The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

 PC
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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  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. 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!
  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 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,    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.    … Expand
  3. nutcrackr
    Jun 6, 2014
    8
    Good sequel that improves quite a few areas. Tower defense is better with more arenas and smarter level flow - but don't worry they are optional. Spent most time with the new Thaumaturge class, which is fantastic because of the many awesome spells. You can still get pretty complex with different attacks and combos. You can change your spec up quite easily in the Secret Lair which isGood sequel that improves quite a few areas. Tower defense is better with more arenas and smarter level flow - but don't worry they are optional. Spent most time with the new Thaumaturge class, which is fantastic because of the many awesome spells. You can still get pretty complex with different attacks and combos. You can change your spec up quite easily in the Secret Lair which is populated with more people for this adventure.

    Campaign is reasonably lengthy, 15 hours or so, with a few alternate quests you might miss first time through. Monster variety and world design better this time, no more wave after wave of electric werewolves like the end of the first game. Scenarios are replayable levels, they are quite good but locked away at level 57 and that will take like 25hrs if you start from a blank character.

    Would have liked to see more lush zones and monster hunting, but the steampunk design is better for this sequel largely thanks to the stunning rainy night misson. Multiplayer is still buggy and rough around the edges, PvP seems the most underdone although it’s probably not something I’d play much anyway. Couple of areas that overstay the welcome, namely the Viaduct Junction. At least cooperative modes are more fun because of the class variation. I am quite impressed with the performance during heavy action too, seems well optimized for the big battles.    … Expand
  4. fexef
    Aug 15, 2014
    10
    If you like ARPGs, you will love this game! I came into this game with only mild expectations due to some negative reviews and relatively lackluster reviewers - boy, was I surprised! This game advances the status-quo for the genre, taking the best features from games from Torchlight II and Diablo III and then upping the ante. An example of this is the perk system, which is similar to theIf you like ARPGs, you will love this game! I came into this game with only mild expectations due to some negative reviews and relatively lackluster reviewers - boy, was I surprised! This game advances the status-quo for the genre, taking the best features from games from Torchlight II and Diablo III and then upping the ante. An example of this is the perk system, which is similar to the "reputation" system in TL2, but instead of simply granting extra skill points, you can choose from a handful of semi-unique bonuses/abilities to give your build some more individuality.

    The cheap cost of respecing abilities/skills combined with the in-depth skill trees makes the skill system feel like a perfect blend between TL2 and D3 - you can easily swap out or experiment with new skills to tackle a certain level. Speaking of levels, they are quite varied, and will take you from drainage tunnels, mad scientist labs, urban streets, mountains, forests, and caves. The enemy types are just as varied, and I found the elite mob packs to be quite difficult if you don't have a balanced skill set!

    Combat itself is a joy, with very satisfying sound effects, explosions, and death animations. I never feel confused or disoriented, and always have total control of Van Helsing, which is great. The interface is fairly typical for an ARPG with one twist: the powerup system. Killing enemies gives you Rage points (also acquired through certain skills!) which can be consumed to activate a powerup associated with a skill. Each skill has 3 possible powerups with 3 activation levels, and you can activate any combination. For example, the basic skill "shot" shoot a single bullet at a single enemy...simple, right? Well, you can use a single powerup to increase it's damage by +50%, or cause it to do area effect damage for a +1 meter radius, or cause it to slow enemies by -30%...or make it do some combination of these! This really gives the combat some variety and, IMO, distinguishes it from other ARPGs.

    To sum it up, this game is the cream of the crop action rpg, and for the price, I can't recommend it strongly enough.    … Expand
  5. 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 by a milestone.
  6. EMG
    May 24, 2014
    10
    A vast improvement in every way over the original. After 5 hours the solid game play, responsiveness, visuals and fluid combat make this game a worthy ARPG. The price is a bargain as well, I would gladly pay double for what I have gotten so far in this gem.
  7. DanielLanskih
    May 25, 2014
    10
    The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is a really new game with its unique mythology and plot, beautiful action and graphics. 10 of 10. Beautiful.
  8. Oleivaad
    May 27, 2014
    9
    And now , it came out !
    I can run the game , take a ride in the options and prepare to start the game.
    It is extremely full at character creation ( I 'm not talking about appearance) since we offer several classes ( six counting the custom ) . Can resume his character of Van Helsing 1. Modes and difficulties are also offered many (5 + 1 hardcore mode death = death change). Good    And now , it came out !
    I can run the game , take a ride in the options and prepare to start the game.

    It is extremely full at character creation ( I 'm not talking about appearance) since we offer several classes ( six counting the custom ) . Can resume his character of Van Helsing 1. Modes and difficulties are also offered many (5 + 1 hardcore mode death = death change).

    Good personally I started a game with my personal 1. So on the way to Adventure !

    Hop a little background story ( in English at the moment) to set the mood . Little fear in passing, I have put in French , no! It's good dialogues of the game are French , developers fix that soon but I'll come back later.

