Developer: Mercury Steam
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Action-Adventure
Platforms: Microsoft Windows / Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3
Released: February 25, 2014
Website: www.konami-castlevania.com/los/

Ratings

Story: 6.8/10
Design: 8.2/10
Gameplay: 8.8/10
Presentation: 8.6/10
Overall score: 8.1/10

The Castlevania series is known for its action-packed gameplay and gothic legacy incorporating the world's most famous horror icon. After partaking in countless symphonies in the classic format, gamers were greeted with a refreshing new chapter with the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

Now, developer Mercury Steam returns to conclude the saga of the original vampire in their latest offering Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. This new chapter sees plenty of things change, but does it manage to vanquish the night, or is its soul too corrupted to carry on?

The game begins with the player controlling Lord Dracula himself, who has been awoken by his old friend Zobek and is warned of Satan's ultimate return. Making his way out into the modern world of Castlevania City, the Prince of Darkness begins his quest to vanquish the Devil and end his immortality once and for all, while travelling back and forth between the past and present day. Along the way, Dracula regains his old powers and ventures deep into his castle to unlock its secrets, which hold the key to accomplishing his quest, and comes across many acquaintances from the past.

The story might not be the best part of the game, with a heavy-handed plot and unremarkable twists, but drives the narrative forward and keeps players entertained. While it is passable and the games are not known for their deep storyline, it seems that the plot could have used more time to mature. Additionally, the unremarkable ending further paves the way for future DLC chapters to be included, which does bring the experience down a notch.

However, the gameplay certainly does bring a lot to the table. Whereas the first game took players on a more classic linear adventure, Lords of Shadow 2 gravitates more towards the Metroidvania experience by providing an open world for Dracula to explore. You'll be travelling between the past and the present, and will be able to explore every inch of the castle to fulfil your objectives. Along the way, you'll gain access to various new powers such as the ability to turn to mist that can allow you to reach places that were previously inaccessible. While it is great to be given such freedom in the game, there's always an annoying twinge when you come across an area in the game that tells you to visit it later because you don't have the right tool for the job.

Platforming has always been a big part of the Castlevania series, and here you'll be able to traverse the environment with relative ease. There's the option of highlighting your way by holding down one of the triggers, and climbing obstacles has more of an Uncharted feel to it. With the game's vast scope, it's surprising to see a few stealth segments sneak their way into the mix. These poorly designed interludes have Dracula sneak by enemies and possess rats to crawl through air ducts in order to progress. While the idea does sound refreshing for the series, the stealth segments pull you out of the action and forces you to undertake a meagre chore that doesn't suit the Prince of Darkness. Why sneak by hulking guards when you can brandish your weapons and obliterate them to ashes?

The combat system for the Castlevania games has seen plenty of variations over time, and with a few changes from its predecessor, Lords of Shadow 2 excels at being a fast-paced action game with some really entertaining mechanics. Players will be required to string together single target and area attacks to create combos that dish out the hurt, with options for juggling and quick-time events thrown into the mix. You'll start off with a new whip for Dracula, and will soon acquire the Void Sword which deals less damage but refills your health with every attack, and the Chaos Claws which let you break through enemy defences.

The evasion system is now mapped to one of the triggers and doubles as a block button, while the right stick adjusts the camera. During battle, you can grab enemies and drain their blood in classic vampire fashion, which instantly defeats them. The combat system works great once you tinker around with it, switching between weapons to get the job done and decimating opponents with all the tools at your disposal. In classic Castlevania fashion, the boss battles are grand and powerful, with some truly amazing fights that provide plenty of enjoyment.

With the PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware showing its age, many would imagine that the visuals couldn't remain consistently good on the consoles. However, Lords of Shadow 2 manages to impress and remain consistent in both its visual and sound performance. The environments you visit are highly detailed, and subtle effects such as mist and smoke along with bright flashes make the visuals stand out. There's some great art detail in the game, with the Travel Book displaying most of the illustrations that showcase the game's artistic style. The voice talent from the previous game returns, with Robert Carlyle, Patrick Stewart and Jason Isaacs bringing their star power to the roles previously voiced by them. While there aren't any remixed tracks from any of the classic games this time around, the thunderous music suits well with the action on screen. Basically it's a game that looks good and sounds good.

And so, the Castlevania series' latest saga ends on a bittersweet note. While this last entry could certainly have benefited from a stronger storyline and consistent gameplay, it does manage to bring back explosive action, a great combat system and some top-notch production values. Although it may not completely own its role as the best entry to conclude the saga with, it is however a generally fun and challenging game that vampire slayers everywhere would definitely want to sink their teeth into.