The future of Vampire Survivors is beginning to take shape and it seems pretty clear this game has a long tail.

Whether you love it or hate it, after their success at BAFTA, the mobile version, and the almost certainty of a Switch and PS port, in addition to the inevitable crossovers with other games, we could be talking about Vampire Survivors for years to come.

That’s absolutely ok with me. Especially with the latest DLC out in the wild that plays with the existing conventions and creates some intriguing new possibilities.

Tides of Foscari adds a brand new map (and story) to VS, really taking cues from classic folk lore with mage, swordsman and archers. But equally venturing through a forest filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes.

The map, in of itself, will feel quite familiar at first. Its greenery definitely lends some of itself from past maps, but it’s the little hidden pathways through the trees, the blocked off areas around houses, crossing bridges and moving around water that really make this map feel alive. Even a cute little maze area.

Poncle have also managed to once again craft a catchy piece of music and successfully managed to replace the game’s iconic opening tune in my head.

This content is all centered around the Azure Tower and you playing as its students, using new weapons like the devastating Spellstring which devours through mobs, and making use of a talisman of varying properties.

What this DLC does so well is successfully freshen up the content, staying faithful to what made the game so popular in the first place but equally giving you a ton of secrets to discover, new items to try and an exciting new playground to explore

All at a ridiculously super cheap price. Which is why we’ve opted for a mini review here because, honestly, this one’s a no-brainer. At $1.99/€1,99/£1.59, if you’ve so much as even slightly enjoyed Vampire Survivors, it’s a must-own.

There’s eight new characters, 13 weapons, 21 achievements, alongside a ton of neat surprises, and the map is really enjoyable to move around.

We managed to lose another 10 hours to the game easily, dipping back in to gather more achievements, prompted by the amount of secrets we found in this one to go back and check out other levels. It’s simply brilliant.

I have absolutely no idea where the Vampire Survivors train stops. Before Poncle call time, I’m expecting Castlevania crossovers, recognisable characters, more awards,  and that’s before we get to the spin-offs.

For now, it’s safe to say I’m not sick of the game yet and am eagerly anticipating the next batch of content, wherever it might take us. What’s abundantly clear is we’re just getting started here, and if this is a sign of things to come, with Poncle able to open up maps like this and still managing to surprise us, the best of the game is surely yet to come.

Pros

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Code kindly received from Poncle