Castlevania Belmont’s Curse once had a Dark Souls “vibe,” but it was “just too hard”

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has released to critical acclaim, but there was a point in development where it was shaping up to be a very different game, and one I’d wager wouldn’t have scored nearly as well with critics or fans of Konami‘s beloved series.

Talking to PCGamesN, Evil Empire head of business Ben Laulan reveals Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse went through a lot of iteration before landing on the faster-paced evolution of the whippy action gameplay we all know and love.

“We had many different versions of the game,” Laulan reveals. “We had much slower versions, more like a Dark Souls kind of vibe with even more heavy combat and slow rhythm. Then we realized it wasn’t really Castlevania because it was too slow, too intense, and just too hard.”

I could’ve told you that. I have a well-documented allergy to Dark Souls and Soulslikes, having tried repeatedly to get into the most beloved of them like Bloodborne and Elden Ring, but even removed from that obvious bias, FromSoftware‘s signature dodge-roll into big-swing mechanics have no place in a 2.5D action game like Belmont’s Curse. I’m so, so glad Evil Empire reconsidered that direction. However, it seems they went so hard in the other direction that we almost got Dead Cells: Belmont’s Curse.

“So we cranked up the speed, and then it was too much Dead Cells because it was too fast-paced, and the exploration wasn’t there as much as it needs to be in Castlevania.”

I can understand the Dead Cells influence given Evil Empire’s experience supporting Motion Twin’s roguelike darling post-launch, but I’m still encouraged to hear the developer was keen to avoid taking on any identity that isn’t distinctly Castlevania. I have yet to play Belmont’s Curse myself, but it sounds like it’s a worthy return to the long-dormant series. Our own Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse review awards it 4/5 stars.

“Beautiful and challenging, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse offers a rich, gothic world of puzzles to solve and enemies to whip,” writes social media editor Serena Cherry. “With a stunning blend of fast-paced traversal action and compelling storytelling, this game proudly honours the Belmont legacy in exciting new ways.”

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was born out of “a sense of urgency,” producer says, and if we have to wait 10 years for the next game, “the whole thing is meaningless.”

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.