Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (PC)

Though Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 suffers from some irritating moments of stealth and by the time the credits role the game feels a little long in the tooth, it does have the option to turn off quick time events, that too often sprung up and hit this player in the face in the first Lords of Shadow and for that alone it get's some credit.

I'll admit that my reflexes aren't what they used to be (as evidenced by my forthcoming review of Resident Evil 4, which showcases some real ball-busters) so being able to just switch quick time events off and watch some giant, epic moments unfold without the poke in the eye of, "Hey, mash on the X-button for a while!" is a welcome addition.

Also, welcome is the overwrought and sometimes head-scratching story. (Though not as overwrought as the first game, it's possible this writer was more open to the story.) The game opens with a recap and family history that brings the player up to the jumping-off point for the proceedings and winds down with another appearance by Satan and the possibility of a bit of family reconciliation.

The action meanders a little bit because the game's more open in terms of exploration as the action moves from Present Day to the more fantasy/medieval setting of the first Lords of Shadow. The combat is a lot of fun and the ability to change-up weapons on the fly -- from the standard Shadow Whip, slipping to the brutal Chaos Claws and the life-sucking Void Sword -- offers a lot of variety. Each weapon is further augmented by upgrades along the way. When that's all happening (bouncing between weapons), even when managing larger groups of foes, it's fun. And one should specifically point to some of the great-looking boss battles (though I thought the gorgon fight lasted way too long) as a source of satisfaction.

Then the game turns around and falls flat on its face when it slips in stealth elements. Sometimes the process is part of overcoming a larger environmental puzzle, but too often it felt like Dracula had to turn into a frothing mischief of rats just because some wires need to chewed on. Now, if there was a toggle to switch off the stealth options, that would be something to applaud.

The close of the game puts an obvious end point for the series, at least MercurySteam's take on the Castlevania series. It's been a solid run! While the addition of Present Day was a stab at doing something new and giving players the option to explore every nook and cranny, past and present, this writer didn't find it quite as engaging as the first Lords of Shadow.

- Aaron Simmer

Follow @EmpireArmchair

The Good:

- Every game should have a switch to turn off quick time events

- Presentation

- Combat is more refined 

The Bad:

- Present Day is way less engaging and interesting than the "classic" sections

- Stealth elements

Score: 7.0 / 10