Castlevania Fans Are Split On Belmont's Curse

Castlevania Fans Are Already Having A Tough Time With Belmont's Curse Published Oct 3, 2026, 2:14 PM EDT George is the Lead News Editor for TheGamer, and has been working in the industry since 2021 after graduating from the University of South Wales with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. He has also previously written for RPG Site, WhatCulture, and PlayStation Lifestyle. George is an expert on platformers, action games, and fighters, but tends to play as many releases as possible. This hands-on experience lets him dive into gaming communities and follow the latest trends. Some of the games George has extensively covered first-hand include Dead Rising, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Ninja Gaiden 4. Castlevania fans are more divided on Belmont’s Curse than you might expect, as the recent demo has started debates about difficulty and its place in the series. In a little over a week, Castlevania’s painfully long rest finally comes to an end with the launch of Belmont’s Curse, the series’ first new entry in 12 years. To make the wait a little more bearable, Konami released a free demo for the game earlier this week that let fans dive into the first chapter and get an early start on their playthrough. The response to Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has been incredibly positive since it was first revealed, so you’d be forgiven for assuming it was an instant slam dunk with all fans. As it turns out, though, the response to the demo has been a little more mixed, with some being totally blindsided by the high difficulty and modern Metroidvania vibes. Belmont’s Curse Is Giving Castlevania Fans A Tough Time, And It’s Not Even Out Yet The Dead Cells DNA Is Being Felt Ever since the Belmont’s Curse demo went live a few days ago, Castlevania fans have been sharing their thoughts over on the series’ subreddit. Considering how much I loved the game and its clear understanding of what makes Castlevania great, I was expecting to see nothing but glowing reactions. While the overall response to Belmont’s Curse is positive, it’s fair to say that it’s not quite as universal as that. One of the main points of contention, or at least a surprise that many didn’t see coming, is that Belmont’s Curse is actually quite difficult. Many of the posts on the subreddit are from fans surprised by the high challenge, especially for the demo’s boss, The Fallen. Although not every post about the difficulty is a complaint, it’s clear that a lot of fans are surprised at how much tougher Belmont’s Curse is than previous Castlevania games. That’s not the only discussion that the demo has caused, though, as some players aren’t happy with the more modern Metroidvania vibes. Based on some of the more popular posts on the subreddit, it seems that some Castlevania fans were expecting Belmont’s Curse to be closer to Symphony of the Night. While that’s undeniably a key inspiration, Belmont’s Curse is clearly taking cues from modern Metroidvanias, something that some fans aren’t gelling with. As with any demo, it’s worth keeping in mind that what everyone is playing of Belmont’s Curse is just a small slice of the game, and a very early part of it at that. Having gone a good bit further myself, I’d encourage anyone who’s a little split to give it more of a chance, since it only gets better from there. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Released October 15, 2026 ESRB Teen / Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) Evil Empire, Motion Twin Publisher(s) Konami Prequel(s) Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse Genre(s) Platformer, Action, Adventure, RPG Triple-A Games Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Konami