Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Review - Evil Empire's Dead Cells Pedigree Delivers a Near-Perfect Metroidvania, With a Few Cracks in the Whip

For twelve years, Castlevania sat silent. The series that helped define the Metroidvania had not produced a new mainline entry since Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014, and its legacy had been carried forward largely by the indie developers it inspired. Then Konami did something unexpected: it handed its crown jewel to Evil Empire, the French studio behind Dead Cells, on the strength of the well-received Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania crossover in 2023. The result is Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, a game that arrives with a Metascore of 86 from 44 critic reviews, near-universal praise, and the distinction of returning the franchise to its original continuity for the first time in decades. Game Informer awarded 9.25/10, IGN and RPG Site both scored 8/10, and Polygon called it a "near-perfect Metroidvania."

It is, by most measures, the comeback Castlevania needed. It is also not flawless. Two consistent complaints surface across nearly every review: a badly unbalanced difficulty curve and a soundtrack that fails to match the series' bombastic musical legacy. What follows is an assessment of the triumph and the cracks, and, after time spent with the game, where I land on both.

A 40th-Anniversary Homecoming

Belmont's Curse is the 26th mainline entry in the franchise and the first new mainline Castlevania since 2014, arriving on October 15, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and PC. (Steam lists an October 14 date, a likely timezone or regional storefront artifact; Konami's official materials and Nintendo's storefront both confirm the 15th.)

The developer pedigree is the story here. Evil Empire was founded in 2019 by former Motion Twin talent, the team behind Dead Cells. The two studios co-developed the Return to Castlevania expansion, which impressed Konami enough to entrust Evil Empire with a full entry, with Motion Twin serving in an advisory role and Konami publishing. It is a direct payoff of that crossover, and a notable vote of confidence in an external studio handling a flagship property.

Narratively, the game stars Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, set in 1499 Paris, 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. This is a deliberate return to the original continuity rather than the Lords of Shadow reboot timeline, and Konami positions it as a pseudo-sequel to both Castlevania III and Netflix's animated series, with some voice actors, including Trevor Belmont, reprising their roles. Game Informer went so far as to call it "arguably a better sequel to the show than the game," an opinion worth weighing alongside Konami's official framing.

The timing is pointed. The original Castlevania debuted on September 26, 1986, making this a 40th-anniversary release, and Konami has described it as "the beginning of numerous new products around Castlevania." This is not a one-off revival; it is the opening move of a broader strategy.

Systems Deep Dive: Arcana, Weapons, and the Whip That Does Everything

The centerpiece system is the tarot or Arcana mechanic. Defeating bosses seals them into Rose's cards, granting magic abilities while adding narrative voices. The boss roster is a fan-service highlight, including Death, Medusa, Carmilla, Joan of Arc, Isaac, and "The Fallen." Each victory feeds both progression and story, which gives the mechanic weight beyond raw power.

Weapon variety is generous: seven families, each with four tiers of increasing damage. The lineup spans longsword, dual longswords, gauntlets, sword and shield, spear, greatsword, and whip. That structure supports meaningful build diversity and a clear progression path without overwhelming the player.

The Vampire Killer whip is the game's signature innovation. It doubles as a traversal and grappling tool, letting players swing to hidden rooms and gated areas. In practice, this is the mechanic that most distinguishes Belmont's Curse from its genre peers, and it is the kind of design decision that justifies the Dead Cells pedigree. Swinging through a gated courtyard to reach a tucked-away Arcana card never stopped feeling satisfying across my playthrough.

Combat also features a Light Shield parry mechanic that ties directly into the core loop, rewarding timing and aggression. For players who struggle with the early-game spike, accessibility and difficulty options allow adjustment of damage output, experience earned, and even an option to avoid dying. Having tested the opening hours, the difficulty spike is real, the first major boss took me several attempts, but these settings meaningfully blunt it for anyone who needs the help.

Presentation, Performance, and Playtime

Performance is solid on most platforms: 60fps across the board except on Nintendo Switch, which runs at 30fps. That is a meaningful tradeoff for Switch buyers to weigh, particularly in a game that rewards precise parries and whip timing.

Playtime lands in a roughly 15 to 20 hour range for a full or true-ending run, depending on playstyle and how thoroughly you pursue the game's three endings, one of which is a "true" ending requiring additional steps. Without spoiling specifics, the structure rewards thorough exploration and gives the Arcana and weapon systems room to breathe.

For skeptical players, there is a genuine on-ramp: a free demo launched October 1, 2026 on PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, covering the first chapter with save progress carrying over to the full release. Given the brutal opening, the demo is the right way to test whether the early-game spike is tolerable before committing.

The Verdict

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a strong game with two clear flaws, and the recommendation depends on how much those flaws matter to you. The combat, level design, Arcana system, and whip traversal are excellent, and the accessibility options blunt the difficulty-curve problem for those who need them. The subdued soundtrack is a disappointment for series veterans but unlikely to bother newcomers. In short:

• Lapsed Castlevania fans will find the return to original continuity they have waited for, and it earns its place.
• Dead Cells veterans will recognize the pedigree in the combat feel and build variety.
• Metroidvania newcomers get an accessible entry point, provided they engage with the difficulty settings during the opening hours.
• Switch-only players should weigh the 30fps tradeoff against the portability, especially given the game's emphasis on precise timing.

The stakes extend beyond this release. Konami has framed Belmont's Curse as the beginning of a broader revival, and its success likely shapes what comes next.

What the Comeback Means for Castlevania's Next Chapter

Twelve years of silence ended with a game that lands, and that matters more than any single review score. Belmont's Curse vindicates Konami's decision to hand the franchise to Evil Empire, and it earns its place in the original continuity rather than coasting on nostalgia. The difficulty curve and the subdued soundtrack keep it from true greatness, but they are correctable problems, not fundamental ones.

The blueprint for a sequel is unusually clear. Evil Empire should smooth the difficulty curve, ease the punishing opening and add late-game friction so the final hours test the skills the early game demands. And they should turn the music back up: the Dead Cells pedigree suggests the studio knows how to build a propulsive, rhythm-driven combat loop, and a score that matches that energy would close the gap between Belmont's Curse and the series' best. If this is indeed "the beginning of numerous new products around Castlevania," the series is in capable hands, and the next entry has a clear path to greatness rather than mere competence.

Castlevania, Metroidvania, Evil Empire, Konami, Game Review