Plot: What’s it about?
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 continues the story of Gabriel Belmont, from the original Lords of Shadow and the Mirror of Fate digital game. Hundreds of years have passed, but Belmont has remained cooped up in his castle, unable to move forward after the events of those games. Lords of Shadow was a great game, it jump started the Castlevania series and offered fun combat, puzzles, and exploration. But this sequel doesn’t rest on those laurels, choosing to make some changes and take some risks. You’ll quickly notice the shift to a open world environment, as well as a camera you control. You can explore the castle and a city locale, though you can tell more time and resources were spent on the castle areas. The castle environments look terrific, with obvious attention to detail and a high level of polish. The city just isn’t up to the same level and can be visually bland at times, but it still looks more than decent. In terms of visuals, I think the original Lords of Shadow was more impressive, even though this installment still looks quite good. The new camera system is an improvement, in my opinion, but some quibbles can arise during tense combat moments. But few cameras are perfect and blind spots are rare here, so not a huge problem. I really enjoyed the more open environments and the new camera, so Lords of Shadow 2 delivers in those areas.
I also loved the combat and while it has also been tweaked, battles are still a lot of fun. As you progress, you unlock three weapons and of course, each has their own perks in battle. As you put these weapons to use, you earn weapon proficiencies and in turn, gain additional power for your arsenal. So be sure to mix up your weapon use, so that you can make sure all of your weapons are enhanced. You also collect XP from enemies and level up, gaining access to various upgrades. So you’ll find a lot to do if you want to see all the game has to offer and earn all those wonderful achievements. While I loved a lot about Lords of Shadow 2, I do have some reservations as well. I disliked the stealth based sections, as they feel so out of place and just aren’t fun. These segments often task you to avoid someone and the detection system isn’t great, so you are sometimes spotted even if you did everything right. I also wish that puzzles weren’t pushed out of the game, as you’ll find few of them here. I love the combat, but a little more emphasis on puzzles would have been nice. But those concerns aren’t enough to dull the shine on Lords of Shadow 2. I had a lot of fun with this game and am a little sad knowing it was the final installment. Perhaps we’ll see a new Castlevania trilogy launch soon, as this was a great series that shows the franchise’s heart is still pumping. If you’re interested in the Castlevania series or just love creative, fun combat, Lords of Shadow 2 is well recommended.
Video: How’s it look?
As I mentioned above, I wasn’t bowled over by this game’s visuals. Some scenes stand out as remarkable, but overall I’d describe the graphics as slightly above average. The game still looks good, but I was expecting visuals that were a step up from the original and that didn’t happen. The dark, dreary streets of the city tend to blend together and come off as mass produced, instead of detailed, living environments. The first game set a high bar and while Lords of Shadow 2 isn’t a visual masterpiece, it looks good and in some places, even great.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I think the best part of the sound design here is the music, which provides a rich, immersive score. I thought the music was a perfect fit for the content and it adds a lot to the experience. The voice work features some famous names and while it won’t win any awards, it is more than solid. As far as the general sound effects, all of the elements seem natural in the game’s world and keep you wrapped up in the environment. A rock solid sound design with some excellent music, so great work here.
