Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 564 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 404 out of 564
  2. Mixed: 80 out of 564
  3. Negative: 80 out of 564

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  1. KannedFarU
    Sep 13, 2014
    6
    The first game was a masterpiece. This one is okay maybe even good. The landscape is repetitive. The story is ruined during the prologue and the combat system can be at times very fun and at other times very unfair and frustrating. Mapping the dodge and block to the same button is unfortunate. Plus the camera will occasionally put itself behind an object while you are being pummeled. IfThe first game was a masterpiece. This one is okay maybe even good. The landscape is repetitive. The story is ruined during the prologue and the combat system can be at times very fun and at other times very unfair and frustrating. Mapping the dodge and block to the same button is unfortunate. Plus the camera will occasionally put itself behind an object while you are being pummeled. If you loved the first one or are generally a fan of the series then get this when it goes on sale. Otherwise, wait for Konami to come out with something better.… Expand
  2. Mandulum
    Apr 14, 2017
    6
    Five Word Review: It's okay, not very exciting.
    Favorite Thing: Great visuals and boss design.
    Least Favorite Thing: Far too much platforming.

    Completion Date: 2017-04-09
    Playtime: ~ 16h
    Enjoyment: 6/10
    Recommendation: While I don't regret having played it I doubt I would recommend it to anyone that isn't a devote fan of this genre.
  3. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    5
    I will very recommend the first Castlevania Lords of Shadow but this second entry was not what I expected. I don't know if it is that I miss the fixed camera, the way the story progress on the first game or mostly the "medieval" atmosphere. I liked the prologue of this new entry. I loved the trailer of course, the hype was pretty much there but I hated the script and of course the endingI will very recommend the first Castlevania Lords of Shadow but this second entry was not what I expected. I don't know if it is that I miss the fixed camera, the way the story progress on the first game or mostly the "medieval" atmosphere. I liked the prologue of this new entry. I loved the trailer of course, the hype was pretty much there but I hated the script and of course the ending of the first game. Basically Lords of Shadow is something different from old Castlevania (even Curse of Darkness and Lament of Innocence) but the first one had some interesting designs and levels. A lot of cliché stereotypes but it was decent. Sorry, I don't like to dislike a Castlevania game but I can't recommend this one.… Expand
  4. QuatokyTonberry
    Jan 23, 2019
    7
    Gameplay: - Very Good
    Story: - Normal
    Visual: - Good
    Music and sound: - Good
    Average time: - 20H
    Score: - 7 (Good)
  5. cygnarite
    Mar 1, 2014
    6
    Not sure how this game got 136 positive reviews.

    Tl;Dr - Not as good as the original. Not worth 60 dollars, but probably worth 30-40 bucks. It's an alright game, made supremely disappointing by how it's entirely a step back from the superior original. They somehow managed to copy the original wholesale while making it worse in every way. - The combat is less engaging. Enemies are    Not sure how this game got 136 positive reviews.

    Tl;Dr - Not as good as the original. Not worth 60 dollars, but probably worth 30-40 bucks. It's an alright game, made supremely disappointing by how it's entirely a step back from the superior original.

    They somehow managed to copy the original wholesale while making it worse in every way.

    - The combat is less engaging. Enemies are dumber and easier. There are less moves for the whip. The 2 new weapons are just re-skins of Light and Dark magic, and feel clunky, slow, and lack impact - the only weapon that 'feels' good is the whip (since it's ripped entirely from the first one)

    - There are no "puzzles" worth mentioning - I recall at least a few of the puzzles in the first game taking me a few minutes to work out. That is entirely missing from this game.

    - It's much shorter. One of the things that impressed me about the first one was the length - the game felt -HUGE-, which is refreshing for an action game.

    - Less boss fights, less interesting boss fights.

    - The level design is pitiful in comparison to the original.

    - The secrets are laughable. I remember scouring levels in the original for hours to find most of the health/light/dark gems. They're practically thrown at you in this game, often appearing in plain view.

    - Stealth sections - Poorly done stealth sections. Dracula hiding from goon troops. Sigh.

    - Much **** story, with sub-par writing to top it all off.

    With all that said, it's still an alright game - the original was good enough IMO for a **** version to still be kind of fun to play, just don't spend 60 dollars on it. You'll end up disappointed.    … Expand
  6. iluthar
    Mar 2, 2014
    5
    First of all, I was a big fan of the first LOS in terms of story telling and beautifully crafted cinematic experience, amazing artistry, epic battles and the game had probably the most creative ideas I've seen before. I finished up the game with 23 hours mark and this sequel is a straight up shame and a huge disappointment.

    Nothing that made LOS1 great exist in this game aside from the    First of all, I was a big fan of the first LOS in terms of story telling and beautifully crafted cinematic experience, amazing artistry, epic battles and the game had probably the most creative ideas I've seen before. I finished up the game with 23 hours mark and this sequel is a straight up shame and a huge disappointment.

    Nothing that made LOS1 great exist in this game aside from the established combat system and boss fights. The inconsistencies and really poor ideas in the game is just insulting and much doesnt make sense.
    They made the prince of darkness A RAT.. who cant fight with some guards with big guns even with full power but goes on a journey to fight with the satan himself..

    Stealth sections are not that hard but as annoying as everybody says. I payed for this game to play as the prince of darkness not as a miserable rat who hides from simple guards... The best part of the game was the demo part and everything collapses after at least until you get mist form.

    The modern day settings is just insulting to the amazing gothic art the team pulled on the first game and including the castle sections of this game. The creatures you fight in the modern setting is probably the ugliest designs I've seen lately. I ended up always moving away from them and use the whip to not see their ugly faces.

    As usual the best part of the game is the combat and boss fights. I think one of my favorite one was the toy maker part. Sadly they even reused the old dracolich fight in much poorer way.The game constantly grabs ideas from the previous game and tries to reuse in very lame fashion.

    Very disappointing.    … Expand
  7. Viperus
    Feb 28, 2014
    6
    The fighting is great, as usual, but the minigames are just so horrible and the plot makes absolutely no sense. It's like the writers didn't know what to do, so they just used any random ideas that came to mind.

    Minigames include running around being transformed like a rat, sneaking around unbeatable cloned robo-demons. Oh and there's (at least 2) "sneaking" parts, where you have to    The fighting is great, as usual, but the minigames are just so horrible and the plot makes absolutely no sense. It's like the writers didn't know what to do, so they just used any random ideas that came to mind.

    Minigames include running around being transformed like a rat, sneaking around unbeatable cloned robo-demons. Oh and there's (at least 2) "sneaking" parts, where you have to avoid a character who's chasing you (only to kill them 5 minutes later without breaking a sweat). The problem is that sneaking is retarded. It's nothing like MGS or The Last of Us. You have to take a path the developers intended, and no other, because if you do, you get instakilled. So, basically, I wasted 20 minutes of my life, finding the perfect path. Very very annoying.

    I thought that, being Dracula and all, the plot will be darker. But instead, it's a lot stupider compared to the 1st game. At one point of the game, you have to waste about 3-4 hours to find pieces of a mirror, your son wants, fully knowing it's a dream. Not only that, but there's a minigame in which you have to place puppets onto a stage at the right moment. And after that, you fight a fat clown.

    I mean, how hard is it to make a good game about Satan coming to Earth and his acolytes causing massive chaos? I cannot stress enough, how bad the plot is. So bad, even the good gameplay can't hold the game together.

    Oh, and there's a bug. 2/3 of the game, I jump into a hole, and see I'm back at the beginning of the map practically. No prob, load checkpoint. And it gets me back to the location after I jumped into the hole. Amazing. No prob, I'll just backtrack. And, the switch doesn't work anymore. I'll probably have to replay the whole level to finish this.    … Expand
  8. Najirra
    Mar 9, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was highly anticipating this game ever since I played the first title. The promise of getting to play as Dracula for the first time seemed an amazing concept, and viewing trailer after trailer, playing through Mirror of Fate and watching developer interviews and gameplay footage... You set us up for something grand Mercurysteam. But after all that setting up and boasting about it, did you deliver on it?

