Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

DRACULA IS BACK! And this time, you’ll finally get to wield him and all of his most amazing powers. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 brings back the awesome gameplay mechanics of the last game in the Lords of Shadow series.

After fans got a glimpse at the first epic trailer for the game during an edition of the Video Game Awards, the hype and excitement for this release has been bubbling. So what’s so new about this upcoming entry in the Castlevania series? And what does the overall plot revolve around?

Here’s everything you need to know about Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.

1. This Game is a Direct Sequel to Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate

Lords of Shadow 2 takes place directly after the events of Mirror of Fate, which also happens to be a sequel to the 1st Lords of Shadow game. This time around, Gabriel Belmont aka Dracula reawakens from a deep slumber. Satan’s return is impending soon, as evidenced by Zobek’s warning to Dracula. Knowing this, Dracula heads out on a journey in order to reclaim his powers for the eventual battle with Satan. Those powers lie in his personal castle, but the Belmont clan is looking to dispose of him before he reclaims all of his abilities once again.

2. Gabriel Belmont (Dracula) is Arriving With a Bunch of New Powers

Dracula is coming to this game equipped with a nice variety of powerful offensive abilities. During an interview with Siliconera, producer Dave Cox unveiled some details on what new abilities will show up in this sequel:

The Void Sword and the Chaos Claws work very similar to the Light and Shadow magic in the previous game. You have to fill the focus bar. When you become focused enemies drop blood and you can funnel blood into either your Void Sword or Chaos Claws. One of the other things Dracula has is what we call the Bat Swarm ability. The Bat Swarm ability is a distraction. Basically, you can throw a swarm of bats on enemies and they become distracted. If you’ve got multiple enemies coming at you, you can distract a few of them and then dish out the damage on the other ones you can deal with. You can switch weapons mid-combo. You go back to the Blood Whip if you run out of focus. The other thing is if you’re fighting an enemy with a shield and you’ve got no magic – how can you break that shield without the Chaos Claws? We give the player other abilities. One of the abilities is the somersault. You can literally somersault over an enemy and then do a reverse follow through, that allows you to build up focus that way. We’ve got the dodge ability, which lets you dodge past enemies and dish damage.

3. The Game’s Setting Revolves Around An Old Castle and a Modern City

Dracula has apparently been asleep for way longer than you think. For those players who completed the 1st Lords of Shadow, then you already know what the ending sequence revealed. Gabriel Belmont as Dracula awoke to see himself as a part of a new modern world. However, the only old time relic that’s still present in this world is Dracula’s massive castle. Players will get the chance to venture throughout the city environment as you try to re-acquire all of Dracula’s powers. As you make your way into and around the city setting, people can be seen going about their lives while other events transpire around them all.

4. This Sequel Won’t Be As Linear As Its Predecessor

Thanks to the huge open city environment, Lords of Shadow 2 will be a much wider and expansive experience than the mostly linear Lords of Shadow. This time around, there will be a bigger sense of exploration and less loading transitions between the different locales you’ll enter and exit. As players progress through the game, they will be provided more options towards completing Dracula’s journey.

5. Players Will Get The Chance to Move the Camera

The fixed camera from the 1st Lords of Shadow is thankfully being done away with this time around. Lords of Shadow 2 is introducing a 360-degree, controllable camera, which makes managing your viewpoint of the game’s larger environments easier to handle.

6. This Sequel Will Come to a Definite End in the Storyline

Not only is this game the last Castlevania game to be developed by MercurySteam, it’s also the definite conclusion to the Lords of Shadow series.

7. A Few Members of the Belmont Family Will Make Their Presence Known

A famous member of the Belmont Clan will be making his return to the series – Alucard (Trevor Belmont), the son of Gabriel Belmont and the father of Simon Belmont. Along with Alucard, a couple of other Belmont family members will be present in the game – Marie Belmont, Victor Belmont etc.

8. Several Big Name Actors are Lending Their Vocal Talents to The Game’s Characters

Actor Patrick Stewart.

A couple of big name actors will be lending their voice acting abilities to the cast of Lords of Shadow 2. Check out the full list of video game characters/voice actors below:

– Robert Carlyle: Dracula
– Patrick Stewart: Zobek
– Richard Madden: Alucard
– Stuart Campbell: Young Trevor
– Natascha McElhone: Marie Belmont
– Anthony Howell: Victor Belmont
– Mark Lewis Healy: Toy Maker
– Sally Knyvette: Carmilla
– Alex Childs: Raisa Volkova
– Jason Isaacs: Satan
– Alec Newman: Role Hasn’t Been Announced Yet

9. It Will Feature the Largest Orchestra Ever Used in a Video Game

A recent behind-the-scenes video trailer for the game revealed that this title will feature the largest orchestra ever used and produced for a video game. Check out the trailer above.

10. A Premium Edition and Some GameStop Goodies are Awaiting Those Who Pre-Order

For those gamers who are pre-ordering and purchasing the game in the UK, they will be receiving one of the largest Premium Edition’s ever seen for a video game release. This “Dracula’s Tomb” collector’s edition will feature:

– a physical copy of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
– a Collector’s Edition Tomb Box
– a Limited Edition Art Book
– a Steelbook case
– four separate 10-centimeter figurines, which have been designed by Neil Googe

As for American gamers who are pre-ordering the game from GameStop, these bonus goodies will be arriving with this release:

– “Dracula Armor” skin: An all new, highly detailed costume for the famed Lord of Darkness, Dracula of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Includes a full length, leather textured coat with new filigree designs throughout and completely redesigned central belt armor. New battle greaves and pants with adorning paraphernalia add a powerful finish. Dracula himself has a new beard to complete the look.
– a 2-sided Dracula poster

As for those who pre-order the game from Best Buy, they’ll receive a “Relic Rune Pack”:

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