Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Might Make the Long Wait for a New 2D Castlevania Worth It | IGN Preview - IGN

Honey, call the Belmonts. That damn Dracula is back again.

Being a teenager with a Game Boy Advance and a Nintendo DS in the early 2000s was a wonderful time, because almost every year, there was a new Castlevania game to sink my fangs into. But after Order of Ecclesia in 2008, that never-ending stream of some of the best 2D platforming and exploration in gaming history dried up, and we’ve now somehow gone 18 years without a proper 2D Castlevania. Yes, 2D Castlevania’s Absence is old enough to vote now. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the many Castlevanias I’ve played, it’s that Dracula’s resurrection is inevitable, eventually. Enter Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, a much-welcome brand-new entry in the storied series. And in even better news, it’s developed by the team behind Dead Cells. I got to play through the first three-ish hours at a recent preview event, and based on my early impressions, it's shaping up to be a return worth waiting for.

To set the stage, Belmont’s Curse takes place 23 years after the events of Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse, and serves as a direct follow-up to that story – which is also what the fantastic Netflix Castlevania anime is largely based on. The game begins with a summons for Trevor Belmont to head to Paris, which has been ravaged by an unknown force that has flooded the streets with monsters, turned the moon blood red, and left the city in utter chaos. Despite sensing the likely trap, Trevor makes his way to the City of Light, but not alone. He’s joined by his daughter, Rose, who is eager to continue the family legacy of hunting monsters and vampires.

My first thought as soon as I picked up the controller was, “Yep, this definitely feels like Castlevania by way of Dead Cells.” That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s quite good. There’s a certain fluidity to Rose’s movement and animation that immediately felt reminiscent of controlling The Beheaded from Dead Cells, minus the ability to quickly shoot to the ground by holding down and pressing jump while in the air. Rose can swing her weapon in front, above, and below her, much like in Dead Cells, while also having access to a quick forward dash to dodge under projectiles or reposition herself behind an enemy, along with a backdash to quickly move out of the way of incoming attacks.

Of course, the whip has always been the defining weapon of the Belmont clan, and it is a core element of Rose’s kit as well, though surprisingly, not as a direct combat tool. Instead, the whip can be used to swing from grapple points to reach new heights, and to pull yourself towards enemies and quickly close the distance. My favorite aspect of the whip, though, is that if you press the attack button while you’re pulling yourself towards an enemy, you’ll execute a grapple attack, which varies greatly depending on which of the seven types of weapons you’re wielding.

Castlevania: Complete Playlist

The starting longsword’s grapple attack allows you to slash through enemies, dealing good damage and keeping your forward momentum, allowing you to chain multiple grapples and cross lengthy gaps. Doing a grapple attack with the Cestus equipped, meanwhile, will execute a shoryuken-like uppercut that will launch enemies up into the air for air combos. Then you have the greatsword, which performs a hugely damaging AOE-focused spinning attack. I love the fact that every single weapon has a unique charged attack, grapple attack, and basic moveset, giving you plenty of incentive to experiment with your arsenal and find the right tool for the job.

Weapons aren’t the only thing you’ll be able to experiment with, either. Like in Hollow Knight, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and other modern Metroidvanias, you can also find and equip up to three relics, which provide powerful passive bonuses. These are usually reserved as rewards for completing difficult optional challenges, like a tricky platforming section or a lengthy combat encounter, and even in my brief hands-on time so far, they have proven to be well worth the trouble of seeking them out.