlocking Ms. Chalice.
The Delicious Last Course also delivers a new area to explore, full of fresh enemies and gauntlets, as well as additional charms and weapon arts to experiment with. Despite everything being new, it feels perfectly in-line with what came before it. While this is partly down to aesthetic and soundtrack, it’s as much due to the consistent gameplay challenges.
Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course is hard. I mean hard, just like the original game. It demands precision, perfection and, above all, your respect. Playing on PC (via Steam), I found myself adjusting to the same mindset I use with games like Celeste, Contra and even Elden Ring: timing above all.
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Much like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Cuphead is a choreographed dance. The steps are stern, the rhythm is non-negotiable. Only precision produces perfection, and The Delicious Last Course is no exception to this rule. If your idea of a good time is being bent and broken to a game’s will, then this DLC is tailor-made for you.
In terms of length, The Delicious Last Course runs around four hours in total, with skilled players likely to clear it in less. However, this doesn’t account for the fact that you can take Ms. Chalice into the core game levels, effectively changing how you play them thanks to her nifty new abilities.
In short, Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course gives fans more of what they like while adding in welcome new features. There are plenty of additional levels, and Ms. Chalice is a literal game-changer who gives you the perfect reason to replay the original game after you’ve conquered the DLC levels. In other words, it’s a knockout.
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Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course is available now for Pc, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Game tested on PC with code provided by the publisher.
Featured Image Credit: Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc.