The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Aug 21, 2014
    74
    To be honest The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II rather looks like a decent add-on than a sequel. But is this so important given that the game is still interesting just enough to keep us entertained till final credits? [September 2014, p. 60]
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  2. MMORPG.com
    Jun 11, 2014
    74
    There is no question that Van Helsing II is head and shoulders above its predecessor in terms of game play and in the replayability factor that the additional two classes bring to the game. It's a solid entry into the aRPG market and one that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. It's a fantastic bargain and quite a lot of fun to play.
  3. IGN
    May 30, 2014
    74
    Balance issues and multiplayer bugs remain, but there's enough variety found in its tower defense scenarios and three classes to warrant donning the legendary monster hunter's hat either again or for the very first time.
  5. DarkZero
    Jun 13, 2014
    70
    Fans of the genre should fully enjoy what is on offer here, and newcomers who are looking for a few days of cooperative fun - problems with pacing and small glitches aside – should gather some friends and sit back and enjoy a few evenings of Victorian dungeon crawling – it’s finger clicking good.
  6. Eurogamer Italy
    Jun 6, 2014
    70
    Old school hack 'n slash lovers, get ready, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 is a game made exactly for you. Lots of action, profound skill system and a good story makes this Neocore Games production perfect for any fan of the genre. Technically there's a lot of room for improvement, but the game content seems right given the price point.
  7. Eurogamer Germany
    Jun 3, 2014
    70
    Van Helsing 2 is a charming and solid piece of hack and slash, spiced with interesting gimmicks and a good dose of humor.
  8. RPGamer
    May 27, 2014
    70
    However, for what it is, Van Helsing II provides another very fun way to spend some evenings reducing numerous monstrous creations to their component giblets.
  9. Riot Pixels
    Jul 9, 2014
    67
    “I have this strange feeling of déjà vu…”, utters Van Helsing 5 minutes into the story campaign. Don’t look at the number in the title – this is an expansion pack, not a full-fledged sequel.
  10. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 8, 2014
    60
    Successful continuation of the original Diablo clone.
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  11. Games.cz
    Jun 13, 2014
    60
    Some flaws present in the first installment disappeared, three characters offer three unique style of gameplay, and this is still absurdly funny entertainment. However, unbalanced enemies and the absence of any crucial novelties whatsoever that would push the game anywhere further, harm the game experience. It is more of the same, but without the moment of surprise. Nonetheless, fans of the original title have nothing to think about – for them there is a fair amount of entertainment lasting for several afternoons.
  12. IncGamers
    May 22, 2014
    60
    Van Helsing 2 is a near-complete title that NeoCore are clearly racing to finish in time for release day. It’ll end up a better game than the first, but will almost certainly retain some deadline-crunch bugs until a couple of patches are out of the way.
  13. GRYOnline.pl
    Jun 3, 2014
    55
    The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is a very weak sequel with lots of technical issues and poor choices in terms of gameplay mechanics. New adventures of Van Helsing is still funny and can show off its excellent, steampunk atmosphere, but all in all it's not a good game. The developers failed to fix mistakes from the original and added some new ones.

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best PC Game of 2014
89
#89 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
97
#97 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 244 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 159 out of 244
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 244
  3. Negative: 33 out of 244
  1. jrp07
    May 22, 2014
    10
    This game is an amazing arpg with an abundance of depth and beauty. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed, and for $15 it's a safe bet. IThis game is an amazing arpg with an abundance of depth and beauty. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed, and for $15 it's a safe bet. I didn't play the first one, but am loving it so far. Veteran of Titan quest, Diablo 1-3, Torchlight, PoE and backer of Grim dawn giving VH2 2 thumbs up. The lack of publicity for this game is mind boggling!… Full Review »
  2. elManicho
    May 23, 2014
    9
    This is a great game, the second in a great saga. Thanks to Neocore Games for keeping true to their promises.

    The good: + Rock solid    This is a great game, the second in a great saga. Thanks to Neocore Games for keeping true to their promises.

