《恶魔城：贝尔蒙特之咒》评测：18年来首款2D系列新作表现如何

Much like Konami’s other formative IP, Castlevania feels like it’s been on the back burner when it comes to actual game releases. The focus has instead been relegated to crossovers and finding new fans through the excellent Netflix series of the same name and its follow-up, Castlevania: Nocturne. It’s in this climate that Evil Empire, with advice from Motion Twin, has graced us with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the first 2D entry in 18 years. Despite not being headed up by original talent, it feels like 2D Castlevania hasn’t missed a beat.

While Castlevania games have jumped all over the place in time and setting, Belmont’s Curse smartly presents itself as a follow-up to Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, which also happens to be what the Netflix series loosely adapts. The year is 1499; Paris is overrun with demons, and the sky is ablaze with a scarlet hue, forcing the local bishop to enlist the help of Trevor and Rose Belmont. Having inherited Dracula’s curse from her late mother, Rose is eager to prove she’s worthy of the Belmont name under the tutelage of her father.

The actual story told here isn’t at all surprising. Longtime Castlevania fans will see many of its key narrative beats from a mile away, but what makes it special is celebratory reverence for the franchise’s history. Without spoiling many of its surprises, Belmont’s Curse leans into the mythos of this franchise across its many games. This happens in ways big and small, but none of them feel forced or contrived, linking back into previously established lore that recontextualises games set later in the timeline.

The strongest aspect of the way this story is told is Rose’s tarot cards. Left as a gift by her mother, each is imbued with the personality of key figures of the world. A strange beast, Joan of Arc, Medusa, and more live within these tarot cards and often pipe up during Belmont’s Curse’s story developments. It’s fun to watch Rose bounce off of enemies and allies alike as they offer up thoughts and advice on her current situation, many instances of which are unprompted.

Almost everything in Belmont’s Curse is propped up by its Arcana system. The foundation of this is Rose’s aforementioned tarot cards, each one used as a subweapon during gameplay. The Arcana of the tarot card needs to be absorbed to unlock its related subweapon. Many are boss fights, some are allies, and others are puzzle boxes that challenge your navigational skills and attention to the environment. Each has clues tied to it that point you to its holder’s location or offer solutions to the myriad puzzles you’ll stumble across hours earlier.

The first few tarot cards are easy to solve thanks to the kind of false non-linearity we expect from the genre. After about the five-hour mark, though, Belmont’s Curse opens up its map to you in the best way possible, transcending Parisian streets for something more familiar, laying out several avenues to chase that will invariably lead you to stumbling on clues for the other tarot cards. It’s a genuinely novel way to handle Metroidvania-style progression, maintaining a satisfying level of true non-linearity without ever feeling directionless or frustratingly opaque.

Some of the unlockable subweapons are Castlevania mainstays, like the Holy Cross, but many are entirely new attacks and spells that inflict certain status ailments on your enemies. All of these can be upgraded by completing Works of Mercy, which are small goals that take the place of traditional sidequests. They vary from broader macro objectives like uncovering a certain percentage of the map, to more granular goals like killing multiple enemies with a single Holy Cross throw.

These upgrades are also meaningful. While standard stat bumps come from level-ups, collectibles, and weapon upgrades, these Arcana evolutions are exactly that – evolutions. Things like throwing out a second Holy Cross, or refunding a portion of Rose’s mana if you catch the Holy Cross on its return. There’s a whole bunch more of these, all of them changing how you play and complementing the different weapon types in interesting ways.

I did find myself missing some of the RPG elements that used to set Castlevania apart from its peers. You still level up as you kill enemies here, but the traditional equipment system is traded out for a more generic trinket setup that’s become synonymous with the genre. You can still find ways to break the game and demolish boss fights with the right combinations, but it’s hard not to feel like some of Castlevania’s gameplay identity is lost in the process.

Much of this is in service of Belmont’s Curse’s approach to combat and movement, which generally feels more kinetic and fluid compared to the rest of the experience. Rose controls like a dream, her animations are slick, and the way she can use a whip to grapple around the environment or to and from enemies is endlessly satisfying. You can feel the Dead Cells DNA here the most, bolstering Belmont’s Curse’s moment-to-moment combat and excellent boss fights.

While I’m sure many have strong feelings about Belmont’s Curse’s comparatively brighter water colour aesthetic, I found it hard not to be pulled into how fantastic these environments look. It’s a mix of the franchise’s gothic visual identity and the anime-like tendencies of the Netflix series. Even though I don’t think the music is quite at the same level as Michiru Yamane’s work, there are some highlights here that’ll dig their way into your brain.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is just about everything I could hope for out of a 2D Castlevania revival. Between truly rewarding exploration, a celebratory and reverent narrative, and stellar presentation, Belmont’s Curse delivers on so many of the things that make peak 2D Castlevania so damn good. Even though it feels like some of the franchise’s identity is sacrificed at the altar of modernisation, Belmont’s Curse gets so many key pillars right that it’s hard to linger on the omission of the smaller elements of Castlevania’s identity.

Conclusion

Despite an 18 year absence, it feels like 2D Castlevania never left. Belmont's Curse is an excellent return to this hallowed series - standing tall with some of the best Metroidvania entries in the franchise. If this is just the start of a Castlevania renaissance, I can't wait to see where it goes.

Positives

Rewarding narrative for longtime fans

The Arcana system makes for novel Metroidvania progression

Fun and wide variety of subweapons

Fluid combat and great boss fights

Castlevania's visual identity is beautifully realised

Negatives

Lacking some of the elements that helped Castlevania stand-out

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