It's been a while, but this week Konami's Castlevania series resurfaces with the new entry, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse.

This 2D action-exploration title, set 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, is developed by the team at Evil Empire (Rogue Prince of Persia) and Motion Twin (Dead Cells), and puts players in the shoes of Rose Belmont, the daughter of Trevor Belmont.

Although this game has only been released for Switch on Nintendo platforms, it's still playable on the Switch 2. According to reports, the frame rate is also doubled when playing the game on Switch 2.

So, here's what the critics think of the experience so far:

GoNintendo:

"Evil Empire has succeeded in crafting a Castlevania game that shows why the franchise is legendary all while moving it forward in substantial ways. For my money’s worth, Castlevania has never felt or played better than it does in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. This is a monumental achievement for all parties involved, and most importantly, it ushers in a new era and a bold path forward for one of gaming’s greatest properties."

Nintendo World Report - 7.5/10:

"Castlevania: Belmont's Curse represents a strong step forward in spite of some uneven design elements. The attractive aesthetic lends itself well to the gothic setting, and its numerous high points mostly outweigh its faults...Rose is a compelling character in her own right, but the interactions between her and the souls she's captured add a nice degree of levity and charm to the story moments. It may not fly as high as some of its Castlevania predecessors, or even modern genre standouts like Silksong and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, but Belmont's Curse provides a dozen-plus hours of entertainment leading up to the height of spooky season."

Silconera - 7/10:

"Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has some reasonably high highs, but most of the game feels like it’s blandly trying to check off boxes rather than be its own thing. It’s playable enough and I think series fans will find it worth sticking with, but I can’t shake the sense there’s a better game in here if only it were more confident about its own identity. Depending on the platform you’re playing on, you might also have to deal with varying degrees of performance issues and poor visual quality. Those playing on the Switch or Switch 2 in particular will probably want to wait and see if some fixes arrive before taking the plunge. Hopefully now that Evil Empire has cut its fangs on the franchise, we can look forward to a better follow-up."

IGN - 8/10:

"Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse brings Konami’s beloved series into the modern era with a fast-paced focus on action first. Convenient map tracking tools, exciting combat, a great new hero, and movement tech that will test your reflexes all help this long-awaited sequel stand tall in what has since become a crowded genre. But Belmont’s Curse is a better metroidvania generally than it is a Castlevania specifically, sacrificing some of the series’ signature charm and feel along the way."

GamesRadar - 4/5:

"Often colourful and flashy, Belmont's Curse doesn't necessarily look like a Castlevania game. But it sure does feel like one. With enigmatic puzzles, gothic atmosphere, a dramatic anime-esque storyline, and well-paced action, this is a hugely compelling Metroidvania and a triumphant return for the iconic franchise."

Push Square - 7/10:

Castlevania: "Belmont's Curse gets a lot of stuff right, but in a world where Metroidvanias are a dime a dozen, it doesn't do quite enough to really stand apart...It's ultimately a good Metroidvania and a valiant effort to resuscitate Castlevania, but there's little new to see for anyone who's been keeping up with the genre over the last decade."

So, will you be checking out this latest entry in the Castlevania series when it arrives this week? Let us know in the comments.