    The good:
    + Rock solid gameplay. Fluid, fast and deadly combat, well thought and executed quests and defense phases, a well designed and fonctional UI, a multitude of tactics and skills, different approaches to every situation. This is not a loot grinding hack and slash game, it's a well crafted RPG with action mechanics.

    + Higher level cap and more character choices. Several classes to chose from for various gaming styles. Balanced and fun to build, your hero have many perks, abilities, tricks, auras he can learn (and Katarina too!) You can also import your character from the first game. Basic skills keep their usefulness to late game stages, and respeccing is possible after advancing the story for a couple hours.

    + Dialogues are well written, and the city of Borgovia feel alive and offer some great moments of humor that contribute to the immersion and makes the player root for the characters and care about the game world and those within it. The witty banter between Abraham Van Helsing and his unique companion Lady Katarina is awesome. The storyline is one of the most captivating aspects of the game. Once I started playing I felt a sense of urgency that drives me to keep going.

    + Well done side quests that never feel contrived and offered great interactions with unusual characters. To help Abraham in his missions, you can make friends, gain allies, micromanage your troops and bolster morale of the Borgovian resistance. Van Helsing doesn't fight alone, and his choices have consequences. The principal villain have grit and charisma, he must go down, this will not be easy.

    + The defense of the town of Borgovia and continuous war of attrition with your enemies feels great and is immensely fun. Alternate tower defense which takes an important role, and hack and slash sequences. Lay traps, prepare or evade ambushes, make quick strikes. Being constantly tested, elaborating various tactics accordingly, and seeing your efforts impact the game world offers a deeply satisfying feeling of completion to the player.

    + Fantastic scenery, stunning graphics. Landscape change with war damage. The various skills offer interesting visuals and some beautiful animations, feel the power of your protagonist putting weight in every combat move.

    + Character build is of the utmost importance. When built right, Van Helsing is a sight to behold in combat. The game keep things challenging, helped by a good AI and enemies scripts that adapt to your tactics and develop synergies and skills on their own. Also Katrina buffed up and can hold her own in combat. While in the first game she died quickly and was mainly around for banter and passive bonuses, now the bond between her and Van Helsing makes for a very efficient pair in combat, health can drop very fast, a la Titan Quest, so better fight as a pair, Katrina can tank, support or cover Van Helsing retreat quite efficiently.

    + One of the characters newly introduced held particularily my interest. I kept thinking this guy have his own agenda and motivations, and can't help but wonder if he is an ally or a liability. Katrina snide remarks and banter whenever this character is present are priceless.

    + Balanced loot and decent drop rate. Quests are varied and interesting. Monsters both bio and mechanical abound (learn to hate those electrical bots), a hall of trophies, spectacular and non intrusive cutscenes, gothic 19th century Eastern Europe ambiance, numerous easter eggs and secrets to discover, beautiful music, all contribute to a great gaming experience. Van Helsing have co-op and PvP modes to boot.

    + Game price is $15 on Steam. A buck per gaming hour. This is a steal. A crowning achievement from a small studio that puts many AAA titles to shame.

    The bad:
    - Some minor bugs and text typos. A patch is needed to iron some multiplayer issues.
    - Would love to start from level 1 and have fun building my characters and grinding levels, especially in co-op. The game is a sequel and it makes sense to play from lvl 30 to 60 storywise, still the option to start from scratch is present but grayed out. This might also alienate new players, hopefully a patch will change that.
    - Enemies keep coming in waves in the extended lair defense mini-game. I didn't mind, but some friends who haven't played Van Helsing before found it frustrating to have no respite in tower defense phases, which are more important in this game. 5 or 6 of attacks on Van Helsing lair happened in my playthrough, countless waves repelled and generous loot drop made me happy, not all may agree. I guess either you enjoy tower defense mechanics or you don't.    … Full Review »
  3. PixelCheese
    May 23, 2014
    9
    VH1 was a really good game that everyone could get for a very affordable price and every penny i spent was far than worth it.

    VH2 surpasses    VH1 was a really good game that everyone could get for a very affordable price and every penny i spent was far than worth it.

    VH2 surpasses VH1 by a milestone.    … Full Review »
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