《恶魔城：贝尔蒙特的诅咒》评测

It has been a long time since a new Castlevania felt like an event, and Belmont’s Curse arrives with the confidence of a team that knows exactly what it wants to say. Motion Twin and Evil Empire have taken a franchise with a very specific lineage and bent it toward something new. It does not always honor tradition, but it rarely stumbles, and it is stunning to look at. How does this fresh take on Castlevania hold up in the end? Join us in our review as we banish the darkness once more!

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Developer: Evil Empire, Motion Twin
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: Windows (reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS5
Release Date: October 15, 2026
Price: $29.99

The story centers on Rose Belmont, the newest bearer of a name that has carried weight for centuries. Rose is shaped by absence and legacy. Her mother has passed away, and that loss colors much of her drive. Her father is Trevor Belmont, the hero of Castlevania III, and he is no longer the young whip-wielder players remember.

He is aged, worn down, and sporting a scruffy look that suits a man who has spent a lifetime fighting what hides in the dark. Seeing him this way is a quiet kind of nostalgia.

As the title implies, the Belmont curse is no longer a tale of one man against Dracula. It is a family inheritance, passed down with all its grief, and Rose carries it as both burden and purpose.

On the gameplay front, this is Metroidvania excellence from top to bottom. Movement is tight, the map design rewards curiosity, and every new ability opens the world in a satisfying way.

But the developers took liberties here, and they lean on their past works at times. The result is a game that plays wonderfully while feeling a step removed from what makes a Castlevania game feel like a Castlevania game in certain respects. That is not a fatal flaw, but it is worth stating plainly.

The visuals are some of the most moody, intense, and detailed two-dimensional backdrops I have seen. Gothic architecture looms in layers, candlelight flickers across stone, and the 3D character sprites meld into these painted environments better than I expected.

The music and atmosphere scream gothic from the opening moments to the credits. The soundtrack is very enjoyable, but I cannot rule out that it loses a head-to-head with the all-time great tracks of past Castlevania titles. Those are a very high bar, and Belmont’s Curse does not clear it, even if it comes close.

One of my favorite things is how many enemies return from earlier games. Seeing their sprites redone in this new art style had me living in nostalgia mode in the best way possible.

When I met the Bone Pillars in their new 3D glory, I could not help but chuckle. The same goes for the Yorick Skeletons, kicking their heads around like soccer balls in hopes of destroying Rose. These are small touches, but they show real affection for the series.

What caught me off guard is how technical and involved the exploration is. Rose gains many story-gated power-ups, and in a typical entry, especially those by Koji Igarashi, they do not ask for much dexterity or precise execution. Here, understanding every ability you have is paramount if you hope to get far, even past the earliest areas.

Powerful accessories and weapons are often hidden behind difficult jump puzzles, which test your timing and your command of the whip and the other abilities Rose earns from bosses. They are very rewarding when you succeed.

Battling through endless waves of Dracula’s army is satisfying and at times strategic. With a large number of weapon types, magic, and tools, there is always a unique way to approach a fight.

Among the weapons, the spear is one of the more reliable choices, since its charge action lets you use it as a projectile. Early on, you will sometimes be forced to use it against enemies that remain out of reach.

Boss Fights are the absolute highlight of the game. It almost feels like a meld between a Castlevania game with Megaman X injected into its DNA. Learning the boss attack patterns is without a doubt more important than anything Rose has in her kit.

Since grinding and finding power ups take a back seat in this iteration of the franchise, you have to take it old school and observe the boss actions and patterns. It would usually take me 2 to 3 attempts before I have a good understanding and was able to solve a successful battle, but a lot of the time I would lose because I didn’t pick a good weapon. But it’s possible to switch weapons any time in the menu so experimentation is crucial.

My only real issue is that this is far from an Iga-vania, and it subdues and neuters the worldly RPG features from its roots. There is no currency system, and enemies drop absolutely nothing. No consumables, no armor, nothing.

The only thing they reward is experience points, and I was honestly shocked to see we at least got that. Rose has only two major stats, attack and defense. She does gain magic and health, but those only increase Zelda-style, by collecting heart piece quadrants hidden throughout the adventure.

Spell upgrades can feel taxing at times via the “Works of Mercy” system. Many of them ask you to repeat a very specific action, and I often felt I had to go out of my way to do it. I would have preferred a traditional system where leveling up lets me assign points and tailor my upgrades as I see fit. Instead, you need to hit this enemy X number of times with this very specific action.

Belmont’s Curse does not simulate much from its Iga-style predecessors, and it does not aspire to be like the traditional old-school arcade entries either. Motion Twin and Evil Empire have found a unique approach to the IP, and they have succeeded in crafting a genuinely fun Castlevania.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a gorgeous game, and it will make any Castlevania fan feel right at home after being away so long. With Castlevania making a triumphant return, there’s no telling what the future will bring for the Belmonts, but we can always expect the same fate for Dracula as long as they are around.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was reviewed on PC using a code provided by Konami. Additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy is here. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is set to launch globally across PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PS5 on October 15th.