Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 586 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 418 out of 586
  2. Mixed: 85 out of 586
  3. Negative: 83 out of 586

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  1. 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
  2. hosstyle_X
    Feb 27, 2014
    8
    This is a great game and recommended for all that loved the first LoS. There are a few instances of questionable game design, but overall it's a really great experience. My only complaint is that the game introduces a ton of mechanics early on and doesn't have you use it until you've forgotten what you've learned (bats used for distractions). I'm not sure why people don't like the modernThis is a great game and recommended for all that loved the first LoS. There are a few instances of questionable game design, but overall it's a really great experience. My only complaint is that the game introduces a ton of mechanics early on and doesn't have you use it until you've forgotten what you've learned (bats used for distractions). I'm not sure why people don't like the modern setting, it's very Gothic and a great realization of what modern Castlevania influenced architecture would look like.

    The reason that most reviews are giving it a low score is because of the rendition of the Catholic God and Satan exist in the lore of the game, and the reviewers are offended by this, whether they don't believe in religion or it conflicts with what they believe. But it is a fictional world, so I don't see what the big deal is. It's a shame when a quality game like this discounted because of the reviewers inability to be open minded and respectful of other beliefs. It's a mockery of the game industry when you have a pile of crap game like Gone Home that gets 9's and PC game of the year, when it's not even a game but a interactive story about homosexuality. There is nothing in that game that makes you feel skilled or smart, and if story was about being straight, it wouldn't have gotten the scores it did. This proves that reviewers will let their personal beliefs skew their opinion of what makes a good game, like Castlevania LoS2.    … Expand
  3. meuovonabocados
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    Castlevania series is synonymous to all the gamers as a classic and is a milestone in the gaming industry. The reboot of this series as "Castlevania: Lords of shadow" is perhaps the best reboot and it succeeded in every aspects (graphics, gameplay, music etc.).
  4. LalchandTudu
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    Castlevania series is synonymous to all the gamers as a classic and is a milestone in the gaming industry. The reboot of this series as "Castlevania: Lords of shadow" is perhaps the best reboot and it succeeded in every aspects (graphics, gameplay, music etc.).
    Castlevania: Lords of shadow 2 is a great game. It really combines all the aspects perfectly. It has great story, beautiful voice    Castlevania series is synonymous to all the gamers as a classic and is a milestone in the gaming industry. The reboot of this series as "Castlevania: Lords of shadow" is perhaps the best reboot and it succeeded in every aspects (graphics, gameplay, music etc.).
    Castlevania: Lords of shadow 2 is a great game. It really combines all the aspects perfectly. It has great story, beautiful voice acting has been done, good gameplay mechanics, adrenaline pumping boss-fights and has some of the most beautiful and hypnotizing visuals. I urge every gamer to play it and enjoy it. I give it a perfect 10/10 score to this masterpiece.
    Certainly last but not the least there are some to whom this game is bad or not good or piece of crap and even score it so less (2,1 or even a big "0" too) it is totally misleading which causes many of the gamers to skip this title. So don't misguide others just because you don't like it. If you don't like it then do give strong proof so as to support your judgement upon which every one can agree.    … Expand
  5. ldjg2002
    Feb 27, 2014
    9
    Really liked the first one, followed the preview videos and such, after spending a good few hours with it, I can say for once, I am baffled by the negative critic reviews.

    A lot of the negative press seems to be based on the setting of the game and the stealth sections, which in fairness are a misstep, the setting and story so far however are fine, the combat is excellent, the music is    Really liked the first one, followed the preview videos and such, after spending a good few hours with it, I can say for once, I am baffled by the negative critic reviews.

    A lot of the negative press seems to be based on the setting of the game and the stealth sections, which in fairness are a misstep, the setting and story so far however are fine, the combat is excellent, the music is excellent, the graphics are excellent.

    I just cant see how some review's have scored it so low, for me its certainly a 8/10 effort, kinda feel bad for the developers on this one, its clearly seen a lot of love, yet a couple of mistakes from a design point of view seem to have been horribly overstated in their importance compared to the overall quality of the rest of the package.

