After getting overstimulated by all the booths and trying out several games at the Tokyo Game Show 2026, there was one game that eclipsed every single title I tried out – Konami’s Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse.
Before entering the demo or hands-on preview of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, I only had mediocre knowledge of the franchise, apart from watching and loving the Castlevania animated series. As such, I felt like I was entering the demo blind, unfamiliar with the franchise’s rich lore.
With that said, I entered the booth with an open mind and was completely blown away.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse superb art direction takes center stage
Even before killing the first monsters in the demo, the game firmly sets the tone with gothic-esque level design and color palettes that match the dark medieval setting Castlevania has been known for over the past few decades.
From the environment design all the way to the UI, it shows what an excellent modern Metroidvania, or should I say roguevania, should look like. The large interconnected world brimming with puzzles and secrets entices you to uncover more and more, especially where backtracking is prevalent in this type of genre.
Evil Empire, the developers behind Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, did a magnificent job as always. They are known for coining the term and genre “roguevania,” mixing Metroidvania and roguelike elements into one game.
The Rogue Prince of Persia and Dead Cells are some of their best titles, including DLC Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania and I believe Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse represents the pinnacle of everything Evil Empire has achieved so far.
The challenging but addictive gameplay
Falling under the roguelike or roguevania category always brings forth an extraordinary challenge to the player. You’ll rarely go through any area unscathed, but that’s part of the progression system in place, which forces you to find every potential path as a means to move forward.
Going through the stages and finding the right spells, weapons, relics, and paths to take offers unique player freedom, making each decision crucial and meaningful. That’s part of what makes the gameplay so addictive.
While I barely experienced any customization in the short demo, I could see the depth of it through the in-game menu.
Defeating bosses and sealing them into tarot cards unlocks powerful new spells and abilities. Combine that with the arsenal of different weapons and relics, and you will have a plethora of playstyles to experiment with.
After finishing what I could with the 20-minute playtime, which included one boss, it already feels like a heavy GOTY contender – which says a lot since this year is packed with amazing titles like Resident Evil Requiem, The Blood of the Dawnwalker, and Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, just to name a few.
Do you need to play other Castlevania games to play Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse?
As a reader who potentially falls into the same boat as me, who hasn’t played Castlevania games but has watched the animated series, I also ask the same question.
The answer is no. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is set 23 years after Castlevania III and just two decades after the animated series, and serves as a bridge between the video game and the animated series.
Since the animated series is a direct adaptation of the video game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, you don’t have to play the game if you have watched the series, as they both follow the story of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades.
Belmont’s Curse, on the other hand, features Rose Belmont, the daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, and can be seen as a sequel to Castlevania III and the animated series.
Now, if you haven’t played or watched any of the titles mentioned, it really doesn’t matter anyway. The story of Castlevania always follows a protagonist set in a major timeline, where the core premise of the story is defeating Dracula.
Some games like Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow & Dawn of Sorrow show the protagonist refusing to become the Dark Lord or Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance features a final boss adopting Dracula’s likeness and powers.
When is Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse releasing?
The game releases on Thursday, October 15, 2026, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Xbox Series X/S.
Pre-ordering either the digital or physical version includes the Alucard Style Costume bonus, a cosmetic for Rose Belmont, the game’s protagonist.
The Midnight Edition of the game also includes several bonuses such as the Sound & Art Gallery, Trevor Style Costume, Sypha Style Costume, and Family’s Grace (Relic).