    First off, this game is not as bad as these so called "professional" reviewers would have you believe. They give the game a bad score based on comparisons with other action titles and focussing on aspects of the game that may be detrimental to the overall flow of the game, but do not make up even 10% of the game as a whole. Yes those stealth sections are bad, you cannot honestly believe they are well executed, and the only saving grace they have is that they are over just as quickly as they begin, and that's all I will say on this matter because honestly, it deserves no more spotlight than this and there's, as I said before, a LOT more to this game to cover.

    The gameplay is very solid, the combat system works very well and you can set up some amazing stuff with it if you try, whether you are a button masher or like to send your enemies to the afterlife in style, the combat won't let you down, and that is of course something that is very important in an action game such as this. The free moving camera, something which I loathe in action games myself, actually felt very nicely executed, it is a responsive camera that doesn't work against you like it does in many other games. The boss battles, of which there are quite a few, are a bit of a downer I must admit, bringing me to the difficulty of the game. It is adjustable but on it's basic setting, this game is a cheese to get through. Okay you're Dracula, you're supposed to be a powerhouse but a little bit of resistance from what are supposed to be epic bosses isn't a bad thing, and I remember hitting multiple game over screens in LoS1, yet not a single time did I even come close to death in this game so that was a bit of a downer.

    The visuals are... stunning to say the least. especially the castle itself, I would love to meet the designer of this building, or rather city sized fortress. The vistas are breathtaking and it truly leaves you wanting more when you get yanked back to the present "castlevania city"... yes, while the castle is incredible, the city isn't much so. built on the remains of Dracula's castle, it feels more like a modern abomination than something that was built on the ruins of a magnificent structure. So to whoever who designed the castle, you're a blessing, whoever decided to turn it into a 21st century city... you need some experience.

    The sound, oh my God the sound... Oscar Aurajo should get an award for the music he made for this game and the other titles as well. every single piece of music you hear in this game gives you the feeling you are in an epic story... at least that would be true if this story was actually as epic as it should have been.

    Which brings me to the real downer about this game, and it is quite a significant one: in the opening of this review, I said they were setting us up for something grand, something epic and unforgettable. Sadly I must say they did not deliver on this. Needles to say spoilers abound:

    The story of this game is one of the most anti-climactic I have ever experienced, I remember director Dave Cox speak about shedding tears over the game's story. Believe me when I say there is not a single tear jerking moment in this game whatsoever. Dracula as a character feels incredibly bland and the supporting cast does not help at all the support him. Incredible voice acting aside, it is completely ruined by how horrid this story is told, from some major potential being completely squandered for reasons I cannot fathom. Take the Victor Belmont character as an example, you chase him, you fight him, and then just because you killed a huge demon on the way while you were chasing him, he just decides you helped him and he should return the favour... really mercurysteam?

    Needless to say, many other moments in the story feel incredibly rushed and nonsensical, and some of the segments are over before they even truly begin, it makes no sense and ends with one of the most anti-climactic scenes I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Will there be DLC? most likely, but they are going to pull of some seriously big guns if they want to salvage this.

    All in all, this game will bring you lots of enjoyment, with a wonderful combat system, stunning visuals and sound and a good chunk of collectibles to gather, you will get your money's worth. But if you play for story, do yourself a favour and save your 60$    … Expand
  9. TheNikus
    May 13, 2015
    5
    This game is not worth your time.

    The graphics and combat system are still fine - they're directly from the first game, after all. They also added a way to mark the next spots you're supposed to grab when you're climbing, so that's an improvement over CLOS1. But the whole rest is terrible. The storytelling is artrocious right from the 10 minute opening cutscene. The modern day    This game is not worth your time.

    The graphics and combat system are still fine - they're directly from the first game, after all. They also added a way to mark the next spots you're supposed to grab when you're climbing, so that's an improvement over CLOS1.

