Konami, along with developers Evil Empire and Motion Twin, unveiled the first new entry in the Castlevania franchise in several years—Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. However, the company won’t be calling the franchise done with just one game. On the official website for Belmont’s Curse, Konami has posted a message celebrating the 40th anniversary of Castlevania, noting that “the doors of Castlevania open once more.”
In the message, the company has made it clear that Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is only the first new project that has been announced. Along with celebrating its collaboration with Motion Twin and Evil Empire, Konami has also noted that this is only the beginning, and that Castlevania has more projects in the works.
“This year marks the 40th anniversary since the original ‘Akumajō Dracula’ first saw the light of day,” wrote Konami on the website. “In this commemorative year, ‘Castlevania‘ will be revived.”
“First up is this title: ‘Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse’. We couldn’t think in other studios to work together rather than Evil Empire and Motion Twin, studios brimming with talent and passion, to deliver a new exploration-based 2D action game that captures the essence of Castlevania while bringing fresh innovation.”
“This is the beginning of numerous new products around Castlevania. Look forward to the return of the magnificent ‘nightmare’ lurking in the darkness.”
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was unveiled with a trailer during the recent State of Play Showcase. The title will revolve around a young Trevor Belmont taking on the Vampire Killer—the iconic whip of the Belmont family—to take on undead foes in Paris. The game takes place in the year 1499, and its story will focus on an invasion of monsters in the city.
Considering the experience of Motion Twin and Evil Empire with titles like Dead Cells, it should come as no surprise that this new game will also feature more weapons than just the Vampire Killer. The reveal trailer also showcased Trevor using a sword to take on enemies. The whip itself will also act as a traversal tool, allowing Trevor to swing across wide gaps.
Keeping in line with more popular Castlevania titles like Symphony of the Night, Belmont’s Curse will also feature a Metroidvania style of level design, with many secrets being hidden that players will have to work hard to find. Like the original Castlevania, players will also be able to smash certain walls to find healing items.
Along with this, the trailer also did a good job of showcasing the new art style of the game. Konami has described the style as being a colourful approach that manages to stay true to Castlevania‘s gothic roots.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is being developed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. While it doesn’t have a solid release date, Konami has confirmed that it will be out later this year. In the meantime, you can check out the next best thing through the Ode to Castlevania DLC in Vampire Survivors, or the Return to Castlevania DLC in Dead Cells, and even the Legacy of Castlevania DLC for V Rising.
