Released on October 15, 2026, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse brings Konami’s iconic vampire-hunting series back to 2D action-adventure platforms. Developed by Evil Empire in partnership with Motion Twin and published across PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch, the title stars Rose Belmont as she battles demonic forces in Paris.
Rose Belmont Steps Into a Burning Paris
As Trevor and Sypha’s offspring, Rose Belmont journeys to Paris alongside her father after a local priest requests your clan’s unique expertise to combat the supernatural menaces terrorizing the metropolis. Starting as Rose instead of her famous father means you start at zero. No holy water, no cross, not even your family’s famous chain whip. Armed initially with a basic Longsword rather than the iconic Vampire Killer whip a Belmont typically employs, you must face Dracula’s demonic forces without your traditional arsenal.
That absence of traditional gear sets up a demanding opening hours campaign across soot-choked streets and underground sewers. Developer Evil Empire, bringing the fast-paced action pedigree from its work on Dead Cells, has crafted an experience that requires intense spatial awareness and deliberate evasion. Even the most ordinary minion packs a serious punch, and mastering the sometimes counterintuitive dodges against basic strikes is essential for deeply understanding enemy patterns. Every fantastical vampire-hunting vision is fulfilled: bats burst into blood, demons burn to cinders. Navigating the maps involves tackling numerous platforming obstacles, and success relies less on unlocking past areas and more on conquering hazard-filled challenge chambers containing blood pits and buzzsaws.
Rose Wields Seven Weapon Categories with Upgrades
Combat represents the game’s sharpest departure from traditional series conventions. While past entries typically featured straightforward combat mechanics, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse overhauls this aspect by equipping Rose with seven distinct weapon categories loaded with unique perks and buffs. Journeying through the game allows you to uncover four successive upgrades for each weapon variety, with higher-tier arms typically secured inside large chests. Uncovering the greatest armaments in this metroidvania requires thinking creatively and locating secret spaces hidden behind ordinary-looking walls. Every weapon category features four distinct slots, where options positioned further to the right deliver greater strength. Among these, gauntlets stand out as the quickest armaments available, gaining increased power with every single strike Rose lands. When executing a grapple with the Arcane Whip, Rose is additionally capable of flinging her target upward to set up a potential aerial combo.
Accompanying these physical armaments is a tarot-card system. Finding these Arcana Cards and the stories they hold is one of the game’s greatest boons, featuring tarot-style archetypes that are not actually from the traditional 22 Major Arcana. Spells are subsequently upgraded via an ingenious Works of Mercy mechanic, which ties each Arcana to two or three distinct goals centered around specific casting methods or feats accomplished throughout the world. Finding them requires thoroughly investigating destructible walls and puzzle-filled chambers reminiscent of Symphony of the Night, while tracking down clues left behind by ghosts or statuesque watchers scattered throughout each area.
Three Distinct Conclusions Determine the Final Destiny
Exploration eventually leads deep into Dracula’s castle, where the game’s structural ambition meets its most punishing architectural tricks. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse includes three distinct conclusions that dictate the final destiny of Rose Belmont and the dark hex plaguing Paris. While the Bad Ending, also known as Belmont’s Fall, can be triggered by falling into Death’s trap, the Normal Ending requires defeating the real Dracula instead of falling into Death’s trap, and the True Ending involves completing several additional challenges such as collecting specific Arcana cards, completing the Four Virtues trials, defeating Rose’s shadow, and using the Absolution spell at the right moment. You can unlock all three endings on the same save file without restarting the game.
Securing the normal or true endings requires careful backtracking, defeating specific bosses like Isaac to obtain the Shadow Arcana and Soul Harvest spell, returning to the Clock Tower to disable Death’s trap, and activating the Mirror of Life before proceeding toward Dracula’s Throne Room. Dracula features two phases: Phase 1 as a humanoid inside the Court of the Night, and Phase 2 as a winged boss fought on the Castle Rooftops. When aiming for the true ending during the final moments, you have approximately 12 seconds to activate Absolution after the relevant dialogue, avoiding waiting for the entire scene to finish so as not to accidentally trigger the Normal Ending instead. Successfully casting Absolution allows Rose to destroy Dracula’s curse, restore peace to Paris, and unlock the True Ending along with the Curse Lifted trophy or achievement.
| Ending Type | Primary Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bad Ending (Belmont’s Fall) | Reach the Clock Tower and walk into Death’s trap without disabling the Cursed Horologium. |
| Normal Ending | Obtain Soul Harvest from Death in Notre-Dame to stop the clock and defeat the true Dracula. |
| True Ending | Collect specific Arcana cards, complete Four Virtues trials, and cast the Absolution spell. |
Technical Reception and Platform Performance
Critical reception highlights a tension between inspired design and occasional friction. At the same time, some critics note pacing stumbles during early linear segments and control choices that make complex platforming gaunts unnecessarily punishing. Graphically, this is the best Evil Empire has ever looked, blending 2D art with 3D elements to bring a Dead Cells-like style to the gameplay and look, featuring flat 3D in-game cutscenes alongside drawn character silhouettes for dialogue.
On various platforms—including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC—technical evaluations point to mostly smooth performance with rare frame-rate hiccups, though players note specific settings quirks like refresh rate limits on PC. Whether treating the journey as an uncompromising homage or an overly demanding platformer, the return of Konami’s dark lord proves that the foundational vampire-hunting formula still commands attention.
Publisher KONAMI developed it in partnership with Dead Cells studios Evil Empire and Motion Twin. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is available on October 15 for platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with Xbox Play Anywhere support letting players enjoy it on console and PC at no additional cost. Pre-ordering the title grants access to the Alucard Style Costume bonus item.
