Preview: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course DLC Could Be Filling

Since its launch, Cuphead’s become something of a phenomenon. Its gone multiplatform. The soundtrack topped Billboard’s jazz charts. Netflix is home to a cartoon based on it. Now the Cuphead game is about to experience the end of an era with the launch of The Delicious Last Course DLC.

The hands-off preview session began with some basics and an introduction to the new area. First, someone won’t need to be a Cuphead master to access The Delicious Last Course DLC. Rather, they just need to be good enough to defeat a Mausoleum stage. If they accomplish that feat, the Legendary Chalice will send Cuphead and Mugman a message. From there, the duo will be directed to visit a new, specific Inkwell Isle. Once there, we learn exactly what’s going on.

Essentially, Ms. Chalice is trapped in the astral plane. She can leave temporarily via Chef Saltbaker’s cookies. If someone eats one, she gets borrowed time in the real world. The chef did come up with a stronger recipe for a Wondertart. In order to get the ingredients, the trio will need to defeat bosses on this new island. (There are no platforming stages here!) Collecting them all should provide Ms. Chalice a more permanent escape.

In keeping with her nature as a ghost, Ms. Chalice isn’t a full playable character when people begin the DLC. Rather, she’s tied to a cookie charm someone equips in a Charm Slot. However, once someone has that cookie, she can be used in the main game and new DLC island. As pointed out during the presentation, the new weapons and charms could be used be used in the main game. Specifically, the Crackshot weapon with a Parry Turret EX, a three-way Converge shot with an Electro-Bolt EX, and a Twist-Up arced shot with a Cyclone Spiral EX showed up during the hands-off preview.

If someone uses Ms. Chalice, there are a few differences in how she works. She has an extra HP point, compared to Cuphead and Mugman. Her roll makes her invincible as well. She has a double jump, which means a slightly larger range. Her dash also works as a parry. This could mean she might be a little more accessible for someone to use, as you have some extra wiggle room. One of her Super Arts is Spiral Pillar, which summons a pillar of energy to attack everything in a vertical line.

As for stages, a few came up. When heading in for the first time, people can choose simple or regular difficulty. The first one I saw was Mortimer Freeze. This started with a fight against an ice wizard. The foe would summon anthropomorphic icicles. After getting stuck in the ground, they’d walk off stage. The character would also sometimes use a whale to attack. After a certain amount of damage is done, the enemy will ring a bell to summon a suit of snow. After donning it, he stops floating and heads to the ground to attack more directly with snow, sharp pillars, and ice cubes. The third phase involved the character summoning icy platforms. The player then needs to ascend them to fight a snowflake version of the boss while jumping on rotating platforms. The opponent will send off an eye to act as a hazard. Floating buckets will also be thrown at the character.

Right before the end, Ms. Chalice faced Ribby and Croaks. As the name suggested, they’re a pair of boxing frogs. The taller of the two spits out fiery lightnings in the first phase, while the shorter sends out energy punches. Both stand on the right side of the screen during this portion. After being worn down a bit, the shorter of the two rolls to the opposite side of the screen. The shorter one sends out boss of energy to dodge, while the taller one spins and behaves like a fan blowing the player away. For the last part, the smaller frog rolls into the taller ones’ mouth, and they combine into a giant slot machine. Coins shoot out of the slot. The arm will occasionally come down and be able to be parried. If someone does, the slots will spin. This will cause projectiles to be dispensed. The slot machine is only vulnerable when these projectiles are pouring out.

It seems like the Cuphead The Delicious Last Course DLC offers more of the stages the run and gun is known for. Especially since people are not only getting a new island to go through with Cuphead and Mugman, but a new character and extra weapons that can play slightly differently. During the hands-off preview, the exact playthrough time for the add-on was said to vary based on skill level. However, one estimate provided suggested it could be up to four hours for the new area alone.

The Cuphead The Delicious Last Course DLC will appear for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game on June 30, 2022. It will cost $7.99/€7.99/£6.79.