Castlevania Belmont's Curse

With Igarashi’s departure from Konami back then, I thought the Castlevania series would fade into obscurity for good but Konami has surprised fans with a revival, even if it was unexpected. For over a decade, Konami earned criticism for letting its popular video game IPs languish, including Castlevania.

Despite the company’s outright hubris, recent years suggest that Konami now appear to has the talent competent enough to organize revival for some of its iconic series; Silent Hill, Suikoden, Metal Gear, and more. As part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, it’s now Castlevania’s turn to return with a new title: Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse!

This new entry is a collaboration between Konami and Motion Twin, the studio behind Dead Cells, a popular Metroidvania roguelite that previously featured a Castlevania DLC. Details remain scarce, but the game will feature a protagonist descended from Trevor Belmont, sporting a ponytail reminiscent of Sonia Belmont from the non-canon Castlevania Legends. The art style looks modern and promising, suggesting a revival worthy of the franchise.

It seems likely that the Dead Cells Castlevania DLC was a way for Motion Twin to demonstrate their capability to handle a larger project. Their experience with the genre along with apparent subject matter knowledge on the series makes it plausible that they can create a respectful and compelling new Castlevania title.

While I haven’t forgotten Konami’s past negligence toward Castlevania and other beloved IPs, I’m willing to give this revival a chance. Perhaps one day, if they create a proper adaptation for Demon Castle Wars, I might even forgive them but only time will tell. This development also signals a trend: major developers like Capcom and Square Enix may increasingly explore outsourcing models for reviving their own classic franchises.