Castlevania: Belmont's Curse achieves a brilliant synthesis of the series' established strengths, operating at peak performance to deliver a new high for the franchise. The game offers a sprawling map filled with mysteries, joyous traversal tools, a story that balances macabre tone with occasional levity, creative characters, and what is arguably the best combat in any Castlevania game, and among the best in 2D action titles.
The core of this cohesive experience is the tarot card system. These magical cards, gifted to protagonist Rose Belmont by her late mother Sypha, represent followers of Dracula. Each card serves multiple purposes: mission signposting, environmental puzzles, lore delivery, character dialogue for Rose, boss locations, and ultimately, a pool of spells. As players progress, defeating Dracula's servants allows them to absorb their cards as Arcana spells, which in turn unlock a flexible progression system.
Combat and Arcana Synergies
The game's combat is a standout feature, with developer Evil Empire bringing expertise honed in Dead Cells to the Castlevania series. Strikes feel forceful and kinetic, with each weapon type possessing unique advantages and special charged abilities. Beyond standard attacks, a new parry mechanic, implemented as a holy shield, works independently of regular strikes. This allows players to attack and defend simultaneously, leading to a fast-paced combat loop where offense and defense intertwine.
The Arcana system directly complements combat and traversal. For example, defeating the first boss, The Fallen, grants an Arcana that provides a boomerang axe spell and an arcane whip. This whip not only functions as a combat tool, allowing Rose to grapple onto enemies for high damage strikes, but also serves as a traversal tool to reach new areas. This synergy exemplifies how mechanics in Belmont's Curse complement and fold into one another in surprising ways.
Exploration and Narrative
Players explore the cursed streets of Paris and Dracula's castle in a freeform fashion, with a lightly guided open structure directing players toward objectives for new equipment and access to previously unreachable areas. Environmental puzzles provide thoughtful challenges that encourage careful observation and deduction, while the ability to defeat enemies and steal their powers creates a compelling loop reminiscent of the Mega Man series.
The narrative is advanced through Rose's interactions with the tarot cards. Defeated followers are captured within the deck, allowing Rose to converse with them. These characters are well-differentiated, offering distinct personalities and agendas that create compelling dynamics. However, the protagonist Rose herself is characterized as a determined but relatively static archetype, serving more as a focal point for the other characters' interactions than an agent of significant personal change.
Each Arcana spell also features a set of three objectives, known as Works of Mercy. These tasks encourage exploration and experimentation, rewarding players with power-ups for the respective spell or extra dialogue from the Arcana character upon completion.
Visuals and Sound
Visually, Belmont's Curse is striking, eschewing a monochromatic castle aesthetic for vivid, saturated hues and unexpected color palettes. The art style creates arresting moments, such as the approach to Dracula's castle with Rose and enemies silhouetted against a burning Paris. Character designs are distinct and creative, and the game is accompanied by new renditions of classic Castlevania music alongside original compositions that fit the milieu.
Quality of Life and Challenges
While combat is challenging and boss fights require pattern recognition, the game's finely tuned mechanics ensure players feel in control and understand their mistakes. When challenges prove too difficult, Belmont's Curse offers quality-of-life features. Players retain XP earned during failed attempts at bosses, allowing for continuous progression. A Custom Mode allows players to tweak options such as checkpoint placement, damage output, and trap damage, with no apparent penalty for its use.
Every element of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse synergizes effectively, from its flexible combat and acrobatic traversal to its refined puzzles, engaging characters, and striking presentation. The smart tarot system ties these disparate components together, creating an experience that rivals the best entries in the Castlevania and Metroidvania genres.