‘Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse’ Game Review: One of the Best Games of the Franchise
Castlevania is one of those legendary Konami series that, for almost four decades, has built its fanbase and theme around gothic castles, supernatural horrors, rough combat, and the legacy of the Belmont family. It started as a tough, unforgiving platform game, but slowly, over time, it demonstrated that there are many ways to make hunting monsters an unforgettable, stressful adventure. Released on October 15, 2026, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse may easily be one of the best Castlevania games to date.
Its story is set in fifteenth-century Paris and follows the adventures of Belmonts, who are vampire hunters in the XV century. Although Belmont’s Curse is full of memorable moments and levels, it demonstrates a clear understanding of what makes the franchise special.
[Warning: spoilers are discussed below! I played the PC version of this game. While I’m reviewing this game independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Evil Empire & Konami for the purpose of this review.]
The story in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Belmont’s Curse‘s story begins in 1499, twenty-three years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Paris is under siege by monstrous creatures emerging from the shadows and causing mayhem in the streets.
At the center of this catastrophe is Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont, the legendary warrior who defeated Dracula. Rose is the pivotal character in this world shaped by her parents’ accomplishments because she has to prove that their legacy is not as simple and colorful as everybody imagined.
Being a Belmont means inheriting a responsibility that few people could understand. As one of the younger hunters, Rose must prove that she can fight the darkness without letting the past cloud her judgment and make her dangerously cocky.
Rose is not simply a replacement for Trevor or another hero from this universe. Her journey focuses on her growth as a hunter, her relationship with others, and the choices she must make to become herself, not what the legacy tells her to become.
Belmont’s Curse uses Paris as a way to set the tone of the story. It establishes it as a place worth saving but shows that all of its burning streets, dark catacombs, and supernatural locations are always dangerous, even when Rose does not investigate them. The presence of Dracula’s castle eventually makes it impossible for the journey to ignore the place and pushes the adventure towards it.
Whenever you stop for a moment, you will realize that all the locations also have an influence on the story. The threatened beautiful city, the mysterious castle with a brutal past, the society created by supernatural conspiracy, and the inclusion of familiar monsters. All of this gives Castlevania a character that makes it stand out, even in its 2/2.5D entourage.
Belmont’s Curse has a strong foundation in Rose as this game’s main protagonist, and the setting is also unique. But its greatest strength lies in the story and the opportunity it creates for a new generation to be the main lead character in this series, and to do it in an interesting and very clever way.
New mechanics better enhance gameplay from previous games
At its core, this is a 2/2.5D action game focused on combat, platforming, discovering secrets, and fighting bosses. The structure is familiar to previous Castlevania titles as well as Hollow Knight games.
The most important part of the gameplay is the expanded role of the Vampire Killer, the legendary Holy Whip connected to the Belmont family. It is Rose’s signature weapon, but it is no longer just a weapon to defeat monsters. The whip also serves as a traversal tool, allowing Rose to swing across gaps, reach higher platforms, go through dangerous environments, and discover hidden paths that sometimes remain unavailable to explore.
Thankfully, Rose is not limited to the use of Vampire Killer as her only weapon. The game is full of more picks for weapons like swords, gauntlets, and other weapons that allow us to pick whatever we feel comfortable with for certain encounters.
This matters a lot, because in Castlevania, the best gameplay sequences have always depended on something more than just smashing and hitting enemies. It was all about doing this with prestige and a feeling of being mightier than your enemy.
One of the more important additions in this game is the Arcana system, which sort of turns the essences of defeated bosses into tarot cards that Rose can use to give her special abilities. These cards can be used to cast spells and perform unique actions that can offer major advantages against bosses. Arcana allows for some kind of customization that can influence combat and the overall outcome of certain battles.
With seven weapon categories available, there is room to develop a preferred fighting style, which in the end makes it really good to try. Not because it’s just another gimmick, but because we can feel how each weapon changes the encounters and has influence on their outcome.
As for the boss battles, they remain a main part of the gameplay. They are those kinds of encounters that are important not only because they test Rose’s abilities but also because they give the adventure more of that “Castlevania juice.” A good Castlevania boss should be threatening before the first attack. It should have a unique design and some special atmosphere that goes with it. And the bosses in this game have all of that.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse game rating and final thoughts
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a game that really makes the creators behind the Castlevania franchise proud. Rose Belmont is one of those characters that explores the family’s legacy from a fresh perspective and helps us understand it. The game has moments where it is not perfect, but these issues do not prevent Belmont’s Curse from reaching and fulfilling its potential.
Belmont’s Curse proves that Castlevania is not just connected to Dracula but that it is a universe full of famous monsters. Rose’s adventure shows that this game was needed to help keep the franchise alive. It may not be the best game of the year, but it definitely is one of the best Castlevania games.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is now available to play on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series S/X.
