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Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was made to enlighten players who “love Metroidvanias” but have “never played a Castlevania game,” Konami lead says
Konami has explained the thinking behind Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, with a lead on the project saying the game was designed to introduce the long-running series to players who enjoy the Metroidvania genre but have never actually played a Castlevania title. The comment frames the new entry as something of an on-ramp, aimed at newer fans who may be familiar with the exploration-and-upgrade style of game the Castlevania series helped popularise, without having engaged with the franchise itself.
The remarks, reported by GamesRadar+, suggest Konami sees Belmont's Curse as a way of widening the series' audience by appealing directly to fans of the broader Metroidvania genre, a term itself derived partly from Castlevania. Full details of the game's release plans, platforms and specific features were not covered in the available report.
In short
- Konami lead pitches Castlevania: Belmont's Curse as newcomer-friendly
- Game targets Metroidvania fans unfamiliar with the Castlevania series
- Aims to broaden the franchise's audience via genre crossover appeal
Explained simply
Castlevania is a video game franchise owned by Konami that has been running since the 1980s. The series typically features action-based gameplay combined with exploration and character progression as core elements.
The term Metroidvania refers to a video game genre that emphasises exploration of interconnected worlds combined with gradual unlocking of new abilities and upgrades. The term itself comes from the two series that pioneered this style: Metroid and Castlevania, which have long been considered foundational to the genre.
Konami describes its new game as an entry point for newcomers to the franchise. Rather than targeting longstanding Castlevania players, the company is specifically aiming at people who enjoy Metroidvania games but have never played a Castlevania title, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to expand the series' audience.