2017’s classic run-and-gun shooter Cuphead is one of my comfort games for good reasons. Featuring some excellent old-school gameplay and some of the most demanding bosses to beat, it naturally clicked with me and thousands of other people. Of course, the beautiful art style is like a cherry on top of a great cake.
Naturally, fans have been asking for more Cuphead, and after four years’ worth of wait, it is here. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is more Cuphead goodness, for better. Developed by Studio MDHR, the new DLC adds new bosses, a new soundtrack, and a new character to play through.
Become a Chalice in Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
The new DLC takes place after the main game, though one doesn’t need to finish the whole game to access the new content. I’d say this was the sleekest way the devs could’ve integrated the DLC into the game.
After players beat one of the Mausoleum stages in the game, a mysterious individual turns up on the island. The individual asks for assistance from our cup duos to help Chalice in a quest. And thus, the wheels set in motion for players to venture out on a new island called well, the Isles.
The story for the DLC is pretty straightforward, as the cup boys help Chalice to find the ingredients of Wondertart. To do that, players have to clear out waves of new bosses, and each piece of the component will help the trio to reach the ultimate goal: to help Chalice become human again.
The game still doesn’t feature voice acting apart from the occasional boss grunts and sounds. However, we get some great music, paired with some of the best visuals the game has seen. Seriously, the four years’ worth of labour shows all over the DLC.
Introducing the New Character: Miss Chalice
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course features a new character for players to play: Miss Chalice. To play as her, players get a charm they need to equip in the game: the astral cookie charm. The charm ties up to the plot, as it helps Chalice to take over the body of one of the cup boys.
Chalice’s playstyle is different from the cup boys and, in some cases, much more rewarding once mastered. Miss Chalice allows for Parry Dash, which lets players parry while dashing, dodge-roll, and double jumping. The introduction to her moveset is done pretty nicely through a tutorial recipe book.
Mixing and matching the three new moves Miss Chalice brings with her will let players be dominant in the game. Each action also has its pros and cons. For example, the dodge roll makes players invincible when used. However, the dodge roll opens a massive window to getting injured if not done correctly. Such things balance out the sweet new movesets.
Oh, and Miss Chalice is playable on the main story island without any restrictions.
Players can use the entirety of the new Playstyle of Miss Chalice to beat the game. The playstyle is very new-player friendly and feels like the developers made it to replay the video game smoothly.
A New Island and Bosses to Conquer
The DLC also features a new island which players will explore from start to finish. Called the Isles or Isle 4, the new island will take the cup boys and Miss Chalice on a journey to find the ingredients to make the Wondertart. Like the main island, the new isle also features secrets to encounter and coins to collect.
Of course, Cuphead is not complete without its bosses, and the DLC introduces a bunch of them. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course adds twelve bosses for players to find and defeat. Each boss is just as challenging as the main game and will provide the same amount of challenge main island bosses give.
The developers designed the bosses keeping Miss Chalice’s playstyle in mind, but cup boys can easily fare well against the new baddies.
The Final Verdict for Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
A wise person once said that the final course in a meal should always be sweet and leave a great impression on the person eating the food. Who said it? I don’t know. What the point of me saying the line is that Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course leaves a lasting impression on its players, once finished.
Featuring more bosses, a new character with a new playstyle, and a whole new area, it is questionable for Studio MDHR to ask $10 for the DLC with this much content crammed into it. Seriously, this is a value-for-money DLC, and if one played the original game and is on the fence about buying the DLC, go for it. Alternatively, if one never tried out the original game, get the game along with this. Surprisingly, I hardly have any complaints about the new offering. I don’t have any complaints.
Bottom line: go ahead and buy Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course.
A big thanks to Studio MDHR for providing us with a copy of the DLC for this review.
Studio MDHR's Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course DLC is more Cuphead goodness packed in a value-for-money DLC. Featuring a new character to play, a whole new island to explore, and more bosses to defeat and conquer, fans of Cuphead have nothing but a great time ahead for them, and it is no better time for newcomers to check out the classic.
