Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Review - Inspired by Great Ideas, but Doomed by Questionable Execution
In my study, I have a collage of Ordnance Survey maps pinned to my wall. They show places I have lived - Derbyshire, East London, Bournemouth, Bristol - with cycle routes, country roads, and prominent circular parks. This atlas is a record of my experiences, the living memories of where I have been and what I have seen. There is something magical about maps, their ability to recall the paths you have traveled and where
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Ambitious, aggressive and successful, Belmont features some of the best Castlevania highs you'll ever experience - but technical issues and some awkward controls mean it can end in bloody tears if you're not careful.
In my office, I have a collage of Ordnance Survey maps taped to my wall. They're from places I've lived - Derbyshire, East London, Bournemouth, Bristol - with cycle paths, country roads, and prominent, circular parks. It is an atlas of my experiences, living memories of the places I have been and the things I have seen. There is magic in a map, its ability to remind you of the paths you've taken and the places you've yet to go.
Availability: Out now on PC (via Steam), PS5, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S
Maybe that's why I like Metroidvania so much. In fact, the game is a map. Is there anything more intoxicating than pressing your palms against the walls that seem to hold you and knowing that - somewhere - there is a hidden path that leads to the other side? Over the years, you develop an instinct for it. You can play against the sadistic engineers of these labyrinthine spaces. You say: "I see your mysterious bulge and jump off your roof." I see your amazing board from a wall and picture the illusion of it.
And Castlevania: Belmont's Curse has it all in spades. There are so many subtle nuances hidden around the streets of Paris and inside Dracula's castle, it's like I'm instantly transported back to my pre-pubescent self, and I'm jabbing the D-Pad at every wall in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in a belligerent attempt to sniff out its secrets.
Dead Cells developer Evil Empire's stewardship of the series respectfully honors Belmont's legacy. It begins with Rose Belmont, the favored daughter of Castlevania 3 main characters Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, and a fearless vampire slayer herself. "The Curse of Belmont" quickly tests his integrity and strengthens his resolve as Dracula's henchmen wreak havoc on a ruined version of Paris in 1499. A long tutorial will introduce you to his main trick - a deck of tarot cards that can reveal the souls of those who are after you, and then you. In the bowels of Dracula's castle; Jumping, whipping, and navigating your way through the expansive map, more areas unlock as you acquire new skills. When you become part of a story that's over 500 years old, you sniff out clues about what and where the main antagonists are.
It's as if 2D Castlevania never left. But in the 17 years since the release of Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (itself a remake of a 1989 game), a myriad of young genres have begun to compete for the Metroidvania throne—Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Hollow Knight, Animal Well.Ori, and nu-Metroid all come to mind. Since Dracula perished in his eternal death, the world has moved on. What he produced is now faster, more aggressive, more mysterious. And the Evil Empire understands this.
Some of what Belmont's Curse says is quite inspired. The way all the mirrors are connected is great. A music-based puzzle in the depths of Notre Dame Cathedral is simply wonderful. The platform gauntlet that takes you up the clock tower is awesome... when all the gears work in tandem. But for all the sometimes genius design of its winding corridors, its secrets upon secrets, and its sadistic environmental tricks, The Curse of Belmont is often underwhelming.
Maybe I'm tired of the lightness of Team Cherry's Hornet or the Mercury Steam-driven version of Samus Aran. Because Rose feels uncomfortable. An analog girl living in a digital world. His inputs, his attacks, his existence are defined by the classic eight directions of a D-pad, but everything else seems to exist on a more fluid screen. Some of Rose's abilities and attacks only work straight up or down or side to side. But all enemies move in more organic ways or throw their weapons in nice, fluid arcs. And the same goes for navigation. Trying to use his whip on enemies or anchors is a nightmare if you're not in a particularly awkward spot - and often turns cleverly designed platforming sections into grueling exercises in fighting the game and its engine. Enjoying the puzzle is a constant, uncomfortable tension between how I'm forced to move and how the world around me works.
Oftentimes, Rose will get stuck between the enemy and her shield, stacking the damage if she takes damage. Your whip doesn't quite stick where it's supposed to and you're sent back to the checkpoint. If I were being generous, I could argue that this is the mechanical manifestation of Rose's curse. A plague from his heritage that holds back his true power as he deals with the consequences of his legacy. But the awkward controls and drastic framerate drop—even on PS5 Pro—make for so many deaths that it's just annoying.
Additionally, while I'm all for sadistic game design—I don't think I'd be playing a Metroidvania if I didn't—there are times when The Curse of Belmont feels cheesy rather than witty. Some of the checkpoints are unduly punishing, and the way you access fast travel and reduce the pain of backtracking (something I'm reluctant to spoil) is needlessly complicated and tedious. Pick up the map in the most confusing place? I don't think the game is as clever as it thinks it is. It just makes for infuriating busyness.
Never is this tension between design and execution greater than in Boss Fight. Some are actually smart mechanical gloves that test your twitch reflexes and endurance. Some of them are really funny and simple encounters. Others are over-designed, try to cram too many ideas in, and end up feeling a bit unbalanced.If you're in a really tough fight (shout out, death), a slippery whip or weird platforming interaction is enough to finish you off. No matter how many stat-boosting trinkets you have equipped, no matter which of the seven types of weapons you wield, you will be killed by a misplaced boot on the edge of a ledge. This is not very Belmont feeling.
Fortunately, then, the speed is excellent. Just when I'm gripping the controller so hard because I'm tired of jumping over spike traps and phasing between magical wall plates, the Evil Empire seems to read my mind. "On it, fighting gloves!" It cries happily and throws a mix of enemies you haven't encountered yet at you. I don't have any health potions! "Okay," the developer snorts in desperation. What follows is an exercise in sheer frustration, a test of your willpower, a reminder that you've unlocked a new spell for every boss you've cleared so far. Some of them will refill your health - if you're good at it. Others give fleeting and unstable shields. Locking most of your enemies in one place, luckily provides reliable anchors for your whip, allowing you to leap over the sea of dangers that occupy your screen.
In these moments, when the evil empire's action-first philosophy proudly puffs out its chest, and you build your furniture on the platform, the Belmonts are exceptional. The DNA of Dead Cells is unmistakable, and the inspiration from decades of Castlevania shines. Your weapons shine as the blood of creatures of the night pools at your feet. Cortisol gives way to epinephrine, acrobatics are set for attack. To use an apt term, it gets your blood pumping.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a game of two halves. As well as the literal separation that separates the Parisian sequences from the rest of the game, there's a spiritual divide between his desire for an action platformer and his aspirations for Metroidvania royalty. Like Rose herself, the game is serious, intelligent and able to shine. But, emulating her hero, she is awkward, unable to fully come to terms with her unique identity in the shadow of her overbearing heritage. Belmont's Curse isn't a bad game by any means, I just think Evil Empire sunk its teeth a little too deep into something that wasn't quite ready to be consumed.
A copy of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse was provided by Konami for this review.
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Dom Peppiatt: Dom is a veteran video game reviewer with 12 years of experience in the gaming industry. Published author and consultant who has written for NME, Red Bull, Samsung, Xsolla, Daily Star, GamesRadar, Tech Radar and many more. They also have a column about games and music in the Guardian.
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