Castlevania Just Got Its Best Game in Years (And It's Not Even Trying to Be One)

So what is this, exactly

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is a new 2D action-exploration game from KONAMI, developed by Evil Empire (the studio behind Dead Cells' post-launch content and The Rogue Prince of Persia) with Motion Twin also credited. It's set 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, in a gothic 1499 Paris, and puts you in control of Rose Belmont, who seals the bosses she defeats into tarot-card Arcana rather than just leaving a pile of exp behind.

It launched October 14-15, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series (a Switch version is coming later), and sits at $29.99 for the base Digital Standard Edition on Steam, with a pricier Midnight Edition for anyone who wants the extra cosmetics and soundtrack.

What critics are actually saying

The reviews came in loud, and mostly positive, but there's a real split on identity. GameSpot gave it a 10/10 and said it "feels destined to be regarded alongside Symphony of the Night as one of the best Castlevania games." Game Informer landed at 9.25/10, writing that "Castlevania is back, and between Rose Belmont and Evil Empire, it's in great hands." IGN was cooler at 8/10, arguing it's "a better metroidvania generally than it is a Castlevania specifically" - which is less an insult than it sounds, since metroidvania is a genre Evil Empire clearly knows how to build.

Common praise across the board: acrobatic movement and combat, a map dense with secrets, and a strong gothic art direction. The knock, from outlets like Push Square and Siliconera, is that it leans on ideas the genre has already run through plenty of times this decade, and that difficulty pacing can be uneven.

The screenshots, for context

• Gothic 1499 Paris setting with the series' usual candelabra-and-stonework aesthetic
• Rose Belmont's whip-and-arcana combat, built for fast traversal
• A soul-sealing mechanic where defeated bosses become usable tarot cards

This one's for anyone who grew up on Symphony of the Night and has been waiting for KONAMI to actually follow through on a proper return to the series, as well as metroidvania fans in general who don't care whose name is on the box as long as the movement feels this good.