I love the Castlevania series. I grew up with the GBA and DS games specifically, with Order of Ecclesia being my favorite of the bunch. As an adult, I went back and explored the series from its origins, and now I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying Belmont’s Curse.

If we are speaking in technical terms, it has been 12 years since the last new Castlevania title. Lords of Shadow 2 was released in 2014, and effectively nuked the trajectory of the series. If we’re talking about the main continuity, the last major title was Order of Ecclesia in 2008, thus making it 18 years since we got a story in the main Castlevania timeline.

Set 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (adapted in animation via the Netflix series), Belmont’s Curse puts you in the role of Rose Belmont, the daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades. Sypha struggles with the curse that all Belmont hunters ultimately struggle with, though hers takes a physical form.

In 1499, she finds herself searching Medieval Paris for the source of dark forces that have come to assault it. Her father accompanies her until the start of her journey, and eventually a dark conspiracy begins to unfold. As is the case in all Castlevania games, Dracula’s castle rises, and Rose must explore it while struggling with her curse. She must hunt the night, and you must help her.

Rose has several tools at her disposal, mainly her weapons, which come from one of seven weapon families. I personally favor the whip and spear, while I have seen others favor things like the claymore or fist weapons. Each weapon offers a unique playstyle, which really shakes up how you approach things like boss fights.

Rose’s other main tool is her tarot deck, which absorbs the souls of the bosses she defeats. This might seem like a standard method of gaining new abilities, but it has a secondary purpose. The cards allow the bosses to speak to Rose afterward, and those bosses effectively become companions, though some are definitely reluctant.

This changes the dynamic often seen in Castlevania, where Belmonts would encounter other characters in the castle. Now, Rose has input from these characters as she progresses and can sometimes get hints from them. This is an interesting narrative device that fleshes out the enemy roster beyond mere boss encounters.

Each “Arcana” gives Rose a new spell in combat as well as a new traversal ability or passive. Because Konami worked with both Evil Empire and Motion Twin (the minds behind Dead Cells), this approach integrates the build diversity and fluidity of Dead Cells’ gameplay with Castlevania’s depth of playstyles and exploration. Each Arcana has various “works of mercy,” or criteria to upgrade the arcana as well.

Belmont’s Curse, both due to its platforming challenges and its combat, becomes a tricky, challenging experience pretty early on. However, the dev team has created a custom mode of accessibility features that let you tailor how much damage you deal, how much damage you take, and a variety of other elements that really let players make the experience more comfortable.

Those elements, combined with the lush, colorful, multi-layered art style, really make Belmont’s Curse feel like Castlevania for the modern era. The soundtrack features remixed versions of classic songs, as well as new tracks specifically for Belmont’s Curse. The story also integrates historical characters with fan favorites, and references things from all across the canon.

However, let’s be honest with ourselves here: Is it perfect? Not really. I think some of the platforming elements are a little too vicious for my tastes, and I think Rose should be able to unlock more than 3 healing flasks as the game progresses without using accessibility features. Those problems don’t sour the experience for me, though. I think that it is different from the classics, but if you can look at it with fresh eyes, it is a unique experience in the Castlevania canon separate from the Igarashi-directed games of yore.

Castlevania is such a beloved franchise that pleasing everyone is impossible. As such, I don’t think that Belmont’s Curse is going to be a game that everyone loves universally. However, if you give it a chance and enjoy games like Order of Ecclesia, the story hits in a really strong way. The voice acting is amazing, the art is beautiful, and the soundtrack is cool in its own way, even if it isn’t as iconic as some of the classics.

Motion Twin and Evil Empire took some interesting risks with Belmont’s Curse, and I really hope that Konami works with them on more Castlevania adventures. Rose as a protagonist could use another story as well, because she is clearly a hero in her early years. Overall, give Belmont’s Curse a chance; you won’t regret it.

A PC Review Copy of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was provided by Konami for the purposes of this review.

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Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

$49.99

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Beautiful, Colorful environments
• Gorgeous Remixed Soundtrack
• Fantastic exploration and platforming
• Adjustable Accessibility Features
• Wonderful character building

Cons

• Not everyone will resonate with the soundtrack
• 3 healing flasks feels really limiting