castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2
Latest
PSA: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 'Revelations' DLC now available
It's time to sharpen your fangs and fasten your finest cape, as Konami has released the Revelations DLC for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Revelations follows Alucard immediately prior to the events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, as he prepares for the return of his father, Dracula. Along with waifish good looks, Alucard comes equipped with his own unique slate of vampiric powers, including time control, and the ability to transform into a wolf or a swarm of bats. As an undying creature of the night, Alucard is fueled by the blood of his victims, forcing players to periodically drain vital fluids from his foes instead of simply annihilating anything dumb enough to stand against a magical, immortal killing machine. Revelations is now available for download on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, where it bears an $8 price tag. [Image: Konami]
See Alucard in the flesh in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 DLC trailer
He may not be the 2D sprite we all know and love, but the Alucard coming to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 maintains the character's three crucial hallmarks: vampire magic, daddy issues and the prettiest hair this side of an Herbal Essences commercial. [Image: Konami]
Castlevania: Mirror of Fate HD sinks its fangs into Steam 'later this month'
Having drained the blood from the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate will next dine on Steam, at an unknown date later in March. Originally released on Nintendo's handheld as a bridge between Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and the recently-released Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Mirror of Fate sees Trevor Belmont traversing the familiar gothic climes of Dracula's domain. Gameplay is a cross between the action-focused Lords of Shadow games and those Castlevania entries (mostly notably Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) that focus on 2D exploration. The PC incarnation of Mirror of Fate is based on the more recent PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games, which means that it comes equipped with high-definition graphics, online leaderboards and a Boss Rush mode. New to the PC game are Steam Achievements, though they should be essentially identical to the Achievements and Trophies found in the Xbox 360 and PS3 games, respectively. Unfortunately lacking from Konami's announcement is a price point for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD, and any specific release date. The best the publisher is willing to offer is a vague "later this month" release window which only leaves about two weeks for Dracula to crawl from his tomb once again. [Image: Konami]
Alucard returns in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 DLC this month [Update]
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will receive a "Revelations" DLC pack on March 25 for Xbox 360 and PS3, Konami announced. The add-on content has players controlling series fan-favorite Alucard, learning more about his relationship with Dracula (aside from the whole name reversal thing). The DLC is set before the events in Lords of Shadow 2. In the add-on, players can use Alucard's "Glaciem" and "Igneas" powers and can morph into a wolf, a bunch of bats and can turn back time. Being the vampire he is, Alucard's thirst for the blood of his enemies also seemingly lends a boost in his powers. No price was given for the DLC and Konami did not list PC among the platforms the DLC will arrive on this month; we've reached out to the publisher to find out when the PC version will arrive. Update: Konami has informed Joystiq that the PC version of the game will receive the Revelations DLC on March 25 as well. [Image: Konami]
Thief yoinks top spot in this week's UK Charts
It's no daylight robbery: Thief is a deserving UK chart leader, especially since we're knee deep in the Q1 downpour of new releases. The Eidos Montreal game fended off plenty of competition to record the second highest sales for a No.1 game this year, and 75 percent of those were on PS4 and Xbox One. The new releases that fell short of the crown jewels include Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare in 4th, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 in 10th, and placing just outside the top ten is PS3 HD-em-up Tales of Symphonia: Chronicles in 13th. Konami may've been hoping to see the second Lords of Shadow place higher, but it's still the second biggest debut for the franchise (in Chart Track history), only topped by the first game.
Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall, Thief review, Twitch Plays Pokemon and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. This week's news of a new Tony Hawk game isn't exactly what we were hoping for, but it can't stop us from digging out our old cartridges and discs to revisit the series that made us mount real-life skateboards for the first time. Without the killer soundtracks and a focus on pulling off special moves that progressively got more insane with each entry, we might never have spent hours trying to learn how to ollie. Or earning fresh headaches from trying to drop into half pipes. Or building ramps out of scraps from the garage so we could grind our faces off on the pavement. Thankfully, a revitalization of childhood injury memories isn't the only thing the Joystiq Weekly has in store - news of a Titanfall bundle, reviews of Thief and Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare and a sociological exploration of Twitch Plays Pokemon are also available for your immediate consumption! Dive into this week's biggest moments in gaming right after the break. [Image: Robomodo]
Drac goes on the attack in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 trailer
More than just a pretty face, sharp fangs and philosophical ramblings on what a man consists of, the Dracula of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 can throw down as well as any centuries-old creature of the night. [Image: Konami]
PSN Tuesday: Thief, Pac-Man Museum, Lords of Shadow 2
The PlayStation Store updated today with new games across every platform, led by the launches of Thief and Basement Crawl on PS4. Thief joins another new release in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 on PS3 this week. PS3 owners can pick up The Batman Bundle, which includes Batman: Arkham Origins and the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns animated film as well as the Tales of Symphonia Chronicles bundle that comprises both Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. Rounding out this week's PS3 additions is Magus and Pac-Man Museum, the latter being a $20 pack of games spanning the yellow gobbler's series. Vita owners only get one new game this week: Mahjong 2 World Contest, as well as PSOne Classic Herc's Adventures, also available on PS3 and PSP. Though Vita owners can now download the Crackle app to watch movies and TV shows, the marquee media streaming addition this week is the WWE Network app on PS3 and PS4. [Image: Square Enix]
Metareview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
Welcome to day two of games with across the board review scores. Yesterday, it was Thief. Today it's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Once again, we skewed higher in the spectrum in our review, noting the game has the "same presentation quirks as the original," with awkward (potentially infuriating) stealth sections. Game Trailers (83/100): "The combat system is sufficiently deep and gives you enough mobility to manage varied groups of enemies. The timing for blocks and dodges doesn't always feel intuitive, but the more time you spend with the system, the more it grows on you." Gamespot (70/100): "Lords of Shadow 2 should have been a much shorter game." Game Informer (60/100): "This shambling monstrosity is composed of chunks from other, better games. Rather than blend them together into something new like its predecessor attempted, this one just feels like a patchwork mess." Eurogamer (50/100): "Sharpening the disappointment is the fact that the team at MercurySteam has already made a good game, and perhaps had an opportunity here to make a great one." Edge (40/100): "Lords Of Shadow 2 is clunky, ugly and deeply misguided. ... MercurySteam says this will be the final game in the Lords Of Shadow saga, and on the evidence of this cluttered, bloated and forgettable mess, it's just as well." [Image: Konami]
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 review: Walk the line
As the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trilogy would have it, Dracula is very different from the vampire we all know, even when compared to his many incarnations in the Castlevania series. Betrayed by God, hated by Satan and feared by humanity, this Dracula treads an indefinite path, struggling with his own darkness and the remnants of the man he once was. He's equivocal, and that makes Dracula a more interesting protagonist than any vampire hunter could ever hope to be. The Lords of Shadow mythos doesn't stop there, though, giving us one more truth at the heart of Dracula's existence: The man he used to be was a vampire hunter, a man of intense faith. It's the perfect internal conflict, self-loathing versus self-preservation, destruction versus redemption. It also means Dracula is handy with a whip, and that's great news for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 lurking a little longer in Australia
If you're a down-under Dracula-to-be, you'll have to wait an extra week to sink your teeth into a retail copy of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. A local Konami spokesperson told CVG the vampiric hack-and-slash sequel, originally due in Australia on February 28, will now hit the region's retail shelves on March 6 because of a shipping delay. Presumably the Steam version is still due this week, but that's not been confirmed. Lords of Shadow 2 resumes where the opening game left off, with hero Gabriel Belmont transformed into the toothy anti-hero Dracula, re-awakened in the present day to face off with Satan once more. We'll have our review up soon, but if you'd like to try before you bite then check out the demo, available to all on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. [Image: Konami]
Pre-order Lords of Shadow 2 on PSN, get Mirror of Fate HD free
Those that pre-order Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 on PlayStation Network will also receive Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD. Dubbed the "companion" game to Konami's two Lords of Shadow games in the gothic action series, Mirror of Fate first launched in March 2013 on 3DS before undergoing a price drop to $30 in August. The HD version landed on PSN and XBLA right around Halloween, and was also included in November's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection bundle. Our review of the 3DS version of Mirror of Fate found the game equally challenging as it was unevenly paced. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will launch February 28 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, at which point Konami will drive a stake through this pre-order deal's heart. Metaphorically, of course. [Image: Konami]