    I would certainly say give this one a shot.    … Expand
  6. NotarztMoD
    Feb 27, 2014
    9
    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 might not be a huge improvement over the original, but it defiantly is a worthy follow up to the original. I think it looks, sounds and feels great and I haven't had this much fun with a Single Player Game since Lords of Shadows 1. And don't listen to the reviews! Yes the game has flaws, but for example the stealth parts are short and rare and do not ruin theCastlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 might not be a huge improvement over the original, but it defiantly is a worthy follow up to the original. I think it looks, sounds and feels great and I haven't had this much fun with a Single Player Game since Lords of Shadows 1. And don't listen to the reviews! Yes the game has flaws, but for example the stealth parts are short and rare and do not ruin the Game experience, even though I they are not great by any means. Also it is a bit long, but I don't mind that I like long games and enjoyed all 20 hours of it. So long story short, if you liked LoS 1 you will also like part two, so get it. If you will stop playing a game because of being a rat for 5 minutes, don't get it and give it a 4 out o 10 ;) .… Expand
  7. dark001001
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    Now they know how to make a good 3D game ,well done ! The game is better than the previous one .The moves is easy to use and the magic is really something .Maybe it's not a perfect Castlevania game ,but it's no doubt a good action game .
  8. Deionarra
    Feb 27, 2014
    10
    I think I am playing a different game than the mainstream "game journalists". I loved LOS and this sequel is every bit as good. The combat mechanics are improved quite a bit and the new skill mastery system is great. Visually this game is an artistic masterpiece (PC version) and it oozes atmosphere. This is simply a great character action game with strong gameplay mechanics and some of theI think I am playing a different game than the mainstream "game journalists". I loved LOS and this sequel is every bit as good. The combat mechanics are improved quite a bit and the new skill mastery system is great. Visually this game is an artistic masterpiece (PC version) and it oozes atmosphere. This is simply a great character action game with strong gameplay mechanics and some of the most atmospheric art/design found in any game. I have lost what little faith I had in game "journalists". They seem unable to appreciate anything that isn't the latest brown, rehash from their ad-buying, corporate overlords at EA, Ubi and Activision. There's absolutely nothing mediocre about LOS2.… Expand
  9. jpaul5052
    Feb 26, 2014
    10
    Please note that I have created a metacritic account just so that I can post this review, as I completely disagree with the 'critics'. I've put in about 6 hours into the game now and am sucked into the storyline as well as the gameplay. Though some might argue that a modern-era Castlevania game is absurd, I actually welcome the change. Aside from it crashing on me twice so far (which I'mPlease note that I have created a metacritic account just so that I can post this review, as I completely disagree with the 'critics'. I've put in about 6 hours into the game now and am sucked into the storyline as well as the gameplay. Though some might argue that a modern-era Castlevania game is absurd, I actually welcome the change. Aside from it crashing on me twice so far (which I'm sure a future patch will correct) the game runs beautifully on all settings maxed out. (FX-8350, 16 gigs 2033mhz, radeon hd 7970, win 7). Don't miss out on this gem.… Expand
  10. Dues
    Feb 26, 2014
    10
    I really have enjoyed this game. I think the environment and combat are even better than the first, the characters lack some interaction but the story is still engaging. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes action rpg games. Going to give it a 10 just to offset the 0s. I would rate it a 9/10.
  11. GenericCritic
    Feb 26, 2014
    9
    i have 7 hour of gameplay, and the only thig i see is epicness, i dont know how this game has a poor score review, but this game is enjoyable and fun to play, i was expecting the **** that the critics say anout this game but im not
  12. Isten
    Feb 26, 2014
    9
    I have played the PS3 and PC version (Reviews on both spots, lower half is copy paste.) The biggest difference is the improved graphics in the PC, but you MUST have a console style controller to really enjoy the PC version. Fair warning.

    Also, I do not like the lack of flexible saved games. What if I want to replay a section or a boss? I am really hoping they include open Saving, Steam    I have played the PS3 and PC version (Reviews on both spots, lower half is copy paste.) The biggest difference is the improved graphics in the PC, but you MUST have a console style controller to really enjoy the PC version. Fair warning.

    Also, I do not like the lack of flexible saved games. What if I want to replay a section or a boss? I am really hoping they include open Saving, Steam Cards and more clear achievements.

    Having really enjoyed the first LOS for its grand environments, dark story telling and killer action, I picked up LOS2 with solid expectations. If anything, LOS2 is darker and more brutal then LOS1. The action is much more clean, better camera and I love the Void Sword/Mastery System. Reminds me of a Final Fantasy skill tree in a good way.

    The people who complain about stealth honestly have no idea what they are doing or are super bias. You spend maybe 10 minutes at a time in stealth for the most part makes perfect sense from Bram Stoker lore (Rat, wolf, mist, bat). Boss battles are visually gratifying and very exciting to play.

    My only minor complaints: some areas are empty where I could be stabbing something. Not enough world/ normal Enemy diversity. The Castle and City are very cool and very deep, but we did see a lot of really cool worlds in LOS1.

