Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a worthy instalment in the beloved Konami series, telling a new Paris-set story that pays respect to the past and future. After nearly 20 years since the last true 2D game in the franchise, the question of whether Konami still has it is answered quickly: yes, it very much has.
A studio with pedigree
Much of the game's success is due to the team behind it. Konami has sought the aid of developers who have honed their craft in a particular field, much like it is doing with the Silent Hill franchise. Evil Empire, the minds behind Dead Cells, takes on this challenge.
While Belmont's Curse is not a roguelike, it shares some DNA through a degree of non-linearity at the heart of the adventure, making it feel like its own beast within the wider Castlevania canon. The mix is primed to reward the most determined and curious of players.
Rose Belmont's Paris adventure
At the heart of it all is Rose Belmont, the daughter of fan-favourite character Trevor, who travels with her father to 15th century Paris whilst it is in the throes of a raging fire and the presumed return of an ancient evil threat. This sets the stage for a relatively faithful yet surprising Castlevania story that finds time for Rose to develop as she discovers more about her own past.
The game transforms the city of Paris into a locale that is fun to explore and fight through. Beginning on the city streets as it has been set ablaze, this section serves as the perfect tutorial for whip-fueled, monster-slaying fun. It complements the 2.5D art style well, giving the game a look that sits between the classic Konami games and the anime-inspired visuals of the recent Netflix show.
Gameplay and non-linearity
Gameplay is incredibly varied and satisfyingly smooth. Whether swinging on wall hooks, flinging Rose at enemies using her Arcane Whip, or sliding underneath gaps to solve environmental puzzles, getting around Parisian streets and the castle structure never feels like a chore.
The map is stacked with secrets, affording Rose the chance to up her Attack and Defence traits or find more powerful variants of the seven different weapon families. Unique treasures are worth seeking out, made easier the more traversal abilities and Arcana spells you gather, which are used to access previously hidden areas that interlock and feed back onto one another seamlessly.
The order of bosses, and therefore your Arcana abilities, can be tackled mostly in any order. Empowered by a deck of Tarot Cards left to her by her deceased mother, clues as to where each are located are revealed slowly the more you explore. This allows for a splash of non-linearity that provides leeway to make the adventure slightly your own, made worthwhile by the fact that every boss is a visual feast.
One small complaint is that some clues are not always as clear as they could be, leading to roaming around environments repeatedly until finding the correct path. However, as a way to offer a slightly new spin on Metroidvania proceedings, the game trusts players to progress without removing every potential breadcrumb completely.
A grand return
Technically you can roll credits well before acquiring enough skills to comfortably take on the final boss, but you would be missing out on seriously cool environments, Arcana abilities, boss battles, and testing platforming challenges.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse comfortably understands what is required to bring this long-dormant Konami series back on surefooting, and even finds room to make some incremental genre strides. Up to seven different weapon types, a broad range of Arcana abilities, and a Relic system not too dissimilar to Hollow Knight's charms make Rose's adventure through Paris as varied and flexible as one could hope without losing that core Castlevania essence and appeal.
Whether you are a long-time series fan or a Metroidvania diehard, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a grand return to form that packs in plenty of twists and surprises. More so than that, it bodes well for where Konami and Evil Empire may take the franchise in the future.
Rating: 4/5. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is set to launch on PS5, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch on Thursday, October 15.
