Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course Review

It feels like forever ago that this Cuphead DLC was announced. In total, it’s been five years since the original game’s release. Some games would lose players’ interest in that time, but not Cuphead. Frankly, this DLC doesn’t feel long overdue at all, because it’s easy to understand the colossal amount of work that goes into crafting these animations and character designs. They’re the lifeblood running through Cuphead’s veins, and if the end result of five years is a package this good, I’d gladly have waited another five.

The Delicious Last Course expands upon Cuphead’s world by adding a brand new island, packed full of unique challenges. There’s a new character, new weapons, and some fresh mechanics to spice things up. But at its core, this is simply more Cuphead.

This DLC is as tough as the main game, which was already a brutal gauntlet of brilliant bosses. The difficulty feels about in line with the third island, so fans should feel right at home. However, you can practically jump straight to the DLC in a new playthrough, which might prove unwise for brand new players.

But, despite how many times you’ll die, reaching a new phase of a boss continues to feel like a reward in itself. The animation is obviously sublime, and seeing how the developers approach each boss’s distinct theme is always thrilling. There are literal dog fighters who attack you from a plane, barking letters at you and tossing tennis balls. Then there’s the cowgirl residing in a mobile saloon. Her progressive phases are hilarious and well worth seeing for yourself, so I won’t spoil them here.

The quality of the bosses is so consistently good that it’s honestly staggering. Even games known for being the best in the business when it comes to bosses, like the Dark Souls franchise, occasionally stumble with subpar battles. Cuphead has no time for low points. It whisks you away to the next beautiful bout without slipping, and it does so in style.

The new character, Ms. Chalice, is a nice way to spruce up the shooting too. Chalice plays a lot differently to Cuphead, opting for a dash/parry in one and a double jump. She’s a little easier, but she’s a nice addition to the existing recipe. The new abilities are pretty fun too, with some cool new weapons like a three-way electric shot and a twisty tornado.

The only issues are a couple of minor footnotes. On the final boss, a white screen would sometimes show up instead of the actual fight, though restarting the game seemed to fix it. And I accidentally activated a new “three wishes” mechanic which gives you extra hearts by spinning around in a circle on the overworld. As far as I can tell the only way to remove it is by beating a DLC boss, so I ended up wasting a bit of time by replaying a fight I’d already done just to get rid of that unnecessary boon. Still, these are only minor problems.

The Delicious Last Course is a welcome addition to an indie classic. It’s a little short, but when the content is this good, you really can’t complain.