After more than a decade without a brand-new 2D Castlevania adventure, the series is finally returning to the formula that helped establish it as one of the defining names in action exploration. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse puts a new Belmont at the centre of the action, while bringing in a development team with considerable experience in fast-paced 2D combat. Developed by Evil Empire together with KONAMI, the game has the difficult task of living up to a legacy that includes some of the genre’s most celebrated games. After spending time with the PS5 version across a Gamescom demo, there are already plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
What we know
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a 2D action-adventure game with Metroidvania-style exploration, platforming and combat. Set in 1499, the game opens in a Paris engulfed by flames and overrun by monsters. Trevor Belmont, the legendary vampire hunter who previously defeated Dracula, heads into the ruined city accompanied by his daughter Rose. As the investigation unfolds, Rose becomes increasingly entangled in a supernatural conspiracy and is forced to take on a larger role in the fight.
Rose represents a new generation of the Belmont family, but she is very much connected to the traditions of the series. Her primary abilities revolve around close-quarters combat, movement and a range of magical powers, while exploration plays an equally important role. Paris is divided into interconnected areas filled with secrets, alternate routes, puzzles and obstacles that cannot necessarily be overcome when first encountered. Returning later with new abilities is therefore an important part of the progression.
One of the game’s biggest additions is the Arcana system. Major bosses can be absorbed into tarot cards after their defeat, with each providing Rose with a new ability or spell. These powers can subsequently be improved, while the game also offers seven categories of weapons and a selection of Relics that provide additional effects. The combination of weapons, Arcana and Relics is intended to let players shape Rose around their preferred approach to combat and exploration.
The Vampire Killer and the traditional Castlevania arsenal are joined by a particularly interesting movement mechanic: Rose can use a whip-like tool to latch onto specific points, swing across gaps and pull herself towards enemies. This turns traversal into a more acrobatic affair than in many earlier entries, while also feeding directly into combat. Alongside familiar enemies and bosses such as Death and Medusa, the adventure introduces new figures including Joan of Arc. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is scheduled to launch on October 15, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
What we saw
This preview is based on a one-hour gameplay demo of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse on PlayStation 5, which we played during Gamescom during a meeting with KONAMI. The extended hands-on session provided enough time to get a substantial feel for the game’s exploration, combat, movement and progression systems, as well as to take on some of the challenges and encounters that await Rose during her journey through the ruined version of Paris.
What we thought
The first thing that stands out about Belmont’s Curse is how confidently it embraces the classic 2D Castlevania formula without simply trying to reproduce it. The premise provides a natural way to introduce Rose as a protagonist while retaining the familiar Belmont mythology, and the ruined version of 15th-century Paris gives the adventure its own identity. There is plenty of mystery surrounding what has happened to the city and why its supernatural inhabitants have appeared, while Rose’s position as the next generation of the Belmont family gives the story a useful sense of continuity. The narrative was not yet something we could fully judge from the available material, but the idea of bosses becoming Arcana cards and continuing to accompany Rose after their defeat is a clever way of connecting story and progression.
The fundamentals of the gameplay are already in excellent shape. Rose is responsive, agile and capable of chaining together attacks, jumps, dodges and movement abilities without the controls ever becoming complicated for the sake of it. There is a satisfying weight to her attacks, while the dash and backdash provide the kind of defensive options expected from a modern take on the formula. The whip traversal is arguably the most exciting addition, allowing Rose to swing between grapple points or pull herself directly towards enemies. Once this ability enters the equation, movement and combat begin to overlap in interesting ways, creating opportunities to approach encounters and platforming sections with considerably more freedom. It also gives Belmont’s Curse a distinct identity rather than making it feel like a simple attempt to recreate Symphony of the Night.
The progression systems help reinforce that feeling. Defeating bosses does more than provide a traditional upgrade: their Arcana can introduce entirely new offensive or utility options, while weapons have their own characteristics and special attacks. Relics add another layer of customisation, and the game encourages experimentation rather than locking Rose into a single combat style. The bosses themselves are also a highlight, demanding that players pay attention to attack patterns and make proper use of Rose’s mobility. That said, the game can occasionally be fairly demanding, and the distance between checkpoints and major encounters in the build we played could make a failed attempt feel a little more laborious than necessary. The generous healing and lack of severe penalties on death do soften this, but the balance of challenge and convenience will be worth keeping an eye on in the final version.
Visually, Belmont’s Curse is already one of the more impressive-looking 2D Castlevania games. Its mixture of detailed characters, fluid animation, colorful effects and elaborate 2.5D environments gives the ruined streets of Paris, its sewers and its Gothic structures plenty of atmosphere. The burning city in particular makes a strong first impression, while the animated presentation fits surprisingly naturally alongside the traditional Castlevania aesthetic. The audio complements that presentation with the appropriately dark atmosphere expected from the series, although the visuals currently make the strongest immediate impression. After decades in which 2D Castlevania set the standard for the genre, it is genuinely exciting to see that formula return in such polished form. With its solid controls, inventive whip mechanics, rewarding exploration and a budget-friendly price point arriving during an especially busy release period, Belmont’s Curse is already looking like one of the easier purchases to recommend when it launches.