Rose Belmont, the protagonist of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, sports a versatile wardrobe with seven distinct costumes, each offering a unique visual flair and connection to the franchise's rich history. Alongside these cosmetic changes, the game presents a formidable lineup of seventeen bosses, demanding players master intricate patterns and combat mechanics to progress.
Unlocking Rose's Costumes
Four of Rose's costumes are available from the outset or through in-game achievements, while three are tied to special editions or pre-orders. Rose's default outfit is her standard attire, a stylish ensemble that subtly echoes her father Trevor's fashion sense.
The Doppelganger Costume can be unlocked by defeating Rose's own dark reflection. To acquire the Cursed Costume, players must achieve the game's bad ending, a consequence of succumbing to vengeance. The Sonia Style Costume is a nod to the first Belmont to tackle Dracula, accessible by inputting the classic Konami code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. This skin transforms Rose into Sonia Belmont, featuring her iconic blonde hair, green leotard, and purple coat.
Exclusive to pre-order customers is the Alucard Style Costume, inspired by Dracula's son and his appearance in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Furthermore, the Midnight Edition of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse includes the Trevor and Sypha Style Costumes. The Trevor skin reimagines Rose with brunette hair, reminiscent of her father's look in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness. The Sypha skin offers an elegant sorceress aesthetic, drawing inspiration from her portrayal in the Netflix series.
The Boss Gauntlet
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse features seventeen bosses, a mix of familiar faces and new adversaries. To achieve the game's true ending, all bosses must be confronted. While the game can be challenging, players can adjust difficulty sliders and enable 'Allow respawn in front of boss doors' to mitigate frustration.
The boss encounters begin with The Fallen, who utilizes a sweeping whip and a powerful slam attack. Joan, the second boss, requires players to master dashing behind her to strike effectively, while also managing a barrage of fireballs and a ground-based fire wave attack.
Medusa, armed with petrifying rays, necessitates using the Holy Cross Arcana and taking cover behind strategically placed boulders to avoid her gaze. Death appears early in the Catacombs, in a fight that players are intended to lose, serving as a harsh introduction to the game's difficulty.
Isaac, a returning character from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, wields a long spear and employs a projectile attack that tracks the player's last known position. Carmilla inflicts a blood curse that depletes with each hit, requiring players to destroy her rotating skull shields before damaging her directly. The fight culminates in managing blood pillars and waves while avoiding an arena-trapping attack.
Other notable bosses include Talos, Brauner, Mammon, Arthur, Succubus, a rematch with Joan, the Doppelganger, a second encounter with Death, a second fight with Isaac, and ultimately, Dracula himself in both his standard and beast forms.
Players are encouraged to focus on learning boss patterns and reflexes, as grinding levels is less effective than in previous Castlevania titles. For those seeking an advantage, specific weapons and Arcanas, like the Cestus for close-quarters combat against Joan or the Holy Cross against Medusa, can prove beneficial. Navigating the game's expansive levels, potentially utilizing fast travel, is also key to reaching and defeating all of its challenging bosses.