Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is a popular action-adventure game initially released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. The game was developed and published by Konami and was a direct sequel to Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. **Recently, there have been discussions and rumors about a potential remake version of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness.** Many fans of the series have expressed excitement and anticipation for this remake, hoping for updated graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, and additional content. The original game follows the story of Hector, a former Devil Forgemaster seeking revenge against his former comrade, Isaac. The protagonist must navigate through various levels and defeat enemies using his unique abilities and weapons.
Curse of the Daanav
Vikram Singh has a nightmare (memory?) about an expedition's discovery on the Indian continent and the lethal curse of the Daanav, a legendary divine ruby. After meeting their Congressman in Washington D.C., Jessica convinces Seth to accept an invitation to a polo-match in nearby Maryland hosted by his wealthy, estranged brother Richard Hazlitt. Seth grudgingly accepts provided she joins him. Richard's new wife, considered a threat by his son Mark Hazlitt and daughter, actually sent the invitation, but it works, the brothers finally make up in a trip to memory lane with whiskey and cigars at the estate. However the ruby Richard bought for his wife, seems to work its spell to kill anyone not of pure heart who wears it: she nearly suffocates in the garage. Next, Richard takes the ruby to his room, and is killed while the door is locked from the inside. Jessica works out how both crimes connect with the ruby and refuses to believe Singh, now government agent to purchase it, is guilty, even after the ruby is found on him, as her trap proves.
The protagonist must navigate through various levels and defeat enemies using his unique abilities and weapons. Along the way, Hector can also capture monsters to fight alongside him in battle. **If the remake version of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness becomes a reality, fans can expect enhanced visuals and gameplay mechanics that take advantage of modern technology.
Trivia [ ]
Although it is said here that Seth Hazlitt's brother Richard, his nephew Mark and his niece Carolyn are his only relatives, he is later shown to have several cousins who live on a plantation down south in Dixie.
Killer: Bert Davies
Cause of death: Unknown, most likely poison.
Motive: Felt Richard viewed his wife (and Bert's daughter) Alice as only a trophy to show off and didn't appreciate her.
Murder, She Blogged
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away (but in geographical terms, India) there was an explorer. Let’s call him Not Quite Indiana Jones. NQ was hunting a valuable ruby, alongside his local guide Not Jonathan Rhys-Davies. One day, the explorer found the ruby, prised it from it’s position on the head of a snake statue, and promptly dropped dead while Not Jonathan did a lot of this.
Fast forward a bit, and with no explanation as to how it happened, but the ruby now resides around the neck of Mrs Alice Hazlitt, the new sister-in-law of Doctor Seth Hazlitt, although he doesn’t know it yet.
Meanwhile, JB is on the tail end of roadtrip to Washington with Seth to Washington to have a bit of a chinwag with their local Congressman, but with the job done JB isn’t quite ready to return back to the Cove just yet. In fact, she’s had a great idea – Seth should go and visit his brother in Maryland that he hasn’t seen for 30 years. Seth wants no part of the plan, but caves in the end as all must do when ordered to do something by The Queen.
Except Seth has decided that he won’t go unless Jess goes with him.
That plan backfired.
Alas, by the time they get to Maryland the polo game Seth was apparently invited to has finished. They are about to leave again when Alice spots Seth and introduces herself.
Seth’s reaction to the realization that he’s now got a hot sister-in-law is priceless.
Richard Hazlitt has a similar reaction to seeing his brother for the first time in thirty years, and is surprised to learn that Seth was there at his invitation. Alice admits that it was her doing, and begs them to come to the party at the house later that evening and to stay the night. Seth and Richard reluctantly accept, but never mind that because LOOK WHO ELSE IS AT THE POLO GAME.
YOUR HORSES ARE NOW RUBIES. Oh God I’m tired. Insomnia is the worst.
Later that night, the party kicks off with Not Hugh Laurie on the drums.
I’ve had 12 hours sleep in three days though, so to be fair my cup of tea looks like Hugh Laurie
While Seth and Alice’s father duke it out over the last spinach puff JB introduces them to Vikram Singh, the real name of Not Jonathan Rhys-Davies, who works as a cultural attache at the Indian Embassy. Alice’s father remembers him, and tells him how much he enjoyed the film Gunga Din.
I’ll be honest, I had to google Gunga Din, but yes. Telling an Indian man about how much you enjoyed a film about British Colonialism probably deserves that look.
They are soon joined by Seth’s niece Carolyn and nephew Mark who are positively delighted to be there. No really. They all light up some of Vikram’s Turkish cigarettes and when Richard comes over to scold his children for smoking and for not giving them up like Alice Vikram spots the Ruby of Daanav around Alice’s neck. He compliments her on not being affected by the curse, and Richard tells him curse, shmurse, he’s not selling the ruby.
