Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse – my verdict on this Metroidvania from the makers of Dead Cells
Konami is sending the Belmonts back to the castle – Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a 2D Metroidvania with impressive level design, challenging bosses and supremely satisfying whip action.
2026 marked a full 18 years of the hiatus from 2D Castlevania games. That’s how long it’s been since Konami last rolled out the classic Metroidvania formula with Order of Ecclesia for the Nintendo DS. Ironically, it was precisely that design approach that would go on to produce cult classics like Hollow Knight and Animal Well a decade later.
Now the series is back. As with Silent Hill, Konami outsourced development to an external studio – the French team at Evil Empire. They’ve been releasing expansions for Dead Cells for years and most recently delighted fans with The Rogue Prince of Persia.
Will their reinterpretation live up to expectations?
The story: «Somehow, Dracula returned»
Paris in 1499. The city is descending into chaos and buildings are engulfed in flames, making the video game version only slightly different from present-day Paris. So the local bishop turns to the most famous pixelated vampire hunter – Trevor Belmont. Trevor defeated Dracula in Castlevania III and is the protagonist of the fantastic Netflix anime. He’s accompanied by his daughter Rose, whose role I play in Konami’s latest gothic game.
Rose combines her father’s physical strength with the magical powers of her mother, Sypha (who’s also a main character in the series). This makes her a versatile character who can be played in a wide variety of ways. Unfortunately, as a narrator, she lacks this versatility. It feels like the youngest Belmont child just keeps repeating the same few lines over and over throughout the entire campaign. «Blah, blah, my mother. Blah, blah, Dracula. Blah, blah, curse.»
The Castlevania series has always prioritised gameplay over story, so that doesn’t bother me too much. But now that Netflix has shown what’s possible with this material, I would’ve expected more than «Dracula is back, he’s evil, and you have to do something about it.»
But it wouldn’t be entirely fair for me to make a final judgement at this point. I’ve seen the credits, but I haven’t discovered all the secrets yet. Castlevania games tend to hide two thirds of their content behind cryptic puzzles, so you should take this criticism with a grain of salt.
Beautifully terrifying
Unlike Paris, the atmosphere keeps its cool. The cartoon-style look is a perfect match for the gloomy setting and features stunningly beautiful backgrounds, with a sense of depth that’s reminiscent of dioramas in places.
The individual levels are wonderfully varied – in the catacombs beneath the city, a canal casts playful light patterns on the wall. Next to them, skulls are piled high, dimly lit by a few candles. Dracula’s castle, on the other hand, boasts elaborate stained-glass windows, magical gardens and torture devices that are so detailed I worry about the developers’ families.
Rose has no appreciation for all this morbid beauty. Her attention’s focused on the minions Dracula has summoned and the labyrinth that the man in the cape calls home.
The name says it all
Fans of the franchise had a few restless nights when Konami got Evil Empire on board. Dead Cells and The Rogue Prince of Persia are excellent games, but they’re also roguelikes. So there was great concern that the Belmont clan would now find itself stuck in an endless loop. That hasn’t happened. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a true Metroidvania.
I move through a nonlinear version of Paris that’s divided into several zones. As I go along, I’m constantly expanding my movement abilities, which allows me to reach previously inaccessible areas. It’s a simple but incredibly satisfying gameplay loop that rewards the joy of discovery and attentiveness. As an action RPG, the game also reliably keeps me levelling up. That way, exploring never feels like a chore.
The clever level design constantly delivers «aha» moments – with cleverly placed shortcuts, hidden entrances and creatively arranged platforms that challenge my jump ’n’ run skills.
The game world is vast. In the final third, this becomes a more noticeable weakness. There’s only one fast-travel point per area, and it’s sometimes put in a random place. It’s not uncommon for me to have to wade through numerous screens for several minutes to reach my destination.
Medusa Heads, the Flea Man and other plagues
Rose starts with a longsword. The attack power and range are so meagre that even the very first battles become a test of skill. Archers give me the most trouble – some of them are on platforms I can’t reach (yet). Unfortunately, they can also aim. They don’t just shoot at where I’m standing – they often fire at where I’m about to land. Or they send an arrow into my back while a knight in front of me swings his spear.
