Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Receives Strong Early Scores From Famitsu
Famitsu magazine has published the first review of the upcoming Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, a new entry in the long-running series developed in collaboration with Evil Empire. All four of the publication's reviewers awarded the game a score of 8 out of 10, praising its challenging exploration-style gameplay, whip-based mechanics, and compelling Belmont family storylines. The title launches on Nintendo Switch next week and represents the franchise's first brand-new mainline entry in several years.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse represents a significant milestone for the franchise, marking its first entirely new mainline installment in several years. The collaboration between Konami and Evil Empire—a studio known for its work on the acclaimed indie title Dead Cells—brings a fresh creative perspective to the long-established series while maintaining core franchise elements like whip-based combat and the iconic Belmont family legacy.
The game's design emphasizes challenging exploration mechanics and skill-based action gameplay. Rather than incorporating modern RPG systems like equipment collection or currency-based progression, the developers opted for a classical approach centered on player ability and discovery, with progression tied to acquiring Arcana cards that unlock new areas and abilities.
The strong critical reception could signal renewed interest in the Castlevania franchise among both longtime fans and players drawn to challenging action-exploration games. This revival may influence Konami's approach to other dormant intellectual properties and could demonstrate market viability for classic series collaborations with respected indie developers. The adjustable difficulty options noted by reviewers suggest an attempt to broaden accessibility while maintaining the challenging core experience, potentially expanding the game's audience beyond hardcore action game enthusiasts.