    But the whole rest is terrible. The storytelling is artrocious right from the 10 minute opening cutscene. The modern day scenario is completely lacking in any charm whatsoever. They were definitely trying to be more like Darksiders with their "open world". However, the game throws you from one thing into the next way to much. The game feels disjointed. It sends you around between worlds like nobody's business and breaks up the flow of missions constantly.

    It's simply uninspired and disappointing. I stopped caring after 9 hours.    … Expand
  10. PolisKanin
    Feb 25, 2014
    6
    I'm surprised at how well this game turned out. At first I looked at it and thought it would be one of my games I rarely ever played, however this game delivered. The combat feels good and the graphics are amazing. However what drags it down is 1. It doesn't feel anything like the original Castlevanias, yknow, the amazing classic ones and simons quest? 2. There are some glitches 3. TheI'm surprised at how well this game turned out. At first I looked at it and thought it would be one of my games I rarely ever played, however this game delivered. The combat feels good and the graphics are amazing. However what drags it down is 1. It doesn't feel anything like the original Castlevanias, yknow, the amazing classic ones and simons quest? 2. There are some glitches 3. The godaweful PC controls that ruin the fun, and drag this game down from an 8 to a 6.… Expand
  11. Veska
    Feb 26, 2014
    5
    The 2th game from this universe is so different. But if you like 1st game, you maybe love this again. But sometimes, when i play a I feel boring. And you must play only with gamepad, combination mouse+key is so bad optimized for playing. But if you like this universe, play it. But others.....
  12. Freaksy
    May 23, 2014
    7
    This one is definetly better than the first one, gameplay wise. But the story is just too childish and uninteresting. I stayed for the epic battles and violance. Stealth sections sucked but I finished the game.
  13. Stevesitz
    Dec 9, 2014
    6
    A good stand alone game, but a very very disappointing sequel. Lords of Shadow will always be one of the best Castlevania games, and one of the most playable overall games. I think where LOS2 failed is the mixing of the old and new. This game felt more like the reboot of Devil May Cry (DMC) than it did an open-world Castlevania title. The play mechanics are fun, and it feels good toA good stand alone game, but a very very disappointing sequel. Lords of Shadow will always be one of the best Castlevania games, and one of the most playable overall games. I think where LOS2 failed is the mixing of the old and new. This game felt more like the reboot of Devil May Cry (DMC) than it did an open-world Castlevania title. The play mechanics are fun, and it feels good to upgrade your character as you progress through the story, but once you see that you are working against an evil corporation that is run by evil, it just feels corny. The characters and 'God of War' style game play is fun and strong but the story nearly stops the game in it's tracks. As a fan, this is a disappointing game to end the story of the previous game which easily had the most jaw dropping conclusion I've seen. If you are a fan of the DMC reboot you may like this, but I can say that most Castlevania fans may be completely unimpressed.… Expand
  14. zimmer600
    Aug 19, 2017
    6
    Someone once said that a good game should be diverse, and this misconception has killed more than one good project. That's Lords of Shadow 2 for some reason believes that players need to constantly entertain nonsense. She suggests first to fight, then climb, then explore, then hide, and then ride on some platforms. All this is made interesting and unusual, everything is very diligent, butSomeone once said that a good game should be diverse, and this misconception has killed more than one good project. That's Lords of Shadow 2 for some reason believes that players need to constantly entertain nonsense. She suggests first to fight, then climb, then explore, then hide, and then ride on some platforms. All this is made interesting and unusual, everything is very diligent, but not everything works.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 5 out of 16
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 7, 2014
    40
    A mediocre button masher at best, brought down by absurd design choices and low production values. [Issue #240]
  2. Thunderbolt
    Mar 14, 2014
    40
    An unfortunate conclusion to a once promising trilogy.
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  3. Games.cz
    Mar 4, 2014
    50
    The creators have looked everywhere and were inspired by everything, but unlike the competition there's no quality in their endeavours. Instead of a great hack and slash title they serve us a merely stereotypically dull piece without brains. On top of that, the game looks off colour.
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