Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Is a Near-Perfect Metroidvania
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is the first mainline entry in the beloved gothic action series for over a decade, arriving as countless Metroidvania-inspired games thrived in its absence. The new game proves that the franchise still has fresh ideas to offer, combining throwback appeal with modern, razor-sharp gameplay to justify its return to prominence.
Players take control of Rose Belmont, daughter of series mainstays Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, as she investigates supernatural threats in Paris and faces a resurrected Dracula. Built on Dead Cells' foundation, the game features a striking visual style rendering Paris as a flaming ghost town with bold colours and gothic imagery reminiscent of Universal monster films. Its open-ended world design balances rewarding exploration with an accessible main path, whilst an innovative card-based Arcana magic system provides strategic depth.
- Castlevania returns after thirteen years with new protagonist Rose and innovative card-based magic system.
- Bold gothic art and card-based Arcana magic bring modern innovation to this beloved vampire-hunting series.
- Open-world design balances rewarding exploration with accessible main path, avoiding Metroidvania pitfalls.
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Castlevania is a long-running video game series centred on gothic horror and vampire hunting. The mainline franchise has remained dormant for over a decade, a period during which exploration-focused action games inspired by its design have become increasingly popular.
This new entry follows Rose Belmont, a vampire hunter from the series' established family, as she investigates supernatural threats in Paris and faces a resurrected Dracula. The game combines Castlevania's gothic horror elements with exploration-based level design that characterises many contemporary action games.
The franchise's return is noteworthy because the exploration-focused action game style it pioneered has flourished during the decade-long gap in mainline entries. Castlevania is now re-entering a gaming landscape significantly shaped by games inspired by its original design.