Guys I think I know where this is going.
Alice excuses herself to go and retrieve Richard’s present from the garage. When she gets there she finds the car has been left running and the garage filling with exhaust fumes. She tries to turn the car off but it’s locked from the inside. The garage roller door is broken and the other door has magically locked her in. Overcome by the fumes, she collapses. Luckily for Alice, her father comes down looking for his pipe and saves the day. Alice is okay, but not sure what happened. Her father insists on calling the police, and a familiar face comes to check it all out.
Major Franklin Marion Burns reporting for duty.
After learning of JB’s meeting with the Congressman in Washington Lietenant Ames decides that she must be a secret agent. He’s still convinced that Alice tried to kill herself even though it makes no sense to turn a car on, leave it for 15 minutes and then go back to it. Richard is convinced it was just an accident, and Ames tells JB that if there are any more accidents just give him a call.
JB puts Alice to bed, and asks her if anyone else knew where she’d hidden the present. She says Carolyn had suggested it to her, and her Dad reminds her that Mark had driven up just as they were hiding it. Alice thinks it’s more likely that the Curse of the Daanav is more likely behind the prank than either of them Richard appears to tell them that he’d kicked everyone out of the house, and Alice tells Richard to put the necklace away in the safe.
Downstairs, JB and Richard run into Vikram who somehow missed the memo that the party is over. He hopes that Richard will take the curse more seriously now, but Richard tells him he’s not selling not now not ever. He goes into the study to put the ruby away and is startled by Seth sitting in the dark. Over a whiskey or two they mend their metaphorical (I accidentally wrote METHaphorical and now I’m dying) fences and all is right with the world. Until Alice comes down and finds her husband lying dead on the floor in a locked room with the necklace around his neck but without the ruby. Oh dear.
The next morning Ames finds Special Agent JB Fletcher outside and begs her to tell him what she’s found out but it’s not much. Whomever killed Richard wanted to make it look like the work of the curse. Inside Mark is on the phone trying to get a copy of his father’s will sent out. Ames asks him why he’s in such a rush for it but Mark tells Ames his father was a cold vindictive so and so which Seth takes offence to. Mark tells Seth he’s in no position to judge since he hadn’t spoken to his brother in over 30 years until the previous day. Ames asks Seth about it and Seth storms off. Classic Seth. JB finds him packing, and he tells her there’s no way he’s sticking around to be accused of murder. Ames wanders in to tell him that they’re running some prints found on some whiskey glasses and Seth tells him that one set belongs to him. Ames isn’t buying the reconciliation story Seth is putting out, but JB informs him he has it on the Highest Authority, making Ames think that Seth is a colleague of JB’s at the FBI/CIA/NSC/CWA etc etc. JB tells Ames she’s figured out how the door was locked – with the cunning use of a cigarette to stop latch from closing all the way.
Vikram Singh appears out of nowhere, but he says he has nothing to do with the death of Richard Hazlitt. In fact, he tried to stop his death by buying the ruby from him to stop the curse. As he is leaving, JB notices him feel his glove and asks him why he doesn’t put it on. Ames grabs it off him and tips it, revealing the ruby.
Down at the police station JB tells Ames she just doesn’t think Singh is guilty of anything more than trying to get the ruby out of the house. Assuming that Alice’s accident and Richard’s death are related there doesn’t seem to be any logical reason why Singh would be involved.
That’s because he wasn’t. And neither was Richard’s daughter. Or, as it turns out, his wife.
Yeah. This episode got away from me a bit.
So yes. The ruby was a red herring. It was more a matter of a father hating his son-in-law. But the important thing is, my housemate just knocked on my door and offered me homemade hummus so until next time
Murder She Wrote 4.14 “Curse of the Daanav”
Disclosure: The following contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Click here to read the full Affiliate Disclosure. My dear Fletcher-fans, it turns out that our favourite Cabot Cove doctor, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, has a brother named Richard that he’s been estranged from for the past 30 years. The episode starts with Seth and Jessica Washington DC, having made a trip there to confer with their congressman, as you do. And rather than go right back to Cabot Cove, they detour to Maryland, where they’ve been invited to a polo match — of course! The invitation was supposed to have been from Richard, but they soon find out that it was all down to Richard’s new, much younger, wife. Then, just as Seth and Richard have made amends about the fact that the girl Seth was in love with many years ago had married Richard instead, tragedy strikes involving a legendary Indian ruby.
Just the facts ma’am:
- The victim was… Seth’s brother Richard!
