What does Castlevania have to offer in 2026 that its countless spiritual successors haven’t already delivered? After Symphony of the Night and its handheld follow-ups helped pioneer a subgenre of 2D action-adventure games, Konami put the series on ice right as a slew of spiritual successors began to flourish. Given the range of takes on the formula, from out-there “MetroidBrainias” like Animal Well to the Castlevania-inspired Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, perhaps it’s a blessing that the Belmonts quietly faded into the night.
After all, it’s better for a series to be fondly remembered than to overstay its welcome, right? Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the first mainline installment in over a decade, stabs this hypothetical through the heart, proving that Castlevania still has a lot more to give. By combining throwback appeal with razor-sharp gameplay built on the brilliant Dead Cells, Evil Empire’s latest lives up to Castlevania’s legendary status.
From its bold use of color that makes the gothic visuals pop, to a new card-based Arcana system, Belmont’s Curse breathes new life into these games while honing in on what makes this series special. As good as many of Castlevania’s spiritual follow-ups have been, there’s something singular about facing the Lord of Darkness under a full moon to the tune of “Bloody Tears,” a reunion that feels like fate. The latest chapter in this sprawling saga picks up after Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse (which Netflix’s animated series loosely adapted).
Almost two decades ago, Trevor Belmont and his allies killed Dracula. Unfortunately, this vampire has a bad habit of not staying dead. You play as Rose Belmont, the daughter of Sypha Belnades and Trevor, a relatively fresh-faced vampire hunter eager to earn her place in the family tree.
After her father receives a letter warning of dark happenings, Rose and her dad arrive in Paris to investigate. Before long, Rose finds herself separated, facing the forces of hell as she tries to stop Dracula from sinking his teeth into humanity’s neck. She must overcome not only this vampire lord, but herself, as a curse tied to her emotions eats away at her future.
Like the rest of the series, Belmont’s Curse doesn’t stand apart through sterling writing, but through a command of over-the-top ambiance plucked straight from a Universal Pictures monster movie. Here, the once lively city of Paris becomes a literal ghost town, its skyline a flaming wreck of bright reds and oranges. Hyperstylized 2.5D visuals render a striking setting that feels like a comic artist took a crack at The Triumph of Death, as mountains of corpses rot against colorful backdrops.
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