Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Reviews
Underneath the unfocused, ramshackle design decisions and incomprehensible story there's a decent action game - but how much of it you're willing to endure for closure depends on how deeply entrenched you are into Lords of Shadow's lore.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a good game when it tries to deliver a hack and slash experience. Unfortunately, when it attempts to go for a stealth-oriented design, it fails miserably and provokes only frustration and confusion. The fleshed out combat system and the presentation make up for it to some degree, but it still ends up a lackluster game.
'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2' will likely end up a polarizing title in the series canon. It's doesn't bring the series' most engaging narrative to the table and in some aspects, the developers really felt like they were phoning it in. Personally, the game strikes the rare balance between casual and hardcore player, offering the former some mindless fun and the latter opportunities to push their play strategy to the test; 'Lords of Shadow 2' may be generally shallow, but those willing to scour those shallow areas are going to find a few hidden secrets and added value.
Lords of Shadow 2 is a competent, and sometimes great, action game that's unfortunately bogged down by some horrid tacked on stealth moments and a story that doesn't really seem to know what it wants. Fans of the previous game will likely enjoy the game though and I'm sure anyone who's looking for a solid action game will find something enjoyable here if they can rough it through the shaky opening.
Lords of Shadow 2 is a good game that has a handful of flaws that was holding it back from being a masterpiece. Lords of Shadow 2 would've been so much greater, but instead it's mediocre compared to the first game.
Even basic exploration quickly becomes more trouble than it's worth, thanks to a scarcity of waypoints, overly lengthy transitions between areas, and the lack of an overall map.
Like all sequels, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 attempts to improve on the original in almost every area, but ultimately fails to do so. New ideas and mechanics are let down by sloppy execution.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a study in contrasts with wildly fun combat levels separated by monotonous stealth levels.
n 2010, the rather enjoyable Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ended with a major plot twist revealing that Gabriel Belmont was alive during modern times and was now called Dracula, taking on the famous vampire’s persona and visage. This left fans to wonder how the sequel would continue the story, either as Dracula or fighting against the protagonist from the original game. Four years later, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 answered the question, but it’s a question that probably was more interesting to think about than how Konami approached it.
Regretfully, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 came and went like a wet fart in a dark rainy night. It was the last new Castlevania game made, and its not hard to see why. It’s an expensive and bloated mess of ideas that don’t mesh well with trite gameplay.