Castlevania: Belmont's Curse debuts with 86 on Metacritic
Game Informer gives it 9.25 out of 10 and IGN 8 out of 10, two days before launch. The few reservations call it a safe game.
Review embargo has lifted on Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and critics are receptive. On the PS5 version, Metacritic shows 86 out of 100 from 53 reviews: 50 positive, 2 mixed and none negative, as of Oct. 13. The 2D action-exploration game, which Konami made with the studio Evil Empire, launches Thursday, Oct. 15.
Game Informer gave it 9.25 out of 10 in a review by Charles Harte, played on Xbox Series X/S. Harte wrote that, with Rose Belmont and Evil Empire, the series is "in great hands." According to Vice's roundup, IGN scored it 8 out of 10 and GamesRadar+ 80 out of 100.
Four outlets on the Metacritic list reached 100: Shacknews, PlayStation Universe, Hey Poor Player and Saudi Gamer. Here are some of the scores, all out of 100:
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| Shacknews | 100 |
| RPG Fan | 97 |
| TheGamer | 90 |
| IGN Spain | 90 |
| Game8 | 84 |
| IGN | 80 |
| GamesRadar+ | 80 |
The reservations are about nuance. IGN values the action, the movement and the map tools, according to Vice, but misses some of the series' own charm. Game8 says the game plays it safe. Other reviews Vice cites point to frustrating mechanics and little guidance, and MonsterVine, which gave it 90, finds the music the weakest part.
Before the embargo, Famitsu had already rated it 32 out of 40, according to PPE.pl. The Metacritic figures are for PS5, not an average across platforms, and will move with every new review.
