The upcoming release of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is one that fans of the series are waiting for eagerly, as the game seems to be a high-polished return to side scrolling gameplay. With the game under development by the creators behind Dead Cells, who also made an incredible tribute to the series within their own game, it’s likely that Belmont’s Curse will pay homage to the franchise in many ways. With that in mind, new fans may want to look back and try some of the games that defined Castlevania the most.
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There have been multiple eras of Castlevania, with the series going through a number of changes in various titles. For example, some Castlevania games ditch the 2D side scrolling platforming for 3D hack-and-slash styles and larger environments. Although everyone has their preference for the series, Belmont’s Curse is looking to go back to the 2D era, with interconnected maps across a sprawling 2D location that hides plenty of secrets and progressively unlocks as you continue exploring.
4. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
One of the most underrated titles from Castlevania‘s 3D age was Lords of Shadow, perhaps the title least connected to what came before. This game was a re-invention of the series, even adopting the Belmont name in a new context than it had been used before. This hack-and-slash project was more akin to the early Greek God of War games, but still kept Castlevania‘s gothic atmosphere with refined orchestral music, melancholic locations, and shadowy level design that reflected the vibes of the franchise’s earliest days.
The action-adventure approach Lords of Shadow took were not always perfect, but they told an engaging story that was far fresher than the standard “go kill Dracula in Dracula’s castle” that had become formulaic. Although some players prefer Castlevania: Lament of Innocence for its 3D approach and story about the Belmont family origins, the tale in Lords of Shadow has some surprising twists and turns. Don’t get me wrong, Lords of Shadow has little to do with the larger series as a whole, but it may have an influence on where the franchise is going.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has a story that will be within the original timeline of the main series, yet its combat is shown to have depth more akin to Lords of Shadow and other 3D era games. Hack-and-slash combo systems with special abilities seem to be apparenet in the gameplay shown for Belmont’s Curse, showing how every part of the series’ past has likely inspired it. As a result, playing through Lords of Shadow is great for fans looking for a different perspective on Castlevania as a whole, and to understand how Belmont’s Curse won’t simply be a repeat of classics.
3. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (and Dawn of Sorrow to some extent) are perhaps the boldest games in the series, once again shifting the franchise’s usual formula to do something interesting and new. These games are the ones that really dig deep into the Metroidvania style modern audiences would be accustomed to by now, and certainly the templates that Belmont’s Curse will likely follow the most. The Soul system of the Sorrow games gave characters supernatural abilities as well, which Belmont’s Curse seems to show through its main character.
Regardless of its connections to the latest game, Aria of Sorrow is a masterpiece of balancing between classic Castlevania gameplay and modern ideas. For example, the aforementioned Soul system, also called “Tactical Soul,” allows you to steal the skills of major enemies you defeat. This lets you customize your combat style and alter how you go through various parts of the map, reflecting a style that inspired other recently popular Metroidvania games like Hollow Knight: Silksong or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Even though you aren’t wielding a signature Belmont whip in this game, the music and scenery of this game is nothing short of excellent, arguably featuring one of the best versions of Dracula’s Castle ever made. The new character Soma Cruz also has a compelling story here, and one you’re unlikely to see repeated throughout the franchise. The customization features and unique aesthetic of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow easily help it stand out, making it a game that fans of the series should at least try once.
2. Super Castlevania 4
Technically, Super Castlevania IV is a re-telling of the first Castlevania, using refined graphics and mechanics to took the original NES game and polished them for the SNES. Due to its improvements, this is the perfect entry point for players looking to get into the series, taking all the best parts about Castlevania and combining them into one full package. For players looking to be familiarized with the series’ premise before Belmont’s Curse, this game’s ports and remasters are a very simple way to get invested.
The visuals, soundtrack, and 16-bit presentation of Super Castlevania IV are nostalgic at every step, rivaling other 2D side scroller entries like Castlevania: Rondo of Blood or Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse. The journey of Simon Belmont to defeat Dracula in this title is extremely straightforward, but filled with gameplay refinements that help prevent this game from becoming outdated like older titles in the franchise. Simon can control his whip in eight separate directions, with tighter platforming that closely reflects your input command to cut out the frustrations players had to deal with in Castlevania‘s earliest steps.
This game is widely considered the pinnacle of the classic 2D era of Castlevania, with one major exception. The environments are extraordinary, the enemy and Simon sprites are nostalgic, and every attack’s weighted time freeze when slaying an enemy is satisfying every single time. When combined with what could be the best music the series has every had, Super Castlevania IV is not only a great game to return to, but also a fantastic one for newcomers.
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a certified masterpiece that everyone needs to play at least once in their life, making it an obvious title to re-visit before Belmont’s Curse. There have been dozens of essays and think pieces about why Symphony of the Night is so revered, but to put it blunty — it takes everything good about the Castlevania games and improves them. This game was a strong shift from the series’ past, using open-ended exploration inspired by Metroid titles, helping to coin the “Metroidvania” term as a result.
Action-RPG mechanics were baked into this title as well, creating far more depth to every system players engaged with. The landmark innovations to gameplay are even reflected in the story, especially Symphony of the Night‘s halfway point, where things literally are flipped upside down to change how players approach the game. The artwork in this game is also gorgeous, blending traditional 2D sprite work with 3D animations, creating a gothic blend of visuals that are mesmerizing to see at every phase of your adventure.
The story of this game is fairly independent from the series too, with the introduction re-telling the ending events from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood to get players caught up. With one of the best stories in the series, Symphony of the Night has no missteps, with timeless visuals, music, and story content that is endlessly replayable. When you’re thinking about which Castlevania game to play before Belmont’s Curse, Symphony of the Night should always be on anyone’s list.
What Castlevania game will you try to play before Belmont’s Curse comes out? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
