Preview Castlevania: Belmont's Curse - Gamerant's impressions after 3 hours of play
Fabian Lainé
In brief
After twelve years away, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse makes its grand comeback with Gamerant at the helm for a three-hour demo. The verdict? A modern reboot that respects the franchise's foundations while propelling them into 2026, with a revolutionary mechanical whip and solid art direction — whether it holds up over the long haul remains to be seen.
Three hours. That's what Gamerant's journalist got to reconnect with the franchise after twelve years of absence - a demo covering the opening areas, a first boss, and obtaining the Arcana Whip. The dominant verdict: it hurts, it feels good, and he clearly hasn't stopped thinking about it since.
What works
The whip, first of all. The Arcana Whip isn't just a nod to the Vampire Killer from previous entries - it's a full-fledged movement tool. The physical swing while exploring, the instant zip toward enemies in combat: within minutes, it's clear the entire level design was built around it. It's rare for a new mechanic to integrate so naturally into an existing formula.
The art direction, next. Each area has its own bold palette - burning oranges for a Paris in flames, cold blues for the catacombs - and the hand-crafted backgrounds have a visual depth that clicks immediately. The characters' 3D models clash slightly at first glance according to the journalist, but as soon as the action kicks in, you stop noticing them. And the soundtrack - organs, strings, electric guitar - does exactly what it needs to do.
The progression, finally. Between the tarot card challenges that upgrade abilities, the attribute statues, the heart containers, and the seven weapon families with distinct movesets, there's never a shortage of reasons to explore every nook and cranny. The sense of progression is constant.
What's worrying
The first boss, The Fallen, delivers a pretty brutal difficulty spike after a rather calm first hour. It's intentional, and it's well executed - but the game throws a lot of systems at you simultaneously in its early hours. For someone without hundreds of hours of modern 2D action-platformers under their belt, the entry point can be downright hostile.
Gamerant also raises questions about the actual length and the consistency of pacing across the whole game. Three hours is admittedly a bit short to gauge any potential fatigue in the formula.
Provisional verdict
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is off to a very good start - perhaps better than we ourselves dared hope after twelve long years of absence. Evil Empire seems to have understood the franchise without simply copying it. It remains to be seen whether the whole thing holds up over the long run. See you on October 15 on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S.
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After twelve years, where do you stand?
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is the Arcana Whip and how does it change the gameplay?
Is this going to be too easy or too hard for someone who doesn't play hardcore 2D action games?
What was Gamerant able to assess in just three hours?
Did Evil Empire really understand Castlevania, or is this just a modern copy?
Key takeaways
- The Arcana Whip isn't just a nostalgic accessory: it's a movement tool baked into the level design itself, in both exploration and combat.
- The difficulty spikes brutally at the first boss after an easygoing opening hour — Evil Empire embraces a progression curve that's hostile to newcomers.
- The progression design (tarot cards, multiple weapons, secrets) always gives you a reason to explore, without ever feeling forced.
- The art direction shines through its bold palettes (blazing oranges for Paris, icy blues for the catacombs) and an organ-strings-electric soundtrack that fits the universe perfectly.
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