Nearly five years after its initial release,
Cuphead’s long awaited DLC is finally here.
Aptly titled The Delicious Last Course,
this new content serves an extra helping of frantic boss fights
and the charming style the series is known for.
While it may be brief, it's an excellent send-off for our beverage-bearing pals.
Similar to the base game, Cuphead’s DLC takes place on an island
that’s home to various bosses.
To reach the new area, players simply need to complete the first mausoleum,
making it easily accessible,
and if you have business elsewhere, you can leave anytime.
Instead of Cuphead and Mugman trying to save their souls from the Devil, this time around
the brothers are summoned to help bring Ms. Chalice back to life,
as her ghost speaks to them from the astral plane.
To do this, the trio must collect various ingredients guarded by bosses
in order to make the Wondertart, a mysterious treat
that’s said to have resurrecting properties.
Once again, the presentation here is fantastic.
The 1930s animation style is a joy to behold,
bringing its extraordinary character designs to life with an eye for detail
and a playful sense of surprise.
Its jazzy new tunes fit right in with the world, expertly complementing those fun, classy vibes.
Right off the bat, one of the biggest gameplay additions
is that Ms. Chalice is now playable,
munching a special cookie to temporarily return to the land of the living.
Unlike Cuphead and Mugman though, Ms. Chalice has a few gameplay differences
including a double jump, a dodge roll with I-frames, and an extra hit point.
Plus, her parry is tied to her dash, giving you some more flexibility in combat.
She even has a few adjustments in the flying levels like a spread shot.
To play as her though, you need to equip the cookie in your charm slot,
leaving her without access to other charms.
She can also be used throughout the main game, outside of the DLC,
adding some replay value if you're a veteran,
or an extra helping hand if you're hitting some roadblocks.
Overall, she’s a great addition and fits right in.
From a gameplay standpoint, The Delicious Last Course
sticks to the formula of the base game with frantic boss encounters being the highlight.
There's a decent number of them, and they're all engaging and very creative.
For instance one of the early ones is a brawl with various bugs in an underground village,
eventually attracting the attention of a giant anteater who joins the fight.
This time around there are no run-and-gun stages.
Replacing them instead is The King's Leap where you battle several chess-themed bosses
like multiple pawns and a knight.
These encounters play out differently since you’re unable to shoot
or use specials, forcing you to parry
instead to defeat your foes.
These missions also lack multiple phases, resulting in each feeling like a brief challenge,
rather than a full-on boss.
Despite the smaller scale, they're still creative and fun to take on.
Additionally, once defeated you can return to run them again in a gauntlet
where you're required to defeat all of them in a row, adding an extra layer of challenge.
While the run-and-gun stages weren't as strong as boss fights in the base game,
their absence is still felt.
Having at least one would have been nice to shake things up,
and to see what creative concepts Studio MDHR would have come up with.
With new challenges also come new power-ups for our heroes
like Crackshot, which shoots out a straight shot,
but can also break off and track an enemy for less damage,
and Twist Up which shoots in an upward arc.
There are also a few new charms including the Heart Ring
which grants you 1 HP for the first, third, and sixth parries,
as well as the Broken Relic which is tied to a mysterious side-quest.
All in all, they're nice additions that change up the gameplay
and give you even more flexibility.
Depending on your skill level, you can finish the main quest of the DLC in a few hours,
but for those less familiar it can take several more.
Additionally, there’s one side-quest that can bump up the playtime,
and it’s worth digging into.
Regardless, with an $8 price tag, it's an easy recommendation.
It's been a long time coming,
but The Delicious Last Course is an excellent addition to Cuphead.
Its presentation is a rare treasure that’s worth celebrating,
showcasing outstanding animation and music alike.
The new bosses are glorious spectacles,
Ms. Chalice is a great companion to the original team,
and The King's Leap challenges you in all new ways.
If this is the last we see of our cup-headed buddies,
it's a fantastic farewell.
Final score: 8.5 out of 10.
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