CASTLEVANIA: BELMONT'S CURSE: THE WHIP CRACKS AGAIN
8.5 of 10 bananas. A gorgeous, sharp return for Castlevania that plays it safe on Metroidvania design, with a few technical scars.
By the Alpha. PS5 disc listing. Updated Oct 17 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: The Amazon button is the US PS5 physical NIGHT ONE EDITION (Konami, ESRB Teen, released October 15 2026). Per the listing it includes the full game, a digital sound and art gallery, Trevor and Sypha style costumes, an Alucard style costume, and the Family's Grace relic. At my Oct 17 check it was shipped and sold by Amazon.com in the high thirties. Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Steam versions also exist. Critics flagged lower resolution and frame dips on Switch, so the PS5 card is the safer pick.
Get Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Night One Edition for PS5 on AmazonSit with me a moment. I remember the first time a whip felt heavier than a sword. Old Castlevania taught a whole generation of young gorillas that timing beats panic. Thirteen years passed without a proper new side-scroller. Now Konami hands the whip to a new Belmont and asks if the old rhythm still lands.
What It Wants To Be
Belmont's Curse is a 2D action exploration game set in 1499, with Paris burning and a young successor to Trevor Belmont chasing monsters through the streets and into the castle. Evil Empire, the team behind The Rogue Prince of Persia, built it with Motion Twin, the Dead Cells studio, lending a hand. You get the Vampire Killer whip as both weapon and traversal tool, a spread of sub weapons and abilities, and a new card system called Arcana that changes how you fight.
What Works
The art is the headline. Polygon called it a near-perfect Metroidvania, and VGC, even while grading it lower, said it looks incredible, with polygonal scenes drawn to feel hand-painted and long vistas of Paris on fire. Combat borrows the speed and snap of Dead Cells, and critics praise the whip swinging that lets you move like a trapeze artist. OpenCritic shows an 85 top critic average with 95 percent of critics recommending it across 88 reviews. Assist options help newcomers without insulting veterans.
What Breaks
Listen well. The core design is safe. VGC said it lacks teeth and that the genre has moved on while Castlevania slept. Swapping Arcana cards means pausing and digging through a menu, and you only get three equipment slots, so tuning for a hard boss means a lot of paused time. Some reviewers noted uneven bosses, a slow start, and controls that can feel a beat unresponsive. Switch players should expect lower resolution and frame rate trouble.
Who Should Play
Play it if you love Symphony style exploration and want the series back in its home genre, or if you are new and want a polished first Castlevania. Wait for a sale if you have played every great Metroidvania of the last decade and crave something new. On a Switch, think twice.
STRENGTHS
- Stunning gothic art direction
- Fast, fluid whip combat
- Arcana cards add build variety
- Friendly assist options
HONEST COSTS
- Safe, familiar structure
- Menu pausing to swap cards
- Uneven boss quality
- Weaker on Switch
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