Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse marks a welcome return to the traditional 2D adventures that helped establish Konami’s vampire-hunting franchise as one of gaming’s defining names. Developed by Evil Empire, with Motion Twin also involved, the game arrives with considerable expectations, particularly after the lengthy absence of a new mainline-style 2D entry. Set in a burning Paris in 1499, this latest adventure combines familiar Gothic horror with more agile movement and modern action-platforming mechanics. The result is an enjoyable revival that understands much of what makes Castlevania special, even if some of its ideas fall short of the series’ best.
The story follows Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, as she confronts a supernatural outbreak threatening to destroy Paris. When Dracula’s followers begin their attempts to bring the vampire lord back, Rose finds herself caught up in a conspiracy that goes beyond simply exterminating monsters. Her family heritage provides a natural connection to the franchise’s past, while her own inexperience gives the adventure room to establish a new protagonist. The narrative is not especially groundbreaking, and the familiar conflict between the Belmont family and Dracula remains its foundation, but Rose brings enough personality to make this more than a straightforward exercise in nostalgia. The tarot cards inherited from her mother also introduce a particularly enjoyable storytelling element: defeated bosses can continue to interact with Rose after being sealed within her deck, leading to entertaining exchanges that give some of the supernatural characters considerably more personality than their initial appearances suggest.
Rather than adopting the roguelike structure associated with Evil Empire’s previous work on Dead Cells, Belmont’s Curse embraces the exploration-focused formula of a traditional Metroidvania. Paris serves as the starting point for an adventure that gradually leads towards Dracula’s castle, with interconnected routes, hidden rooms, shortcuts and obstacles that require abilities acquired later in the game. The level design is one of its strongest elements. Environments reward careful observation, and some puzzles demand more than simply locating an obvious switch or finding the correct platform. Environmental clues can encourage players to reconsider familiar locations, while concealed passages and previously inaccessible areas provide worthwhile reasons to revisit earlier sections. However, the overall structure is more sequential than that of the genre’s most open-ended examples, with individual areas sometimes feeling like self-contained stages rather than parts of one enormous, interconnected world. Fast travel is also relatively limited, making certain return journeys more tedious than they need to be. Nevertheless, the combination of thoughtful level design and meaningful discoveries makes exploration consistently rewarding.
The biggest change to the traditional Castlevania formula comes from the emphasis on movement. Rose’s whip is more than a familiar weapon: it becomes an essential traversal tool, allowing her to latch onto designated points, swing across gaps and propel herself towards otherwise unreachable platforms. It can also pull her towards enemies, linking movement and combat in a way that gives encounters a more dynamic rhythm. As additional abilities become available, platforming sequences grow increasingly demanding, combining carefully timed jumps, aerial manoeuvres, temporary changes to the environment and dangerous obstacles. The resulting challenges can be genuinely satisfying, particularly when a difficult sequence finally comes together or leads to a previously inaccessible treasure. Checkpoints near dangerous platforming sections also help prevent mistakes from becoming excessively punishing. However, the whip mechanics are not always as precise as they should be. Directional inputs can make it difficult to attach to the intended point or control a swing accurately, and these occasional frustrations become more noticeable when a single mistake means falling into a lethal trap. The controls are generally responsive, but the central movement mechanic could have benefited from greater consistency.
Combat complements this emphasis on mobility with a selection of weapons spanning seven categories, including swords, spears and fist-based attacks. Each offers its own characteristics, and Rose can combine conventional strikes with evasive manoeuvres, defensive parries and whip-assisted attacks to keep enemies off balance. Defeating bosses adds another layer through the Arcana system, which converts their captured spirits into tarot-card abilities that consume mana. Because physical attacks help replenish that resource, players are encouraged to alternate between weapon strikes and magical attacks rather than relying exclusively on one approach. There is satisfying potential here, especially when confronting bosses whose attack patterns demand careful observation and precise reactions. Unfortunately, the underlying combat system is relatively simple, and the differences between individual weapons are not always substantial enough to make every choice feel meaningful. The level-based progression system is similarly underwhelming, offering only small increases to attack and defence with each level gained. Some boss encounters are very memorable, but a few lack the complexity or spectacle needed to stand out, while the limited number of traversal abilities also means the sense of mechanical discovery eventually loses some momentum.
