Ask Geoff which game he’s most looking forward to this year, and he’d pop up behind you dressed in leather and with whips in his hand, and whisper into your ear “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. As frightening as that image may be, he does have a point, because the sequel is looking superb so far.
Picking up hundreds of years later in the modern day, Lords of Shadow 2 stars the now fully vampirerised Gabriel Belmont as he takes part in an open world story where much like a Divo song, he’s got to whip things into shape. Whip it real good.
Alongside that returning gameplay mechanic, you’ve also got the Void Sword and the Chaos Claws, which substitute the light and dark magic system from the first game. So far, the game is looking set to address many of the shortcomings of the first, which makes me all kinds of happy. Here are those screens that I promised you little bloodsuckers.
Click to embiggen
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! While Lords of Shadow 2 will have you kicking all manner of ass with your vampire powers, it’ll also allow you to transform into a gigantic dragon, because screw Bram Stoker with a splintery stake that’s why.
Here’s what the press release had to say:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 concludes the revamped series in epic style. Featuring a sprawling, open-world environment, free-roaming cameras, and over 24 hours of action, combat and exploration, the new game picks up where the acclaimed original left off. Awoken after centuries of slumber and yearning for release from his immortal bonds, Dracula finds himself stranded and powerless in contemporary times. Thus, the immortal vampire must rediscover his powers as he makes a pact with Death to defeat Satan. Only then will he gain eternal rest.
And here’s a developer diary detailing why Lords of Shadow 2 is starting to resemble an Iron Maiden album cover that star Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars films:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is out next month, February 28 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Wii U owners, don’t hold your breath waiting to get a Nintendo version of this game, because that ain’t happening.
Last Updated: January 10, 2014
Hammersteyn
January 10, 2014 at 16:22
As a dragon!? We’ll there’s no losing then is there.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
January 10, 2014 at 16:27
Well, it’s fucking Satan…God’s apparently been fighting Stan for millennia with no clear outcome.
Her Highness the Hipster
January 10, 2014 at 16:48
but god isn’t a dragon… 😛
Gideon Venter
January 13, 2014 at 09:19
“Stan” is a dragon…
JHN
January 11, 2014 at 08:54
I only recently played the first one and must say I am seriously amped for this.
TheChatWraith
January 12, 2014 at 02:55
That article pullout didn’t say anything about gabriel being the dragon in the picture.
CypherGate
January 13, 2014 at 08:27
A dragon? Why a dragon? Im confused…. Vampire… Bats… that seems to be the natural formula… now its Vampire… Dragon? Im all for dragons, but how on planet earth does that fit into the whole Vampire background.
Gideon Venter
January 13, 2014 at 09:22
Dracul means Dragon. The Tepes crest was a dragon.
CypherGate
January 13, 2014 at 09:33
Well then i must have missed something along the way cause i never really knew that Dracula the first original vampire has some form of dragon in him. lol I really find it odd.
Gideon Venter
January 13, 2014 at 09:59
It’s a bit more complicated than that. Um. I’ll try to be concise.
Vlad II Dracul (Literally Vlad the Dragon) was a member of the Order of the Dragon, an old Christian Chivalric Order. He was also the father of Vlad Tepes Dracula (Literally Vlad the Impaler, son of the Dragon) on which Bram Stoker based Dracula.
The House of Draculesti takes its name from Vlad II.
As such, it has more to do with his fathers epithet. In the literature, however, it is themed in such a way that Vlad III’s various supernatural abilities come from the Devil, who is also referred to as the Dragon. Thus, the implied father in Dracula (Son of the Dragon) is the devil.
In the novel, he never actually turns into a dragon, or displays any draconic powers. There is a cool scene in the movie, however, where he turns into a wolf. Gary Oldman was brillaint 🙂
CypherGate
January 13, 2014 at 10:07
Gees have i been delayed lol Thanks for all that info. Makes MUCH better sense to me now lol I need to go back and brush up on some Dracula history! Do you perhaps know the name of the novel? Would be a good read.
Gideon Venter
January 13, 2014 at 10:17
Sure. Dracula. By Bram Stoker.
Henry Rivas
July 31, 2014 at 02:34
So was vlad 2 dracul once considered as Gabriel Belmont?