Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch, priced at $29.99. It is the first new 2D Castlevania in years, made by Konami with the Dead Cells team at Evil Empire, and critics have mostly welcomed it: it sits at an 86 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic, with reviews ranging from a perfect score to a lukewarm 7.
The game opens in a burning Paris in 1499. Image: Konami
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Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse release time
The PC version unlocked first. According to Game Rant’s release-time breakdown, Steam and PC players got in at 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET on October 14, which is 4 AM BST and 12 PM JST on October 15. Console versions unlocked at local midnight on October 15. By the time you read this, the game is available in every region.
Steam lists 10 GB of required storage. Nintendo’s eShop page also gives October 15 for the Switch version, even though Konami’s June announcement said the Switch date would come later.
Platforms, price and editions
| Platform | Standard | Midnight Edition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam, Xbox on PC) | $29.99 | $39.99 | Released Oct 14 in the US |
| Xbox Series X|S | $29.99 | $39.99 | Xbox Play Anywhere (one purchase covers console and PC) |
| PS5 | $29.99 | $39.99 | Oct 15 |
| Nintendo Switch | $29.99 | $39.99 | Oct 15; playable on Switch 2 |
The Steam listing says the Midnight Edition adds a separate Digital Sound & Art Gallery app (more than 100 pieces of art and an in-app music player) plus three in-game items: Trevor Style Costume, Sypha Style Costume and the Family’s Grace relic. The Xbox store listing names an Alucard Style Costume as the pre-order bonus. A free demo covers the early stages of the game, and its save carries over to the full release.
Is it on Switch 2?
There’s no dedicated Switch 2 version. The Switch release runs on Switch 2 through backward compatibility, and Nintendo Life reported that the demo hits around 60fps there, double the 30fps cap Konami announced for Switch 1.
What the game is
Belmont’s Curse is set in Paris in 1499, 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. You play as Rose Belmont, Trevor’s daughter. Konami’s store text promises bosses such as Death, Medusa and Carmilla alongside new ones like Joan of Arc. Beaten bosses turn into tarot “Arcana” that give Rose new spells. She can also use seven weapon types and equip relics, and her whip works as a grappling hook for both getting around and combat.
Rose's whip doubles as a grappling hook for traversal. Image: Konami
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse reviews: what critics say
Aggregate scores sit in “good to great” territory, and Metacritic splits them by platform:
| Aggregate | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCritic Top Critic Average | 86 (96% recommend) | 84 |
| Metacritic, Xbox Series X | 88 | 6 |
| Metacritic, PS5 | 85 | 55 |
| Metacritic, PC | 82 | 29 |
| Metacritic, Switch | 78 | 5 |
Aggregate scores as checked on October 15, 2026, 10:45 UTC; they move as more reviews arrive.
At the top end, GameSpot gave it 10/10 and put it in the same breath as Symphony of the Night. Game Informer scored it 9.25/10, and GamesRadar 4/5, calling it “a triumphant return for the iconic franchise.” Japan’s Famitsu gave it 32/40.
The middle of the pack is more reserved. IGN (8/10) praised the combat and map tools but argued it is “a better metroidvania generally than it is a Castlevania specifically.” Push Square (7/10, PS5) found little that stands out in a crowded genre. Siliconera (7/10) called it uneven.
Combat in a castle hall; critics praised the fights, with caveats about Switch performance. Image: Konami
Switch performance is the main warning
The clearest caveat is the Switch version. Siliconera reported performance problems and poor visual quality on some platforms, and suggested Switch and Switch 2 owners wait for fixes. Worth Playing (8/10) called the Switch port “a little lackluster.” Nintendo World Report gave the Switch version 7.5/10. Switch has the lowest Metacritic average of the four platforms. If you have a choice of platform, the reviews so far favor the other versions.
Why it matters
For years Konami kept Castlevania alive through re-release collections and crossovers, such as Dead Cells’ Return to Castlevania DLC, rather than new games. We looked at how Konami could revive Castlevania back in 2021. Belmont’s Curse is that new game, and its $29.99 price puts it against modern metroidvanias like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, both names reviewers have reached for as comparisons.
What’s next
Nintendo Life’s own review of the Switch version is still on the way. Metacritic opens user reviews on October 16. The thing to watch is a performance patch, especially for Switch; we’ll cover it when Konami announces one.
Sources: Xbox Wire, Steam, Nintendo eShop, Konami, Gematsu, Nintendo Life review round-up, Game Rant, OpenCritic, Metacritic and the reviews linked above.
Featured image: Konami