Many of the enemies will likely seem familiar to series veterans, as Evil Empire has put together a «best-of» selection of Castlevania enemies for Belmont’s Curse. Even 40 years after the series debuted, the flying Medusa Heads are still among the biggest jerks in gaming. I also remember those mighty knights from back in the day. Even now, as they die, they’re still hurling one last axe at me – a move my scatterbrained mind didn’t register until the credits rolled.
And, of course, the Flea Man’s back – he’s clinging to me like a six-year-old who just found out I have games on my phone.
An arsenal against the army
My measly sword will soon have some company in my inventory. Well hidden behind false walls or at the end of a challenging obstacle course, I find knuckledusters, a spear and more. There are a total of seven weapon types, each available in four power tiers.
Of course, the whip’s one of them. The Belmont family’s favourite weapon strikes right in my opponent’s face with a resounding crack. If you’re at the right distance, you’ll land a critical hit on top of that. I absolutely love cracking my whip. Of course, only when it’s my job… in games.
At the same time, I’m taking on Dracula’s henchmen with magical attacks. The magic is bound to twelve tarot cards. One of them is part of the equipment I start the game with; the remaining eleven are guarded by bosses, who all put up quite a fight. Defeating the first of them earns me the Boomerang Cross and the ability to use a grappling hook to hoist myself up to specific locations. Because I can also use it to get closer to my foes, the fights become even more dynamic.
Thanks to the many combinations of weapons and magic abilities, there are loads of ways to customise the game to suit my preferences. For example, the spear has a slightly greater range and can also be thrown. With knuckledusters, I’m lightning-fast, but I deal less damage.
The relics allow for even more customisation. These are accessories that grant Rose all sorts of buffs. Unlike in many games, these don’t just provide a measly three per cent boost to attack power, but offer real support – such as permanently stronger healing potions. My spells also get more powerful as the adventure progresses.
To reach the next level, I have to overcome various challenges – defeating five opponents with the same attack, solving hidden puzzles or blocking a certain number of attacks. If you still find the game too difficult after that, the settings offer numerous options to make Belmont’s Curse even easier.
Familiar challenges, new sound
When I get killed, it’s usually my fault – either because I misread an attack pattern or messed up my evasive manoeuvre. Well, most of the time. Belmont’s Curse can’t quite resist throwing in some old-school nonsense – several jumping sections force me to rely on trial and error, and enemies like to rain projectiles down on me from off-screen.
I also think the reset points are outdated, with some of them being placed quite far apart. And the decision to omit multiple save slots is just as baffling here as it was in the recent Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.
Instead, the music has been updated. The soundtrack was composed by ASADI, who previously collaborated with Evil Empire on The Rogue Prince of Persia. ASADI’s best known as an electro and trap producer who likes to spice up club music with Middle Eastern influences. He toned down the latter for the vampire hunt. Still, his work only sometimes hits the mark for these scenarios. Many of his pieces are repetitive and don’t quite manage to capture the spirit of the adventure.
This is particularly noticeable because his reinterpretations of classic Castlevania songs work much better than his original compositions.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse came out on 15 October PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC. Konami provided me with the PS5 version for testing purposes.
In a nutshell
A top-notch horror Metroidvania that’s perfect for this time of year
Evil Empire has understood what makes Castlevania special. The action combines challenging gameplay with a versatile tactical moveset that turns battles into a satisfying dance of blades. The level design gives me guidance without holding my hand, and keeps progress just out of reach. And no sooner do I think I’ve got the hang of the game than I get wiped out by the next boss, proving me wrong.
I’m deducting points for the music and the sometimes annoying retro elements. And also because Trevor Belmont’s left on the bench. Although maybe that’s for the best. I don’t want to know what 20 hours in that hunky daddy’s boots would do to my fragile heterosexuality.
Pro
- Great atmosphere
- Strong level design
- Challenging boss battles
- Variety of weapons and magic abilities
Contra
- Underwhelming soundtrack
- A few frustrating moments
In the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.
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