    Over all the paid critics have it wrong and sound like they are from a different era in gaming (obsessed with Castlevania GB or NES) or so stab happy that they cannot take a breath an enjoy a couple minutes as a dirty rat. The Fans and gamers have it right. LOS2 9/10 fun (and morbid) game and great sequel to end LOS.    … Expand
  13. Michaviel
    Feb 26, 2014
    9
    I spent about 9 hours so far playing Lords of Shadow 2 and have not had anything but great experiences. MANY of these reviews i'm reading are speaking about the stealth sections which I have had 0 problems with. Sure, I died twice hiding from a certain bullheaded demon and put myself in a loop not knowing where to go, but eventually I figured it out because in games....that's what you do?I spent about 9 hours so far playing Lords of Shadow 2 and have not had anything but great experiences. MANY of these reviews i'm reading are speaking about the stealth sections which I have had 0 problems with. Sure, I died twice hiding from a certain bullheaded demon and put myself in a loop not knowing where to go, but eventually I figured it out because in games....that's what you do?

    I keep seeing "flawed mechanics" as a common thing in all of these reviews, but not how they're actually flawed. Or that the new world parts of the game are not "Castlevania" but so far in my 9 hours of playing i've spent the most time in the castle world rather than the real.

    The "Drab Locations" argument is not something I understand, every place I've been in the game so far seems very different and unique>

    Load times is a complaint, though I'm not sure I'm experiencing the same thing that console users will as i'm running this on a high end PC. yes, I know the loadtimes are fooling me with a in between animation that forces the user to walk to the portal (while the game loads) but my experience has been seamless on PC.

    I give it a 9 out of 10 simply for the fact that some of the areas it wasn't clear exactly which way you should be going, and without an arrow to tell me it's impossible to figure out on my own without "pixel hunting" for a jump spot. The original Lords of Shadow had not this issue, but tons of others which have been drastically improved for this game.    … Expand
  14. SmellyMattress
    Feb 26, 2014
    10
    Great game it has definitely improved upon LOS1 beside the fact that it does have some slow stealth parts, it has rewarding skill trees and very high quality boss battles,also lets not forget the gorgeous graphics
  15. RandyBlythe
    Feb 26, 2014
    10
    Here's the thing about this game - the story makes very little sense, and it's not very Castlevania-y. Those are the 2 reasons people will rate this game low.

    I'm here to tell you the boss fights in this game are absolutely epic and worth the money. Play on the hardest difficulty, it's meant to be played that way, when you kill the bosses it's an amazing feeling because they're very    Here's the thing about this game - the story makes very little sense, and it's not very Castlevania-y. Those are the 2 reasons people will rate this game low.

    I'm here to tell you the boss fights in this game are absolutely epic and worth the money. Play on the hardest difficulty, it's meant to be played that way, when you kill the bosses it's an amazing feeling because they're very very rewarding.

    If it helps you, remove the word "Castlevania" from the title of the game and just think of it as a game about Dracula vs Satan.

    The combat is very fluid, every boss is very tough (on the hardest difficulty) but entirely doable, there is no boss that is impossible and fully relies on your reaction time. No boss is too easy or too hard, it's perfectly balanced.

    My only gripe would be that the platforming is kind of done for you via the bats that appear where you're supposed to jump, other than that this game is a solid 9/10, however I'll bump it to a 10/10 for here to offset the overly critical critic reviews.    … Expand
  16. 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.....
  17. Musta
    Feb 26, 2014
    9
    About a couple hours before the game was unlocked on Steam, I read many reviews and got concerned (The PC Gamer one was atroscious). "Stealth" parts, bad story, bad combat...

    What I got when I played, was pretty great. I'm about 9 hours into the thing and I like it more than the original. The combat is better than the first game in my opinion, with three weapons and tons of abilities    About a couple hours before the game was unlocked on Steam, I read many reviews and got concerned (The PC Gamer one was atroscious). "Stealth" parts, bad story, bad combat...

    What I got when I played, was pretty great. I'm about 9 hours into the thing and I like it more than the original. The combat is better than the first game in my opinion, with three weapons and tons of abilities for each weapon.

    The "Stealth" parts are very few, and are less Stealthy and more just puzzles, which were always fun in the first game and still are. I've never been caught once in the stealth, and this far into the game there were two stealth sections, maybe two minutes the first time, 10 the second. The rats are mainly used to access secret areas and explore the developer's very well-thought out level design.

    The story is neat. Seeing Zobek again is cool, and seeing some of the Belmonts come back, including Alucard, is awesome for fans of the earlier games (These are not spoilers).

