Castlevania, Oct. 13 -- Belmont's Curse has received an enthusiastic pre-release verdict from Game Informer, with reviewer Charles Harte highlighting a tarot-card system that makes exploration feed directly into combat. The assessment arrives two days before Konami's October 15 launch, offering buyers an account of the Xbox version rather than a performance comparison across every platform.

Harte awarded the game 9.25 in his October 13 review, praising its movement, boss battles and rewards for returning to previously explored areas. He reported finishing his playthrough after 16 hours with 92 percent completion. Those figures describe his experience, not a publisher estimate or a promise of how long every player will need.

Konami's off...