- killed by… his father-in-law !
- in… his locked study!
- with… (the cause of death is never revealed, but it’s possibly poisoning or strangulation given that it was meant to look like he’d died as a result of a curse)!
- because… his father-in-law thought that his daughter would be happier just having Richard’s money rather than living as a trophy wife !
- vital clues: he knew something he couldn’t have known–such as the fact that the cigarette was Turkish and that the ruby was found in a glove .
Repeat Offenders:
This is one of the few episodes where a Cabot Cove character appears outside of Cabot Cove.
William Windom plays Seth Hazlitt for the 14th time on MSW. Here he is seen vehemently denying that he’s married to Jessica.
Larry Linville plays police Lt. Steven Ames. This is Linville’s 2nd out of a total 3 appearances on MSW. Of course, he’s best known as Frank from the TV series M*A*S*H.
Douglas Barr (left) plays Richard’s son Mark Hazlitt. This is Barr’s first of two total appearances on MSW. Clive Revill (right) plays Bert Davies, Richard’s new father-in-law. This is Revill’s second and final appearance on MSW.
Shout out goes to Michael Blue who plays the “explorer” in the flashback sequence. This is his first of two total appearances on the show. In his next appearance, he’s simply credited as “Policeman #1”.
Big Names & Honourable Mentions:
Unusually for a Murder, She Wrote episode, there are a lot of actors who only make a single appearance on the show.
Kabir Bedi has a major role in the episode as Vikram Singh, the cultural attache from the Indian embassy, sent to convince Richard to sell him the ruby. Bedi is a prolific Bollywood actor.
I thought it would be fun to make note of the actors who played Seth’s family members. There’s Richard Bradford (left) playing Seth’s brother Richard; Jane Windsor (center) playing Richard’s new wife Alice; and Jane Badler (right) playing Richard’s daughter Carolyn.
Final thoughts:
Aside from learning about Seth’s brother, we also learn more about Seth’s life in general and the fact that eventually he married a woman named Ruth and settled in Cabot Cove.
The premise of this episode recalls the premise of the classic detective novel The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. One curious thing about this episode is the Indiana Jones-esque introduction. Around the same time that this episode aired, there was a similarly inspired episode of Magnum, P.I. titled “Legend of the Lost Art”, in which Kabir Bedi also had a major role. It’s curious to me that there should be so many similar stories on TV at the time since it had been 4 years since the Indiana Jones sequel, and the third movie in the series wasn’t due to come out for another year.
Finally, one of the funniest motifs in this episode involved the fact that the police lieutenant was under the impression that Jessica was a government agent!
** The game's level design and enemy encounters could be reimagined to provide a more immersive and challenging experience. Furthermore, the remake may introduce new features, such as additional playable characters, extra areas to explore, and even online multiplayer options. It would serve as a way to reintroduce the game to a new generation of players while also satisfying the nostalgia of long-time fans. **The success of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness remake version would heavily depend on how well the developers balance faithfully recreating the original game while also implementing new and improved features.** It is crucial that the essence and atmosphere of the game are preserved, considering that it was praised for its gothic aesthetic and dark storytelling. The Castlevania series has had various remakes and reimaginings over the years, many of which have been well-received by fans and critics alike. **A remake of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness would give players a chance to relive an underrated gem and experience the game's world in a new and exciting way.**.
Reviews for "Fighting the Curse: Castlevania Curse of Darkness Remake Version"
1. Mary - 2/5
I was really excited to play the "Castlevania curse of darkness remake version" as I had enjoyed the original game, but I was left disappointed. The graphics were underwhelming and did not do justice to the remastered version. Additionally, the controls felt clunky, making it difficult to navigate the game. I also felt that the storyline was lacking and did not captivate me as much as the original game did. Overall, I was disappointed with this remake and would not recommend it to fans of the original.
2. John - 1/5
I can confidently say that the "Castlevania curse of darkness remake version" is a huge letdown. The graphics are dated and pixelated, which is a letdown considering it's supposed to be a remake. The gameplay felt repetitive and lacked creativity. The voice acting was also subpar, with cheesy dialogue that made it difficult to take the story seriously. I was really looking forward to revisiting this game, but unfortunately, it failed to live up to my expectations.
3. Sarah - 3/5
As someone who played the original "Castlevania curse of darkness" game, I was excited to see a remake. However, I was left feeling underwhelmed. The graphics and gameplay improvements were minimal and did not enhance the overall experience. While I appreciate the effort put into the remake, I can't help but feel that it fell short of what it could have been. I would recommend this game to newcomers to the series, but for those familiar with the original, it may not live up to their expectations.