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 demo made available to all
If you want to try a bite-sized portion of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, look no further than a demo that's out now on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. It was limited to purchasers of Mirror of Fate HD or the Lords of Shadow Collection, but now every bat in the belfry can have a go. The demo begins with Gabriel Belmont in the form of Dracula, dispensing hack-and-slash with his newly acquired powers and weapons, like the soul-stealing Void Sword and the deadly Chaos Claws. Things soon escalate, and Dracula finds himself defeating wave after wave of enemies as he tries to ascend a titan-like mechanical knight - as you do. If you'd rather wait for the game proper before seeing it for yourself, you don't have long to hold out. Lords of Shadow 2 swoops into North America in two weeks time on February 25, and Europe a few days later on February 28. [Image: Konami]
The Toy Maker in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a play-date of terror
The Toy Maker from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate makes a return appearance in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, though neither he nor Gabriel seem too pleased about it. Konami has released footage of the boss fight that occurs when Gabriel meets up with the pudgy amnesiac for all to enjoy, and possibly use as a strategy guide when the game comes out. Lords of Shadow 2 takes place in modern day, but we get the feeling Gabriel hasn't gotten out much over the past couple thousand years. Had he watched movies like Child's Play, The Woman in Black, or Dead Silence, he'd have known right away that a lover of toys in a spooky castle is just screaming "red flag." [Image: Konami]
'Blood is everything' in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (but this sword is cool too)
Because being an undying creature of the night is apparently not enough to impress people these days, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 equips Dracula with the void sword, a sharp utensil that looks like an icicle but cuts through enemies like a hot chain whip. [Image: Konami]
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2's stars crave blood, nicotine in new profile trailer
The ol' Castlevania gang has hit some hard times. A bunch of them have taken up smoking, Alucard's even moodier than usual, and Dracula hasn't been the same since he started hanging out with that Satan guy. Developer MercurySteam gives an early look at some of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2's starring characters in the trailer above, with some brief Patrick Stewart narration thrown in as a bonus. Lords of Shadow 2 will launch for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms in North America on February 25.
Human side of Dracula shown in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 dev diary
Dracula's not such a bad guy. Well, he is, but he's got reasons for it, and MercurySteam, the developers of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, want you to know that when you take control of the legendary Prince of Darkness in February 2014. Dave Cox, producer on the game, says in the dev diary above that their version of Dracula is not the "quintessential evil guy" that people may expect. "I think that following a character you can identify with is really important, so we wanted to have a guy that people really saw, really felt for him, they understood how he got to that place. So I think in many ways, our Dracula is more human than previous incarnations of Dracula." That statement makes sense given the fact that Dracula was once Gabriel Belmont, hero of the first Lords of Shadow game. In that game's DLC, Gabriel turned himself into a vampire to shield himself from otherworldly powers so he could dispatch an ancient, even worse, evil. Fight fire with fire, as they say. Or in this case, fight fire with vampire powers and a sweet whip. Y'know, whichever.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Premium Edition for Europe, new trailer and screens for all
Konami announced two collector's edition bundles for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 for European players today. The Premium Edition comes with a tomb-like case and includes four figurines, a hardcover art book, a steelbook case and a copy of the game, while the steelbook edition includes the metal case and either two alternate Dracula costumes or a "Relic Rune" pack, depending on where the collector's edition is pre-ordered from. Those looking to pre-order the Premium Edition need to act fast, as it is limited to 30,000 copies across GAME stores in the UK. Additionally, Konami unveiled a new trailer for Lords of Shadow 2 and new screens, which features Dracula, Carmilla and a whole bunch of shouting. Well, the trailer includes shouting, but not the screens. Though if screenshots could yell, the ones in this gallery would. The game will launch February 25 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection stakes out next month [update]
The Lords of Shadow bundle-vania has a release date in Europe, winging its way onto retail shelves over there on November 8. We've reached out to Konami to confirm what tradition suggests - tradition being very important to vampires of course (and publishers) - namely, a November 5 release date for North America, as listed by certain online retailers. The Collection, coming to Xbox 360 and PS3, features the original Lords of Shadow along with its Reverie and Resurrection DLC packs, Mirror of Fate HD - which is coming to the Xbox Games Store and PlayStation Network on October 31 - and a demo for the upcoming Lords of Shadow 2. The bundle's set UK price is £30, while Amazon and Best Buy have it at $30 currently, GameStop at $40. Update: A November 5 release date is confirmed for North and South America.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 steps into the light on February 25 in US
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will launch in the US on February 25, in Europe on February 27 and in the UK on February 28 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, Konami announced. Last we heard, Lords of Shadow 2 was scheduled to launch this winter. Lords of Shadow 2 follows 2010's Lords of Shadow, and it concludes the series from developer MercurySteam. Konami is launching a Lords of Shadow collection that includes Mirror of Fate HD, Lords of Shadow and its DLC, and a demo for Lords of Shadow 2, due in October.
