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After 18 years without a new 2D Castlevania, fans finally have another opportunity to explore haunted corridors, fight enormous monsters and discover that gravity remains one of the Belmont family's deadliest enemies. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse brings back the legendary whip, but this time it's responsible for considerably more than beating skeletons into submission.
The latest entry, developed by Evil Empire in collaboration with Konami, follows Rose Belmont through a monster-infested Paris in 1499. Its biggest gameplay innovation is the ability to use the famous Vampire Killer whip for both combat and movement. It's a clever idea that makes exploration more exciting, although it occasionally turns a simple platforming challenge into an argument between the player and the controls.
The whip has always been Castlevania's signature weapon, but Belmont's Curse gives it an additional purpose. Rose can attach it to specific points in the environment, swing across gaps and reach platforms that would otherwise be inaccessible. The mechanic adds momentum to traversal and makes the heroine considerably more agile than some of her ancestors.
When everything works, moving through the environment feels excellent. You can chain jumps and swings together, cross dangerous rooms without touching the ground and reach hidden areas that reward careful observation. It gives exploration a satisfying physical element instead of making every obstacle depend on finding the correct ability.
Unfortunately, the system also demands precision. Missing a grapple point or releasing the whip at the wrong moment can send Rose directly into spikes, enemies or another unpleasant surprise. Some sequences require several attempts before the timing feels natural, and occasionally the controls seem less cooperative than the player deserves.
There's nothing wrong with difficult platforming, but the challenge works best when failure feels entirely predictable. Belmont's Curse doesn't always achieve that consistency, especially during sections where combat and swinging need to happen almost simultaneously.
Despite the game's title, Rose doesn't need to solve every problem with her whip. Belmont's Curse features different melee weapons, including swords, spears and heavier options that change the speed and range of attacks. Players can experiment with equipment to find a style that suits their reactions and preferred approach.
Parrying and dodging are equally important. Many enemies have attacks that punish careless aggression, encouraging players to watch their movements and strike when an opening appears. Once you understand the rhythm, combat becomes much more satisfying than simply pressing the attack button until something dies.
The Arcana system introduces magical abilities obtained through defeated bosses, while additional equipment and relics offer further customisation. These tools make difficult encounters more manageable and encourage experimentation with different combinations.
However, the number of mechanics can occasionally work against the game. Switching between movement, weapons and special abilities during a hectic fight takes practice, and some encounters don't leave much room to learn. Rose may come from a famous family of vampire hunters, but the player still needs time to figure out which button prevents an immediate trip to the nearest checkpoint.
Belmont's Curse has plenty of impressive environments, from burning Parisian streets to gloomy underground passages. Its colourful gothic art style gives familiar monsters and locations a fresh identity, while the interconnected world encourages players to revisit earlier areas with newly acquired abilities.
The problem is that exploration sometimes becomes less enjoyable when the route forward isn't clear. Certain passages require careful observation, and limited fast-travel options can make returning to previous locations feel unnecessarily slow. That's particularly noticeable when a missed secret means travelling through several rooms you've already cleared.
Platforming can also become frustrating when dangerous terrain is combined with enemies attacking from awkward positions. A difficult jump is one thing; attempting it while dodging projectiles and trying to attach the whip to the correct point is another. Sometimes the challenge feels carefully designed, while other moments seem determined to test the player's patience.
Still, the best levels show why the new movement system has potential. When swinging, jumping and combat flow together naturally, Belmont's Curse delivers the kind of action that makes players forget how many times they failed the previous section.
Boss fights are another major part of the experience, and Belmont's Curse clearly expects players to earn their victories. Enemies use varied attack patterns that demand careful positioning, precise dodges and a willingness to learn from repeated failures.
The strongest encounters reward observation. Recognising a boss's movements and finding safe opportunities to attack creates an enjoyable rhythm, especially when Rose's different weapons and magical abilities provide several possible solutions.
Other fights are less convincing. Some attacks are difficult to anticipate, while certain arenas make movement awkward at exactly the wrong moment. When a missed dodge leads to another defeat, it isn't always obvious whether the player made a mistake or the game failed to communicate the danger clearly.
Fortunately, checkpoints help reduce the frustration, allowing players to return to difficult encounters without repeating excessive amounts of content. The bosses remain challenging, but most are manageable once their patterns become familiar.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse deserves credit for doing more than simply copying the series' older entries. Its whip-based movement, expanded combat options and modern presentation give Rose's adventure a personality of its own. Evil Empire has clearly tried to make the Belmont family more agile without abandoning the deliberate combat and exploration that define Castlevania.
The results are sometimes excellent and occasionally irritating. Swinging through a dangerous room can feel fantastic, but missing a grapple point because the timing seems inconsistent is considerably less entertaining. The same applies to combat, where demanding encounters are rewarding until awkward controls or unclear attacks interfere.
For players who enjoy mastering difficult action-platformers, there's plenty to appreciate here. The game offers varied weapons, challenging bosses and satisfying exploration, even if certain sections require more patience than they should.
After waiting 18 years for another 2D Castlevania, fans finally have a new Belmont adventure worth discussing. Just don't be surprised if your most memorable enemy isn't a vampire, a demon or an enormous undead creature. Sometimes it's a perfectly ordinary gap in the floor.
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