Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse reviews: critics call it the best-reviewed Castlevania since 2005, though IGN misses some classic charm

Konami’s Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the first mainline 2D entry in the series in well over a decade, is drawing strong reviews ahead of its Oct. 15 launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and Windows PC. The game holds an 86 on both OpenCritic and Metacritic, according to a review round-up by TheGamer, which says that makes it the highest-rated game in the series since 2005 and one of the five highest-rated Castlevania games ever.

Developed by Evil Empire, the studio behind the 2023 Return to Castlevania expansion for Dead Cells, the game is set in Paris in 1499. Players control Rose Belmont, the daughter of Trevor Belmont, who wields the family’s holy whip against Dracula’s monsters. Defeated bosses are sealed into tarot cards that Rose can use as Arcana for spells and special moves, according to the PlayStation Store listing.

GameSpot titled its video review “Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Is The Series At Its Best.” Polygon called it a near-perfect metroidvania that “lives up to Castlevania’s legendary status,” praising its bold use of colour, Dead Cells-inspired movement and the new Arcana card system, while noting a few pitfalls.

IGN was more measured. Reviewer Scott White wrote that “convenient map tracking tools, exciting combat, a great new hero, and movement tech that will test your reflexes all help this long-awaited sequel stand tall,” but added that Belmont’s Curse “is a better metroidvania generally than it is a Castlevania specifically, sacrificing some of the series’ signature charm and feel along the way.” TheGamer reports that IGN scored it four out of five.

Other outlets landed in a similar place. TheGamer’s own review gave it 4.5 out of five, saying “an engaging story, stellar exploration and combat, and a near-perfect blend of new and old” just about make up for the long wait. GamesRadar+ gave it four out of five stars for what it called “a stunning blend of fast-paced traversal action and compelling storytelling,” according to TheGamer’s round-up.

In Canada, the PS5 standard edition is listed at $39.99 on the PlayStation Store, with an Alucard Style Costume as a pre-order bonus. Physical Night One Edition copies for PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X are listed for pre-order at $54.99 at VideoGamesPlus.ca. Prices were as listed on Oct. 13 and can change.

The early consensus points to a strong revival for players who enjoy fast 2D action and exploration; longtime fans hoping for a faithful recreation of the early-2000s games may find, as IGN did, that it plays differently.

Sources: IGN review; GameSpot video review (Oct. 13, 2026); Polygon review; TheGamer review round-up; PlayStation Store Canada; VideoGamesPlus.ca.