Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Blends Metroidvania Roots with Dead Cells-Style Action in October Reveal

As October arrives as the season’s most eagerly anticipated month for new releases, Konami has delivered a compelling first look at Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, an action-platformer that fuses classic Metroid-style exploration with the fluid combat of 2018 hit Dead Cells. During a preview session attended by Polygon earlier this year and through a brief playable demo released Thursday morning, players got their first taste of what is shaping up to be one of the month’s finest action titles.

The game follows Rose Belmont, niece of the legendary Trevor Belmont, as she ventures into monster-infested Paris. Unlike her father’s clunky movements, Rose glides through environments with the fluidity seen in Alucard’s adventures. She wields a sharp sword for quick melee combat against skeletons, complements it with powerful long-range projectile magic, and carries potions to restore her life meter during intense encounters.

A New Hero Takes Up the Vampire Hunter’s Cause

The adventure opens with grizzled Trevor Belmont riding in a rowboat alongside another adventurer toward Paris, where dark monsters overrun the streets. Both suspect a trap but embrace it as a mystery to uncover. Upon arrival, they part ways: Trevor meets with the bishop who invited them while Rose heads off on her own after receiving tarot cards left behind by her mother.

Players control Rose throughout her journey, and according to Polygon’s preview, she controls beautifully despite initial surprise at not playing as her more famous father. Her combat system rewards skill over brute force, requiring players to learn enemy attack patterns rather than mashing buttons in hopes of victory.

“It’s not a trap if I suspect a trap. It’s just a mystery to uncover.”

Image: Evil Empire/Konami

[Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse narrative]

Detailed Progression and Challenging Combat

The game immediately showers players with objectives, such as hitting twenty enemies with magic bursts to upgrade spell strength. Defeating enemies grants experience points for leveling up attributes, while secreted tomes found throughout passageways improve stats independently. These layered progression systems give the resourceful hero a fighting chance against powerful adversaries.

A mid-demo boss encounter showcases the game’s combat depth. The Fallen, described as a hunking monster who moves like a more agile Minotaur, tosses projectiles across the screen before leaping into the air, latching onto a hook, and swinging forward with weapons ready before crashing down to create harmful shockwaves. Players must study attack patterns carefully, as powerful foes can absorb considerable damage.

Exploration Rewards Curiosity

The demo reveals a world packed with delightful secrets that reward backtracking and exploration. Even the opening areas force players to return to previously visited chambers to reach higher ledges inaccessible on their first pass. Destructible walls reveal life-restoring meat, while certain gates can only be opened from different directions, creating familiar Metroidvania-style puzzle design.

The rapidly expanding map features a useful pin system allowing players to mark up to fifty icons simultaneously, helping them track goodies glimpsed from the wrong side of barriers, pits, or lethal spike beds. This thoughtful design choice demonstrates how thoroughly developers have crafted the Parisian environment.

Atmospheric Presentation

Beyond its strong structure and mechanics, the game’s art style impresses with intimidating backdrops offering a welcome illusion of depth. The gothic atmosphere comes through clearly, aided by moody music that kept players tense throughout their session. While it remains uncertain whether this soundtrack will hold up over twenty or thirty hours of playtime, it certainly established the right tone during preview.

Polygon noted reaching the end of the demo with a sense of regret as it ended abruptly upon entering a restoration chamber, leaving players hungry for more exploration that simply isn’t available yet.

Looking Ahead

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is scheduled for release on October 15, 2026, arriving on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC platforms. With its promising demo and preview reception, the title positions itself as a strong contender among this year’s most exciting action releases.