The Metroidvania genre has been in a great spot lately. The Metroid franchise has been making a comeback, while Hollow Knight and Dead Cells have been keeping the genre alive through their status as high-quality spiritual successors. However, the other half of the genre’s name, Castlevania, has been quite dormant for a long time. Now, though, the developers of Dead Cells are collaborating with Konami to usher in a new era for the series with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. I had the chance to play a short demo of the game, and based on what I played, it could very well end up as the best Metroidvania to date.
The first thing I noticed is just how incredible the atmosphere is. The gothic vibe that the series is most known for has been preserved and upgraded, thanks to the stylish visuals from Evil Empire and Motion Twin. The dark red skies and shambling enemies only emphasizes the dark tone, as does the voice acting of protagonist Rose Belmont, voiced by Abby Trott. She carries a deep rage in her delivery of lines, which perfectly matches the atmosphere.
Belmont’s Curse also impresses on a gameplay level. Like any Belmont, Rose has an impressive kit of tools in her arsenal at all times. For instance, after fighting an enemy known as the Fallen, she uses a rope as a grappling hook. This gives her the ability to cross large gaps with grapple points, and immediately hook onto enemies and get up close and personal with her opponents. Further, if you attack right as you start to hook onto an enemy, you can use the rope as the series’ trademark whip.
The same multi-use utility applies to all other weapons that Rose can use. Further, you can pick up weapons from treasure chests, which allowed me to customize my playstyle and kit even more. The weapon I found in the midst of exploration that stood out to me was the gauntlets, which did increased damage at closer range, even if it had a little bit less range. Additionally, each major boss grants an additional piece of equipment for her to utilize in both combat and traversal.
I especially loved the level design in Belmont’s Curse. Something I always struggle with in Metroidvanias is navigation. I feel like I can never quite figure out where I am supposed to go, and feel more inclined to go in as linear of a direction as possible, so I do not get lost. What I love is that the level design of Belmont’s Curse is so enticing that it made me want to further explore every nook and cranny of the world. While this can be partly attributed to the visuals, the overall world is fun to navigate due to the plentiful secrets, easy navigation, and challenging yet fair difficulty.
It certainly helps that the game feels good to control and play. The movement options are fantastic, such as the returning dashes and aforementioned grappling hook. Combat is also great, with the weapon options and equipment offered by boss fights helping to make each encounter interesting, whether if its with a major boss fight or a weaker opponent. Quite frankly, it is hard to think about a part of the Belmont’s Curse demo that did not impress me.
Overall, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is shaping up to be a truly special game, let alone a Metroidvania. The gameplay and visuals are fantastic, and both the sound design and level design perfectly update the series’ trademark style. The last time a Metroidvania so immediately hooked me in this way was Metroid Fusion, which I think says it all. It has gone from a game that I was somewhat interested in into one that I am actively looking forward to playing more of upon release.
As for said release, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse launches on October 15 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
