Castlevania has been a dormant franchise for years, but Belmont's Curse revives the series with fiery passion. There are hundreds of indies inspired by Konami's gothic vampire-hunting games, putting a lot of pressure on the publisher to live up to its far-reaching legacy. Konami's surprising, yet effective solution is to bring in a new developer: Evil Empire, best known for its work on the Castlevania-inspired Dead Cells. The resulting game has a fresh perspective, a brand-new protagonist, and whip-smart execution.

Rose Belmont and her father Trevor have been summoned to Paris, a city under supernatural siege. Rose is eager to prove her worth, partially to impress her father, who killed Dracula 23 years ago, and partially because she wants revenge for her bewitched arm, a curse from Dracula, passed down from her late mother.…