Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse marks a long-awaited return for Konami’s legendary vampire-hunting franchise, delivering its first major 2D adventure in nearly two decades. As the series celebrates its 40th anniversary, developer Evil Empire, known for Dead Cells, brings its fast-paced action and combat expertise to one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. The result is a gorgeous, challenging, and surprisingly fresh adventure that blends classic Castlevania gameplay with modern mechanics.
After all these years, does the Belmont family still have what it takes to slay? Let’s sink our teeth into it with my full review.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse details
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Pro
Developer: Evil Empire, Konami and Motion Twin
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Action-Adventure / Metroidvania
Available game modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
A new Belmont, an old family curse
Set in 1499, Belmont’s Curse transports you to medieval Paris, where the streets are burning, and monstrous creatures have emerged. If you are a Castlevania die-hard, you’ll recognize the timeline. The story unfolds 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and 20 years after Curse of Darkness. Legendary vampire hunter Trevor Belmont arrives alongside his daughter, Rose, to investigate the supernatural catastrophe. However, it’s Rose who takes centre stage, confronting a sinister conspiracy while wrestling with her family’s legacy and a mysterious curse tied to her late mother, Sypha Belnades.
As a fan of the series, I really like what Rose brought to the table as the protagonist; she’s courageous, occasionally impulsive, and easily one of the franchise’s most compelling characters. The supporting cast is equally memorable, especially Joan of Arc and Medusa. Longtime fans will also appreciate the connections to the classic games that inspired Netflix’s Castlevania animated series. Even if you are new to the series, you’ll still enjoy the story and the frenetic action.
Fast, frenetic gameplay
Belmont’s Curse works so well because of its sharp, fine-tuned gameplay. Developer Evil Empire takes the familiar Castlevania formula and injects it with the fast, fluid movement that made Dead Cells such a standout experience. Rose’s signature Arcane Whip ability is easily my favourite addition, letting her grapple onto environmental objects, swing across dangerous gaps, and launch herself at enemies to close distance quickly or unleash devastating attacks. Chaining these movements together feels fantastic, especially when navigating challenging platforming sections filled with spikes, traps, and other hazards.
A well-rounded, diverse arsenal
Combat is satisfying, thanks to seven weapon families that are balanced incredibly well. In my playthrough, I got access to longswords, sword-and-shield combinations, spears, gauntlets, great swords, twin swords, and traditional whips. Each offers a different fighting style, with four weapon variations available per category. I enjoyed experimenting with the lightning-fast gauntlets and the more defensive sword-and-shield combinations. For me, nothing quite matched the sheer satisfaction of unleashing the legendary “Vampire Killer” whip, a holy chain weapon that remains as iconic and satisfying to wield as ever.
Seal in evil spirits
Another standout mechanic is the Arcana system, which uses Rose’s Tarot card collection to grant additional powers and upgrades. Defeating major bosses seals their souls in the cards, letting Rose communicate with them while borrowing their supernatural abilities. I really like this approach because it gives boss encounters lasting significance beyond simply crossing another enemy off the list. Defeating bosses adds to and evolves your arsenal in interesting, exciting ways. Medusa, for example, grants petrification magic, while Joan of Arc’s Holy Light provides a defensive Shield of Light that can parry attacks and help Rose pass through certain magical barriers.
Clever progression system keeps things interesting
Each Arcana also includes optional challenges called Works of Mercy, which unlock additional enhancements known as Blessings. This clever progression system stimulates experimentation. Best of all, the trapped personalities occasionally argue or comment on your adventure, providing some very entertaining moments.
Classic exploration with modern features
Like past games in the series, the game rewards you for revisiting areas you’ve already explored. Each region has its own secrets, hidden weapons, and upgrades, and I liked discovering new pathways as Rose’s abilities grew. Her Arcane Whip, for example, is especially useful for reaching platforms that were previously out of reach. When you gain new tools like this and abilities, they can open up whole new areas to explore. The map also includes handy features like custom markers and completion percentages, making it easier to track areas when I revisited for secrets and collectibles. I appreciated these conveniences, especially with how much backtracking is involved. That said, I occasionally found myself roaming around trying to figure out which clue or hidden passage I’d missed. A touch more direction would’ve helped, especially when I just wanted to get back to hunting monsters.
Great boss showdowns, uneven difficulty
The boss battles are easily some of my favourite moments in Belmont’s Curse, but I wish the difficulty was a little more consistent. I enjoyed figuring out each boss’s attack patterns and learning when to dodge or go on the offensive. Some fights, though, felt unnecessarily punishing. A single mistake could cost me a huge chunk of health, and losing meant trekking back to the nearest save point to try again. That got old pretty quickly, especially when I just wanted another shot at the boss.
Thankfully, the game’s Custom Mode lets you tweak the experience by adjusting damage, increasing your healing potions, and even restarting right outside boss arenas. I was happy to see these options included, but here’s my issue: Why isn’t restarting outside a boss arena the default? It’s a small quality-of-life feature that would’ve saved me plenty of frustration, and I shouldn’t have to dig through the settings to turn it on.
I also found the variety of “regular” enemies I encountered was a little limited. As much as I enjoyed battling familiar Castlevania foes like skeletons, bats, and armoured knights, I found myself facing the same enemy combinations a little too often as the adventure progressed. I hoped for more enemy types, especially given the wider variety in the series’ early games.
A gothic masterpiece
Visually, Belmont’s Curse looks incredible both in motion and standing still. The art style blends beautifully illustrated backgrounds with stylized, cel-shaded character models, giving the game an aesthetic somewhere between classic Castlevania artwork and a modern animated production.
Solid technical performance
Boss battles are particularly impressive, featuring massive character designs, elaborate animations, and spectacular supernatural effects. On PlayStation 5 Pro, the game targets 60fps and feels great, with very few technical problems. I found it complements the responsive combat and demanding platforming the gameplay requires. At times, overlapping combat effects can make incoming attacks harder to read, but otherwise the game looks and plays great.
Final thoughts on Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse‘s fluid combat, rewarding exploration, and epic boss battles make for an excellent adventure worthy of the Castlevania name. Repetitive enemies, occasional navigation frustrations, and uneven difficulty hold it back. But these shortcomings rarely overshadow what the game does best. With plenty of secrets and multiple endings to discover, longtime veterans and newcomers alike will have plenty to enjoy.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent combat, responsive whip mechanics, and deep weapon customization. | Limited enemy variety leads to repetitive encounters. |
| Incredible boss encounters, gorgeous gothic visuals | Some cryptic navigation and fast-travel options slow progression. |
| Rewarding exploration, clever upgrades, and plenty of secrets to discover. | Occasional difficulty spikes and visually cluttered combat sequences. |
Overall assessment of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Graphics: 5/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting Appeal / Replayability: 4.5/5
Overall rating: 4.5/5 (90%)
