Cupheadby Studio MDHR is one of the most belovedindie gamesof the last decade, thanks to its punishingly rewarding gameplay and visually-stunning classic animation art style. The game recently saw the release of its first major piece of post-release downloadable content by way ofCuphead:The Delicious Last Course.
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Alongside new levels and bosses, it also gave the game a new playable character named Ms. Chalice. She’s the game’s firstfemale playable characterand playing as her adds a whole new set of gameplay mechanics and challenges both new and returning players must learn and master if they plan on completing it.
7A Bit Of A Disadvantage
Coming back toa game likeCupheadafter months of not playing it can be tough. Throw in that playing as the newly released character comes with an added challenge and something likeThe Delicious Last Courseis a true test of patience and fortitude. Ms. Chalice is unlocked with theuse of a new charm called Astral Cookie, and because of this, it makes it so using her eliminates the use of other charms.
This means that players won’t be able to equip the same game-easing benefits like added health or dashes that likely played a major role in the completion of the originalCupheadexperience. Ms. Chalice drastically changes the gameplay and approach to boss fights, so the exchange of a new experience at the loss of some benefits is worth it to some extent.
6Parrying Is Automatic
Parrying tends to be one of the larger difficulty curves in the baseCupheadexperience, and player success was based on who could develop their parrying to be both consistent and well-timed. With Ms. Chalice this procedure becomes a bit more tolerable as she automatically parries via her dash.
This means that players can focus more on dodging and let the parry moves come naturally as they navigate attacks and obstacles. Just because its automatic doesn’t mean it’s easy, there is still a bit of timing and positioning needed from the player, so the difficulty curve of parrying isn’t completely eliminated.
5Double Jump Dodge
A huge change with Ms. Chalice when it comes to gameplay is her ability to double jump. Players need to quickly develop a feel for this form of traversal as it helps in both side-scrolling and boss fight levels in different ways. Having a second jump in hand can change a player’s strategy when it comes to timing how and when to avoid attacks.
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For side-scrolling levels, it opens up situations in which certain enemies or pitfalls can be completely avoided. The double jump also comes in clutch when a player has miscalculated a dodge and needs to get out of the way at the last second, and due to it being a new mechanic, most players will forget about it until they spam the jump button a second time out of panic.
4Horizontal Movement Is Key
BothCuphead and Mugman are charactersthat taught the player to often think vertically about their movement. Ms. Chalice on the other hand demands a more horizontal approach to the game, which is evident in both her dash, parry, and dodge roll mechanics.
The idea of moving left or right as opposed to up or down doesn’t seem like an extraneous leap, but it also isn’t a simple mind conversion either. Many of the bosses in The Delicious Last Course are purposely designed in a way to force the player to think horizontally as Ms. Chalice is meant to be the canonical character overcoming whatever this new area has in store for her.
3Use Those Dodge Roll I-Frames
Invulnerability frames often referred to as I-frames, are moments in the game’s animation where the player character becomes immune to damage or effects and is often the result of skillfully timed perfect dodges. Ms. Chalice’s dodge roll supplies her with this ability and perfecting it can make all the difference in boss fights.
Her tutorial area players are ushered into during the beginning of The Delicious Last Course has an area where the dodge roll can be practiced and is the best place to get the timing and distance down. To perform the dodge roll players must duck shortly before dashing.
2New Ways To Avoid Contact
Between Ms. Chalice’s dash, dodge roll, and double jump there are plenty of new ways to traverse levels and fight bosses. Learning and mastering each of them individually is important, but things come together when the player can seamlessly use them in tandem during the most difficult and/or stressful of times.
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Dashing into a double-jump to avoid falling in a side-scrolling level, or jumping over a boss attack and immediately dodge-rolling to avoid taking damage from an incoming projectile are just a few examples of how chaining them can affect the success rate of the player in real-time.
1Practice Makes As Close To Perfect
It may not seem clear at first but Ms. Chalice is playable inthe entirety ofCuphead. This means that many of the players coming back to the game for the first time in years can work their way through the game as her, to be properly prepared for what The Delicious Last Course has to offer.
This feature is a large part of what took the development of the expansion so long to reach its release. Not only does she refresh the game in terms of its overall feel, but it allows players to tackle familiar bosses in a way that creates a new set of challenges and difficulties.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Courseis available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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