Castlevania: Belmont's Curse seems to have ALMOST everything I want from a Castlevania game

Prior to Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse reveal back in June at Summer Game Fest, it had been nearly two decades since the last new 2D entry in Konami’s action RPG series (mobile titles notwithstanding), with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Its announcement, alongside the reveal that it was being made by Evil Empire (the Dead Cells folks) alongside Konami, instantly put it on my radar as one of my most hype games of the year. That excitement was clearly felt by many folks as Belmont’s Curse seemed to have the longest line at PAX West this year. I waded through the line and got to try my hand at the 20-minute demo, and the hour-long wait was easily worth it.

The demo dropped me into an early portion of the game, with the latest heroine, Rose Belmont, dealing with a burning city and hordes of monsters to kill. Positioned close to one of its bosses, The Fallen (I’m putting my money right now on him being a member of the Belmont family), I quickly took him out and used the rest of my time to explore and get a feel for how some of the movement options feel. The staff running the demo assured me the boss was made easier for the sake of the demo. Beating the Fallen earned me his whip-like power, which serves as both an offensive and movement tool, allowing Rose to quickly zip over to enemies by grabbing them with it, or by whipping to out-of-reach points and pulling her up, adding to her standard Belmont toolkit of slides and back-dashes.

The area available to explore was perfect for the time I had, and quickly slicing the unfortunate demons that found themselves in my way felt satisfying with every strike Rose landed, having a solid impact behind it. Playing Belmont’s Curse felt like a dream, which, considering how much fun Dead Cells is to play, shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but it still was a nice confirmation, and it looks just as good as it plays.

Despite using 3D models, the textures and aesthetic the team has gone with give not only Rose but also the enemies and the environment an almost drawn appearance, and it really helps everything stand out. This latest vampire-slaying adventure isn’t locked to only a dusty castle, with Rose fighting through the burning city in addition to the castle itself. The city burning in the background was a menacing view during the demo. Then there was the tease of a specific stairway that any Symphony of the Night or Rondo of Blood fan will recognize, set against the crimson moon from the latest trailer gave me shivers. I really can’t wait to see what other zones make it into Belmont’s Curse.

While the visuals and the gameplay both have me completely sold, one aspect of Belmont’s Curse that I’m not quite as enamored with (yet) has to do with its soundtrack. It’s not that it’s bad, but nothing I heard in the demo or in the trailers, including the latest one featuring the series’ signature “Vampire Killer” track, really has given me that Castlevania vibe. Granted, my time was short, but nothing about the track that was playing gave me either an “I’m a badass” feeling or the unsettling eeriness that I associate with many of the tracks - even the early ones - in the series. I remember hearing “Awake” for the first time in Circle of the Moon or Aria of Sorrow’s “Castle Corridor” and getting locked in for what was to come. Even the take on “Vampire Killer” in the trailer felt more somber and serious, as though it would feel more appropriate during a deathbed heart-to-heart exposition than taking out demons left and right and being awesome. I have my fingers crossed that in the full game, the rest of the tracks will have more of that signature Castlevania feel to them.

It’s been a long time since fans of the gothic horror series got a fresh new title, and while Konami’s more recent collections have been pretty damn great, it still only masked the void in my soul that yearned for a new game. My brief time with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has lifted much of my worry as to whether or not this will be a great Metroidvania when it releases in October, but what remains to be seen is where it will land among the pantheon of Castlevania series greats. Thank goodness we don’t have long to wait until we find out.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse launches on October 15, 2026, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC