Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Digital TrendsRyan Fleming

“Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 features memorable combat in a forgettable world.”

Pure XboxGreg Giddens

7/10

There’s an excellent undercurrent to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. The combat, ability unlocking memory sequences, Dracula’s magnificent castle, 360 degree camera control, and the creative bosses. But a story that’s slow to get going and struggles to hold your attention, a generic modern city, out of place stealth, and a collection of minor frustrations all hurt the overall package. However, playing as Dracula is fun, and there are moments when that enjoyment shines through brilliantly, and fortunately this happens often enough to keep your blood pumping.

MonsterVineDiego Escala

Besides the main campaign to go through you’ve also got the Kleidos Challenges which should keep you busy. These challenges offer a decent distraction from the main story, especially with the four objectives you can try to complete before the waves end. You’ll get things like keeping your focus meter up for a certain amount of time or not using a certain weapon.

Push SquareAlex Stinton

7/10

With the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series, developer MercurySteam successfully rebooted Konami’s much loved series. Now, with the arrival of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 on the PlayStation 3, the Spanish studio’s aiming to bring the series to a close, while at the same time attempting to fully deliver on the promise shown by the first instalment.

Capsule ComputersDustin Spencer

6.5/10

No summary available

VideogamerSteven Burns

6/10

A huge disappointment, given the obvious potential.

While I appreciate that MercurySteam wanted to do something different with the Castlevania franchise, I feel like the entire team, from director through to writer, through to the level designer has failed to grasp what makes Dracula such a wonderful character. It’s not because he’s a incredible force of evil. Dracula isn’t a random monster; he’s something more primal than that, and in failing to represent that, the developers have failed to do the Dracula story justice.

Game RantAnthony Taormina

6/10

Putting players in control of Dracula in a Castlevania game was a bold move, one that could have made Lords of Shadow 2 a worthy successor to an underappreciated character action title. Unfortunately, some appallingly bad gameplay decisions, a meandering narrative, and lackluster level design weigh this sequel down enough to make it a lesser followup. There is some fun to be had in the combat, and the bosses are so creative that players will want to push forward just to see what's next, but the journey is ultimately an unfulfilling one. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2's lack of focus is its dow...

Worth PlayingChris "Atom" DeAngelus

5/10

While the original titles revealed the origin of Dracula and his legendary connection with the Belmonts, in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 fans can expect thrilling new twists and challenges.

PC GamerPCGamer

44/100

By Nathan BrownI am Gabriel Belmont, latest in a long line of renowned vampire hunters. At the end of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, things went a bit south, and I became Dracula. At the outset of this sequel I awake from a thousand-year slumber in a future-Gothic London, stripped of most of my powers – but within a couple of hours of play I’m back up to full strength. I’m the prince of

GameSpotPeter Brown

4/10

Bled out.

VG247Matt Cabral

Slaying Satan's minions may be a blast, but questionable design choices all too often drive a stake through the heart of this tale.