Rose’s equipment and relics provide additional opportunities to tailor the experience, although the available customisation is not quite as deep as the variety of options initially suggests. Relics offer different offensive and defensive benefits, encouraging players to experiment with combinations that suit their preferred approach. Meanwhile, healing resources and the decision to rest at save points introduce a welcome layer of tension. Resting replenishes healing potions but also revives defeated enemies, while drinking a potion leaves Rose vulnerable during its animation. These mechanics encourage players to think about positioning and timing rather than treating healing as an instant escape from danger. The difficulty can be considerable, particularly during boss fights, and the balance occasionally feels uneven when enemies inflict heavy damage. Fortunately, extensive difficulty and accessibility options allow players to adjust the experience to their preferences. Such flexibility makes the adventure more approachable without removing the challenge for those who want it, although the range of adjustments may also make it tempting to bypass some of the intended difficulty rather than learn a particularly demanding encounter.
Visually, Belmont’s Curse takes a colorful, illustrated approach to Gothic horror rather than relying on the pixel art associated with Dead Cells. The result is a distinctive 2.5D presentation, with painterly environments, bold colors and character designs that occasionally recall the Castlevania animated series. The burning streets of Paris offer a particularly effective setting, balancing architectural detail with the unsettling presence of supernatural creatures, while the transition towards Dracula’s castle provides a welcome change in atmosphere. The artwork gives the franchise a fresh identity without abandoning its recognisable Gothic foundations, and the environmental design does much of the work in establishing the mood. However, the presentation is not entirely consistent, as some two-dimensional background elements and decorative assets appear lower in detail and resolution than their surrounding three-dimensional counterparts, creating an uneven finish that becomes particularly apparent on a large 4K display. Enemy variety is another element that stands out: familiar creatures return frequently, and the bestiary rarely reaches the strange, imaginative extremes that have made some of the series’ monsters so memorable. The art direction is still very strong, but the visual execution and creature design do not always make the most of it.
The soundtrack takes a different direction from the orchestral, rock-influenced melodies that helped define earlier Castlevania games, incorporating electronic beats and heavier rhythms alongside more recognisable musical elements. This approach has its merits, and the updated arrangement of Bloody Tears stands out as a welcome reminder of the franchise’s musical heritage. Much of the remaining soundtrack, however, struggles to leave a lasting impression, with repetitive tracks that sometimes feel disconnected from the Gothic environments they accompany. It is not enough to undermine the engaging nature of the adventure, but the music lacks the distinctive melodies that could have elevated its most memorable locations and encounters.
Ultimately, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a strong return for a franchise that has been missed in this particular format. Rose Belmont makes a capable new protagonist, the whip-based movement adds an enjoyable twist to platforming and combat, and the carefully constructed environments reward players who take their time to investigate every suspicious wall and unexplored passage. The tarot-card system also gives defeated bosses a purpose beyond their initial encounters, helping connect progression with both combat and character interactions. At the same time, relatively shallow progression systems, uneven weapon differentiation, occasional control frustrations and an underwhelming soundtrack prevent the game from reaching the heights of the series’ most celebrated entries. Its more linear structure may also disappoint players looking for a sprawling, interconnected Metroidvania, but a budget-friendly price point more than makes up for that. Evil Empire has delivered an adventure that respects Castlevania’s heritage while introducing enough new ideas to justify Rose’s place in the Belmont family. It may not redefine the genre, but it provides a worthwhile new chapter for returning fans and a strong starting point for newcomers interested in classic Gothic action-platforming.
Score: 8.6/10