A Troubled Start

My initial experience with Castlevania: Belmont's Curse was far from smooth. The game initially booted to a black screen, requiring some troubleshooting before I discovered an issue with high monitor refresh rates. Even after fixing the display settings, I encountered jarring performance dips whenever the game transitioned into cutscenes. While these technical hiccups might be addressed post-launch, they served as a precursor to the uneven experience I've had over my first eight hours of gameplay.


The Mystery of the Missing "Juice"

In game design, "juice" refers to the polish and responsiveness that make an action game feel alive—the subtle screen shakes, hitstops, and fluid character animations that react to every player input. Having developed Dead Cells, a title renowned for its fast-paced, highly responsive action, the team at Evil Empire clearly understands this concept. Yet, Belmont's Curse often feels strangely stiff and unpolished by comparison.


Control Inconsistencies

Several mechanics feel inherently frustrating rather than challenging:

  • The Whip Mechanic: Rose Belmont's whip has a lengthy wind-up time. Grappling often fails because the game demands precise analog stick direction rather than intuitive movement.
  • Dodging: The forward slide mechanic feels almost useless due to a lack of invincibility frames, frequently leading to unnecessary deaths during boss encounters.
  • Platforming Complexity: Phasing through surfaces requires awkward triggers that lack the necessary precision, making tight platforming sections feel tedious rather than rewarding.
  • Input Latency: Healing items require a long button hold, which often fails in the heat of combat, and whip-based traversal attacks feel poorly timed.

Presentation Limitations

While the game draws clear inspiration from the Netflix Castlevania series, it suffers from budgetary constraints regarding its visual storytelling. As the author notes,

"some of the early cutscenes, which are disappointing panning shots of static artwork, really cry out for a more lavish presentation. They deserved a proper animated treatment that Konami apparently didn't shell out for."


Finding the Spark

Despite these flaws, the game begins to find its rhythm once the action shifts to Dracula's Castle. The level design becomes more intricate, incorporating clever puzzles and unique mechanics that distinguish it from its predecessors. Furthermore, the game isn't entirely without its moments of flair; the hitstop on attacks is satisfying, the character animations are slick, and the tarot card menu system is a visual delight.

Ultimately, one has to wonder if the studio tried too hard to differentiate Belmont's Curse from their previous work, resulting in a control scheme that lacks cohesion. It is an enjoyable journey, but the lack of mechanical precision keeps it from being the definitive return to Castlevania that so many fans were hoping for.