Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2

A castle protruding through the night sky, werewolves hiding in the bushes, skeleton soldiers, lurking in the halls, Medusa heads flying in arcs, and all you have to fight with is your trusted whip known as the "vampire killer." Your task is to explore the castle and destroy its owner, Count Dracula. If you already guessed that this is the setting for the Castlevania series you should give yourself a pat on the back. Now, Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 is the final installment in the Lords of Shadow saga and a sequel to Castlevania Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate. After playing the two previous titles I had some high hopes for the final installment but I was only partially satisfied.

Gameplay: If you're already familiar with the previous games the control/actions are pretty similar. You have a direct/area attacks with your whip, magic that steals health/causes more damage, and various side items that suit whatever needs you desire. There are also skills that you can purchase and upgrade from experience points earned after defeating enemies. The only new mechanics is that you can change into a rat and be stealthy/access small places. I heard mixed reviews about it but I think the idea was to demonstrate Dracula's power. In the original story Dracula he can control various creatures including the rat. He has other powers including launching bats, becoming mist, becoming a dragon with supercharged attacks, etc. Overall the gameplay is similar to previous games with a few added actions and all of the attacks relate to Dracula in a way.

*Story: Dracula awakens from a strange sleep in the present world weak, amnesiac, and without his powers. He's welcomed back by his former ally/traitor Zobek who warns Dracula that Satan is returning. Dracula accepts Zobek's request to stop him but at the cost that Zobek will help Dracula break from his immortal bonds. Dracula travels throughout his castle, which is now a city, regaining his powers and putting the pieces of his broken memory back together. In the end he regains his powers, has his memory restored, and defeats Satan along with the evil that was unleashed on the city. (The story takes place in both the medieval and modern world. The medieval world serves as Dracula regaining his memories while he's regaining his powers in the present.)

Critique: The gameplay is nothing special aside from changing the actions to fit Dracula's style/actions. There are added elements including stealth, third person camera, and open world format. The story itself is a little dull but definitely interesting. I did say I was partially satisfied only because I truthfully didn't think the creators had anymore ideas of where to go in the story. The ending is satisfactory but I think it could have been done a little bit better.

Pros:

• Gameplay similar to previous titles with a few changes
• Same actions but suited to Dracula including a few new elements 

Cons:

• Story is a little dull
• Really nothing new except for a few changes.

Verdict: My feelings are mixed towards this game so I have to give it a range of about 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5 stars. This game is technically the last contribution to the Castlevania series and although it was a decent exit it could have been better. I did have some high hopes but I really shouldn't expect much from a game that really has nowhere else to go. I'm probably better off playing the original Castlevania on NES, and Bram Stoker's Dracula on Sega Genesis.


*(There's story DLC slated to be released in the next few weeks which I'll check out and add to this review.)