Round Up: Glowing Previews for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Promise a Triumphant Return

Publisher Konami has been gradually making its proper come back to video games, and the next in line for a modern revival is Castlevania.

The series of action-platformers has been laying dormant for many years, but developer Evil Empire and advisory studio Motion Twin — teams that brought us the brilliant Dead Cells — have been working on a brand new entry that's due for release this October.

It's called Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and a bunch of hands-on previews recently dropped that all hold it in very high regard.

Pretty much every preview I've read has praised the upcoming game in various respects. Many call out its distinctive art direction, as well as new protagonist Rose Belmont and her unique abilities and equipment.

She carries a whip like her ancestors, but hers is used more for traversal than combat. That being said, you can perform a grapple move on enemies that does an attack as you make contact, differing depending on what your main weapon is.

Rose also has access to magical arcana attacks that sound like her version of Castlevania's typical sub-weapons. It sounds like there's a lot of flexibility in how you build the character, with her magic attacks upgradeable in numerous ways and various melee weapons to choose from.

Outside of some of these new elements, it sounds as though Belmont's Curse is just a very well-executed game in the series, combining its greatest hits with some new material. I'm definitely excited to play it at this point.

Eurogamer - "A grand return to the series' platformer roots"

Evil Empire and Konami's collaboration has - assuming the level of quality present in the game's opening hours persists all the way through - created something superb here. A combination of Konami's decade's old expertise with this series and the knowhow of what makes a good Castlevania - plus Evil Empire's bold new approach to designing a game of this genre - has manifested in a game of superb quality. As long as there's no unforeseen fumble, it's absolutely a game worth trying out later this year.

GamesRadar - "Already feels like a classic"

It’s a tricky tightrope to walk: keeping old Castlevania game fans happy whilst simultaneously pleasing a new, modern audience derived from Netflix. There are plenty of nods to both to appease fans. But, the core of Castlevania is preserved here, with its beloved SotN-style gameplay of tight combat, intriguing exploration, and arcane spells. And I’m thankful for that: I’d much rather Belmont’s Curse play like a Castlevania game than just look like one.

IGN - "I had an absolute blast"

If the Dead Cells veterans at Evil Empire can build upon what’s already here and keep up this same quality of level, enemy, and boss design throughout the entire campaign, we could have a return to Castlevania that’s more than worthy of standing next to the all-time greats of the series.

Kotaku - "The game f***ing rules"

The Castlevania name brings with it certain expectations. And while Evil Empire and co-developer Motion Twin’s fingerprints are all over Belmont’s Curse, it’s also got all those vital Castlevania elements: vampires, hunters, whips, labyrinthine platform-heavy exploration, and gothic aesthetics. It feels like Castlevania, but, beyond that, it’s also in clear conversation with modern classics in the Metroidvania genre.

PC Gamer - "Aaand relax"

After three hours of play, Belmont's Curse is a very good metroidvania, and full of potential to be an outstanding one. If it's 'merely' a greatest hits collection then that'll only be a mild disappointment. But I'd be delighted if Evil Empire has some more tricks up its sleeve and whackier weapons worthy of Dead Cells' almighty arsenal. I've got everything crossed for something as sublimely silly as Aria of Sorrow's soul-sucking vacuum cleaner.

Are you pumped for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse? Tell us in the comments section below.