Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course gives us one more taste of the 1930s playable cartoon, with an aptly-named DLC. Studio MDHR takes their time with everything related to Cuphead, and the wait has been worth it. Cuphead’s only DLC is still tough, but fair of requiring extreme dexterity and quick reflexes in order to get through. From a new playable character to new charms and weapons to a challenging gauntlet, there’s a lot to fill up on. The Delicious Last Course is really the dessert of Cuphead, and as such, you’ll be leaving the table satisfied.
Following the ending of Cuphead, the rip-roaring brothers Cuphead and Mugman haven’t had much to do. Upon loading the game, there’s an unknown person around the area with a boat, which invites curiosity. After speaking to them, they are invited to a new island not previously seen, Inkwell Isle IV, and it’s here where The Delicious Last Course begins. This DLC is understandably a shorter experience than the main game, but is an absolutely worth what you get from it. More Cuphead is always a delight.
The mysterious Ms. Chalice is stuck in an ethereal realm, but in order to be freed, has to have Chef Saltbaker make a special cake. There are five ingredients the duo must collect, which represent the five bosses to be defeated. They need flour, desert limes, gnome berries, pineapple mint, and icy sugar cubes. Once you collect these ingredients, it’ll be enough to free Chalice from her spectral prison. The finger-gun snapping duo are ready to get back at it, and save the day one more time to put the icing on this cake.
If you have some extra coins and visit the in-game shop, Ms. Chalice is actually a playable character now. This is possible via a new charm. This charm is an all-in-one equippable, allowing her to be used in the base game as well. Now note that her inclusion does not mean 3-player co-op is possible. The shop also has a few new weapons to sell you as well. Converge offers electric bullets in three trajectories that will hit anything on its way before reforming as a single projectile. Crackshot shoots fricken laser beams that split into smaller beams. And then finally Twist-Up, sweeping tornado-like projectiles that cover a lot of area. None of these are instant win weapons once you buy them from the shop, they have their uses. For instance Converge and Twist-Up are good for crowd control and chaotic mob-laden fights. Crackshot is better for direct fits with bosses that don’t spawn mobs.
In addition to the new weapons, there’s also three new charms to buy, too. The Astral Cookie is the thing that lets you play as Ms. Chalice who comes with a whole host of weapons and abilities not charm-related. The Broken Relic is something that’s eluded me, but I bought it anyway, and I did come across one place for its use, but even then I’m not sure how to use it to its fullest. I like that this is a mystery to figure out. And then there’s the Heart Ring, perfect for those who have great timing. Because it gives you one health point for the first, third, and fifth parry you successfully execute. Now, this can’t be used with Ms. Chalice, as she comes with her own charms. However, this final charm can be used in interesting ways, such as potentially having nine health, with the right loadout.
This DLC could be considered a sprint, a boss rush without any breaks, because whether you liked them or not, there aren’t any run’n’gun levels in this DLC. All the levels are a blast to play and learn the patterns of all the bosses, I’d almost forgotten how to play this. “High-Noon” sticks out because it’s a classic shoot’em up level boss fight, facing off against a dastardly cow shooting snake oil at you across various phases. “Doggone Dogfight” should be a shoot’em up level, but it isn’t for such clever reasons. I don’t want to spoil all of the bosses, or what surprises lie in-store, but they’re just really great. There’s even a secret boss to fight, which ties back to that broken relic I was talking about earlier.
At one point, a rope ladder drops down and you’re invited into a tournament of champions. You’re stripped of your finger-guns and powers. It’s up to you to parry your way to victory, incorporating those tight jumping skills, and this is where I think the Heart Ring is most useful. There are four bosses to defeat here, and they have nothing to do with the base game, making this optional. One boss in particular has you blowing out candles which opens them for an attack, and more candles get lit until defeated. As you progress, this circular castle rotates, and it looks like stop-motion that’s animated beautifully. Once they’re all defeated, the castle offers a gauntlet, fighting each boss in succession for ultimate acclaim. It’s a challenging and honestly poorly rewarding romp that is a true test of your skills as a Cuphead player.
Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course is another triumph of style and substance. At $7.99, you’re dining good at not only is a great price but a great reason to return to the Inkwell Isles. It’s a smorgasbord of content with so much new added, and can now be considered complete with this release. This last morsel of gaming greatness is something that should be savored. Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course is a required and essential piece of DLC that would make the rest of the game feel incomplete otherwise.
A Steam code for the DLC was provided by the publisher for review purposes
