Neocore Games’ The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing offered classic RPG goodness with a unique, steampunkish twist. You filled the shoes of a young Van Helsing, accompanied by the witty ghost, Lady Katarina, in a loot-collecting romp around a fictional, 19th century Eastern Europe. Due to its classic tried and true gameplay, smart humor and unique setting, a sequel was put into production. Lucky for us here at oprainfall, we were blessed with a closed beta key to give the much-awaited sequel a whirl! So, how does The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II compare to the original? Read down below to find out!
Upon starting up The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, the changes are immediately visible. The graphics have received a new coat of paint with detailed shaders and a glossy coat of shine. The new art style and graphics look fantastic, if not better than the original. For those with lesser computer setups, this will take a greater toll to run, but, luckily, even with the shaders turned off, the game looks great. And speaking of great; all of the humorous dialogue and toe-tapping music appears to be back in full swing, as well.
Something else noticeable from the get-go is the selection of classes now available. Besides the usual melee and ranged hunter, players can now choose to use the magic mastery of the Thaumaturge or the skilled engineering of the Arcane Mechanic. After spending time with each character in the beta, I am pleased to say they offer drastically different experiences from the basic Hunter. Specializing in magic makes range your best friend and offers a level of strategy that gamers can expect from one who specializes in melee. Another addition to the already massive skill trees for each character is a further expanded menu that allows you to customize your Van Helsing the way you want. Basically, each option is more dynamic, and the difference can be seen better than some of the skills from the previous game. Other than that, I had a blast dispatching enemies and collecting loot for Lady Katarina and my personalized Van Helsing. Speaking of personalizing, one thing I really enjoyed about the beta was how it started you out at Level 30 so you could really get a feel for some of the new skills available in the later portions of the game. Talk about giving you something to look forward to!
The story of Van Helsing II takes place directly after the events of the first game, and, without spoiling too much, something has happened to your hideout, and a mysterious ghost/demon, who appears to be on your side, follows you throughout the course of the beta. The story is interesting enough and the fans, like myself, are sure to be in for another great adventure. Especially now with the ability to customize and commandeer your rebel troops, this could be your next RPG addiction.
There ya have it folks, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II appears to be another stunner. More loot, classes, jokes, and gameplay mechanics were just enough to spice up this sequel and boost the fun factor to a whole other level. Luckily, you won’t have to wait to try The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II for yourself. It released on May 22 on Steam for $15. For those who have yet to experience the first title can pick it up for $15, as well, and, if you are an ARPG fan, then you won’t want to miss it. And be sure to look out for our reveiw of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II soon!
