Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Review – A Stunning Return

The first thing that struck me in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse wasn’t one of the franchise’s iconic floating Medusa heads – don’t worry, there’s plenty of those coming for you later – but its absolutely breathtaking presentation.

The story immediately drops you into picturesque, 1499 Paris, but this is far from a leisurely holiday. France’s capital is burning to the ground…and it’s a beautiful thing. At least in terms of the game’s gorgeous graphics, as a brilliant blend of sumptuous art direction and technical prowess allow the flame-engulfed city to pop off the screen with incredible detail, immersion-ratcheting effects, and enough gothic atmosphere to get you lighting a torch and reaching for your whip. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. 

Belmont’s Curse is the long-awaited return of a beloved brand that first had fledgling vampire hunters sharpening their stakes way back in 1986, when Konami’s monster-mashing action-adventure debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System. 

Since Simon Belmont first cracked his signature whip, the series has seen more sequels and spin-offs than you can shake a silver crucifix at. Or at least it did until 2014, when the last mainline entry, 3D sequel Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, launched. And if you’re talking a proper Castlevania – meaning a 2D exploration-based side-scroller – then you’ll have to go back to 2008 and dust off your Nintendo DS for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.

Thankfully, the franchise’s 40th anniversary, as well as a fresh collaboration with Dead Cells DLC developer Evil Empire, has brought us Belmont’s Curse, a sequel of sorts that spins an original fang-bearing tale unfolding 23 years after the conclusion of 1989’s Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse.

Which returns us to Medieval Paris, or at least what’s left of it when Trevor Belmont and his daughter Rose roll up to the burning metropolis at the game’s start. The duo have been summoned by the city’s Bishop, who’s sent a cryptic letter suggesting something sinister is responsible for reducing the city to burning rubble and glowing embers.

But despite Trevor previously defeating Dracula, he isn’t the protagonist this time. While the legendary hero – as well as other Belmonts – play a significant role in the game’s twisty story, it’s his brave daughter Rose that’s now proving she can properly wield the family whip in Belmont’s Curse.

Which she capably does while carving through a castle full of nightmarish creatures. Fast, fluid, and endlessly satisfying, the game’s combat feels fantastic from the very first attacks you unleash from behind Rose’s longsword. That’s right, Castlevania’s most famous weapon isn’t leveraged from the start…at least not how you might expect. 

Belmont’s Curse packs a varied line-up of uglies to tangle with, so Rose’s arsenal is equally diverse, encompassing a variety of death-dealers, from several types of blades and cestuses to lances and, yes, bat-slaying bull whips. Regardless of which melee weapon you favor though, you can expect lightning-quick, impactful encounters that satisfy your thumbs even as their accompanying animations and effects engage your eyes. Snappy, pretty, and respsonsive, the combat is one of the game’s strongest elements. It’s also surprisingly challenging, ensuring you always keep at least one eye on your coveted potion inventory.

And that’s before you account for the many boss battles, epic, screen-filling encounters that combine imaginative monstrosities with equally creative and clever attack patterns you likely won’t decipher until you’ve been reduced to a pulply puddle more than a few times. 

More than just massive horned, fanged, and clawed menaces – with equally intimidating health bars – standing between you and your next objective, the bosses nicely tie into the game’s tarot card system. Rose carries a magical deck left to her by her deceased mother, and unlocking its incredible powers typically means taking down some of the game’s fiercest foes first. 

So on top of the satisfaction that comes with conquering these thumb-blistering encounters, you’re rewarded with new means of teaching Dracula’s minions some manners. Called arcanas, these magical weapons include multiple monster-stopping powers, such as Medusa’s ability to temporarily turn targets to stone, and Joan of Arc’s penchant for unleashing paths of foe-frying flames. 

Of course, these arcane ass-kickers – which are fueled by a mana – are used alongside your primary melee weapon, making for a lethal combination that allows you to brutally bloody the walls of Drac’s castle with style to spare.  This dynamic also feeds a nice risk-reward element, as battling baddies up-close is what replenishes your mana pool.

But your build grows far beyond just finding favorite weapon and arcana combos, because Belmont’s Curse also includes a coffin full of RPG-leaning features. In addition to attack stats, your handheld tools of destruction carry various active and passive perks like, say, the ability to also use a lance as a ranged spear, or doing more damage with a whip by hitting enemies with its tip.