    Another complain is environmental design. And while I have to somewhat agree with people on the London missions, they are fairly short. I found that you spend way more time inside Dracula's Castle in his manifested version of it, fighting interesting enemies and meeting up with familiar faces from not only the previous game, but from general folklore. The Manifested Castle portions of the game seem like a "Metroidvania" setting. The game is no longer completely linear in this regard. You are free to explore the castle and as you unlock more abilities, you can go into areas you could not previously reach, a true staple of "Metroidvaia"

    I was worried going into it, but the game is great. If I have any advice, it's that don't ever, EVER listen to reviewers. If you want to know if a game is good, play it. Many game reviewers get into the business because they have attempted before to "make it" in the gaming industry, yet fail, and end up reviewing games instead of making them. So they become reviewers. And as such of failure, they usually don't know what they're talking about.

    In regards to that PC Gamer review I mentioned, I got to the farthest parts in the game where his complains end, and where he runs out of screenshots. It seems like he played the first two hours, put it down, wrote a 4 paragraph review, and published it weeks later. Lazy, lazy journalism, hopefully he is terminated from his position.    … Expand
  18. selenoid
    Feb 25, 2014
    9
    My score is actually 8.6. Combat system is not much improvement from the first game, and there not much differences in locations like in 1st LOS. On other side there are much more boss battles and atmosphere is better.
  19. Vasot
    Feb 25, 2014
    9
    GREAT GAME do not listen to some paid reviewers. The game has improved gameplay and a better camera from the original the voices are also excellent and the graphics are nicely done and the music is really fitting and epic. The only bad about it is the stealth part which is a bit weak and annoying but except from that the game is very fun.(Be warned a gamepad is recommended)
  20. 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
  21. NeloAngelicus
    Feb 25, 2014
    8
    This new release has major improvements with regard to the previous game, also has new mechanics but are much abuse these or are very simple and not delve much thus causing a kind of emptiness in these, on the other hand the story is very well told unfortunately the more you advance is losing the charm down to a simple ending and very open to DLC's is unfortunate that this is so, theyThis new release has major improvements with regard to the previous game, also has new mechanics but are much abuse these or are very simple and not delve much thus causing a kind of emptiness in these, on the other hand the story is very well told unfortunately the more you advance is losing the charm down to a simple ending and very open to DLC's is unfortunate that this is so, they could conclude the series with a very epic finale but did not.… Expand
  22. eLipse
    Feb 25, 2014
    10
    I liked the first one and I like this one too. I don't care to give a full review right now just had to state that I would score it 8 out of 10 normally but because there are morons who give games 0's only because it's not as good as the original, I had to rate it 10 to make up for this stupidity. 0 means the game is completely broken and unplayable and enjoyment was impossible. When youI liked the first one and I like this one too. I don't care to give a full review right now just had to state that I would score it 8 out of 10 normally but because there are morons who give games 0's only because it's not as good as the original, I had to rate it 10 to make up for this stupidity. 0 means the game is completely broken and unplayable and enjoyment was impossible. When you give 0's to games that are clearly not even close to being that bad, your just showing that your either under the age of 18 and still rather stupid or your just rather stupid altogether.… Expand
  23. Pr8Dator
    Feb 25, 2014
    9
    Having recently finished the original LOS, LOS2 actually continues the experience using pretty the same of everything I have gotten used to in the original... from the combat mechanics to the controls, which, to me, is actually a good thing, because I am playing this game mainly as a continuation of that story. On that aspect, I can see how it might be a little boring to non-fans of theHaving recently finished the original LOS, LOS2 actually continues the experience using pretty the same of everything I have gotten used to in the original... from the combat mechanics to the controls, which, to me, is actually a good thing, because I am playing this game mainly as a continuation of that story. On that aspect, I can see how it might be a little boring to non-fans of the series or first timers because taken on its own, Dracula with those few powers just feels a little boring and vulnerable. However, when taking it all in as a continuation of the original game, it just fits right in. Dracula still feels very much like Gabriel Belmont and there is no disconnect between the two characters which I felt was an important design consideration. Make Dracula too much of a vampire and then it gets disconnected from the Gabriel Belmont experience which is so important to the survival of this game. As such, this game is fated and destined to be a fanboy game with low ratings from the pros and high ratings from the fans. Consider me a fanboy. :)… Expand
  24. valentino
    Feb 25, 2014
    0
    Awful - WISH I would have read a review before getting this game. It's 10 steps backward from the original. I was expecting so much more. The graphics aren't bad, but the gameplay just becomes a bore.
  25. SenshudoTV
    Feb 25, 2014
    8
    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 has some nice new improvements and features over the original especially with the magic system. The story is just a bit lacking and the modern day city environment may not appeal to all plus some of the boss battles are a bit on the easy side. Still, it's a lot of fun to go out and kick some ass as Dracula.
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Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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