The tarot cards pack even more substance, as tackling different objective-based challenges unlocks new arcana upgrades. Dubbed “Works of Mercy,” these mini, almost passive goals – such as killing a specific number of enemies with a certain weapon type – unlock “Blessings,” a currency used to power-up arcanas. So if, for example, you want Joan of Arc’s fiery ability to not only burn baddies but also fling them into the air while in flames, you’ll need to seek out a sacred spot for her to pray. 

Finding such a place, as well as the dozens of other hidden areas around the game’s massive map, feeds directly into Belmont’s Curse’s platforming-fueled exploration. In fact, while you’ll spend a good deal of time clearing the ranks of Dracula’s relentless army – including many returning favorites, like fire-spitting Merman and those infamous floating Medusa heads – you’ll invest equal hours avoiding traps, seeking treasures, and otherwise just trying to survive the game’s danger-filled environments. 

To be sure, this 2D side-scrolling world is no playground, but rather a monster-filled, hazard-riddled gauntlet that can be as brutal to traverse as it is beautiful to ogle. Thankfully, the Belmont’s trusty weapon of choice is now a grappling device, letting you navigate the expansive castle and its sprawling outskirts with some extra verticality. The intuitive tool hooks onto various points – as well as enemies for rewarding reel-in attacks – affording you a ton of freedom, but also fresh opportunities to become skewered on spikes or boiled in lava.

Needless to say, Belmont’s Curse is a Metroidvania, so exploration – including regularly revisiting spots you couldn’t previously access for fresh rewards, discoveries, and progression – is an integral part of the experience. But breaching once-blocked or otherwise unreachable areas with the whip is just the beginning, as Rose’s traversal-fueled, trap-evading skills continuously evolve throughout the lengthy campaign. 

By the time you add the ability to make rock shards vanish and reappear with the press of a button – as well as unlock other acrobatic and environment-altering skills later in the game – you’ll be platforming in ways Super Mario never thought possible. The other side of this coin is the quality and creativity of the level design. Afterall, what good are all these slick abilities if you can’t fully leverage them? Belmont’s Curse doesn’t disappoint in this regard, crafting some of the most thoughtful and creative layouts the series has ever seen. 

All that said, some of the platforming challenges are downright diabolical, often requiring you to rapidly swap between the various traversal tools and powers you’ve learned in quick succession. While many of the game’s boss encounters tested the limits of my reflexes, completing some of its more punishing environmental challenges – after multiple failed attempts – literally left my thumbs sore.

On the plus side, the pain is usually balanced by the fact Belmont’s Curse is brimming with optional secrets, rewards and, yes, whole health-reviving turkeys worth seeking out. On top of story-expanding content, there’s tons of permanent health and mana upgrades to be found, as well as equipable relics to discover, which introduce another layer of build customization with dozens of passive bonuses capable of saving your bacon on the battlefield. You’re also always leveling up, so all those creeps you’re carving through along the way contribute to Rose’s permanent attack and defense increases.

Outside of some sinister platforming sections – and the fact it takes at least a second too long to chug a health potion during heated battles – it’s hard to find much fault with Castlevania’s long-awaited return. Its snappy combat, killer soundtrack, and the most stunning 2D presentation I’ve ever had the pleasure of soaking in sold me on the game long before the drawbridge dropped at Drac’s castle. 

But like the catacombs of the bloodsucker’s creepy estate, the game continued to introduce more engaging, immersive layers the deeper I got, making it difficult to put down the controller even after marathon sessions. More than justifying the series’ return after an absence to rival a vampire’s centuries-long slumber, Belmont’s Curse has gone above, beyond, and possibly on the ballot come awards season.

Our score

9/10

Essential

Xbox Nation Verdict

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Review – A Stunning Return

Tested onXbox Series X

+ What works

• Stunning visual presentation and audio design
• Varied, responsive, rewarding combat
• Engrossing exploration and character progression
• Clever level design complemented by engaging platforming

− What holds it back

• Some platforming challenges are punishing

Xbox Play Anywhere

Available on

Xbox Series X|S · Xbox PC · Windows PC

Developer

Evil Empire

Publisher

Konami

Release date

15/10/2026

Age rating

PEGI 16, T for Teen

Price

$29.99 / £24.98