    First look , it is beautiful, the scenery even more beautiful than in the first , the effects of lights and smoke are very successful . A fight ! The animations are also successful .
    Voices, music and sound effects , ibid. The humor is always present and even " Pythonesque " at times (you will need Saving Private Bryan ) .

    The enemies are varied and seem well made ​​, it is the same for allies and yourself. The quests are many and varied . There are new compared with the first name especially in the den.
    There is a table of command where you can send officers on missions for a period of time. These missions to defend the den and evolve officers to better defend against invasions den . Yes because in Van Helsing 2 , there is also the Tower Defense with poses traps, tactics and orders.
    The second novelty is the hall of trophies. Next the items you win , some are added to the hall of trophies and help boost you and your allies same in return ... but the enemy also leave benefits. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons . Would you prefer to have 100% chance of winning magic items and the HP of your enemies be increased by 10% or gain HP but the enemy may do more damage or anything if you do not enable these trophies . Combinations are important because you can combine several trophies.

    Of course , you can always crafter its objects with essences and magic. The number of objects is very consistent .

    Lady Katerina is still useful for fighting and also to pick up objects and shopping . It is very customizable ( melee attacks , distance, attack, defense , support ) for the collection of objects, you can also customize ( all rare , potions, or ... ), the same goes for racing .

    Skills and attributes are many and varied and you Katerina . They can offer real winning combination if it is well managed.

    The campaign set to air long (12/15 hours minimum I think ) and there is a multiplayer mode. So good life .

    There is much to say about this game is that you have understood very successful .

    I would have given it a 18 so ... But I put 19 ​​because it is very rare thing in the videogame landscape, developers Neocore do not take us for pigeons opening " stupidly " their wallets . Let me explain, they sell their already good game 14 euros to normal price, even with future DLC , we arrive at 20/22 euros maximum (one is away from COD) . But mostly they offer a real monitoring of their community.

    For example, yesterday ( around 1:00 am ) trying the game, I could not use my character Van Helsing 1. Soi saying the personal was too old to be loaded. I tried some manipulations ( revive a part of one and do a self - backup). Nothing to do.
    I'll see on the developer forum ( Neocore ) and I see that I am not alone in this and that developers solve this problem .
    This morning I try to 11:00 ( I could not before ), the problem was already solved.

    Here and there are other examples like this, you have a problem , they solve the better and faster. They had a good follow up with Van Helsing 1 , but then they excel . It is a rare enough to be underlined fact, although a priori it is normal to solve problems , the failure to do so or to drag became commonplace. So thank you for Neocore respect that you have for your players and therefore one to note.    … Expand
  9. Darthvilla
    May 26, 2014
    10
    this game is really recomending, the rune system, the pet, well every in this game is really good
    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.
  10. Rraijjar
    May 27, 2014
    10
    I love the game, i also played the sequel and i think this is a better game for sure ;) i just made a quick list with pro's and con's. Neocore games did a great job on this title!

    The Pro's + Good gameplay + Lovely Graphics + Has a pretty nice story line + Multiple answers to quests. So it aint super linear + Some good sense of humor + (if you like references, there are a lot of    I love the game, i also played the sequel and i think this is a better game for sure ;) i just made a quick list with pro's and con's. Neocore games did a great job on this title!

    The Pro's
    + Good gameplay
    + Lovely Graphics
    + Has a pretty nice story line
    + Multiple answers to quests. So it aint super linear
    + Some good sense of humor
    + (if you like references, there are a lot of them in here)
    + The skill system is kinda standard, but it has some unique stuff going on in there
    + Multiple classes (although i only played the Hunter so far)
    + What i also is the loot. You will find unique and set items. So its not a pure "Grind for gear" kinda game

    Con's
    - Well... some voice acting i dont like. But for the main chararters (yourself and Katarina) it fits perfectly
    - The first level is kinda boring to be honest. But when you get past that ;) you will enjoy it though
    - Some minor bugs/text typos

    Conclusion:
    For a game for just €15 (yes, im from europe) Its a must have if you like aRPG's. Its a cheap game with great quality. If you ever played the first Van helsing, this is a must have for you    … Expand
  11. gotoman
    May 25, 2014
    10
    I enjoyed the first Van Helsing and didn't have any issues except overheating of my video card but once I lowered down to 720p it was all good and still very Nice. I should upgrade. Van Helsing II doesn't seam to cause any issues with my video. Hmm maybe better written? Also I just find some of the Pop culture references in the game so amusing. This Private Brian better be special if II enjoyed the first Van Helsing and didn't have any issues except overheating of my video card but once I lowered down to 720p it was all good and still very Nice. I should upgrade. Van Helsing II doesn't seam to cause any issues with my video. Hmm maybe better written? Also I just find some of the Pop culture references in the game so amusing. This Private Brian better be special if I am going to save him LOL.… Expand
  12. dangermouse116
    May 28, 2014
    10
    Great game and builds well on the previous. I hated the film so am not a van helsing fan boy! Its clever enough to enjoy and they don't labour the story too much like other dumb ass games where you have to be bored to tears to get through the cut scenes! I play co-op story with a mate and its fun and holds the attention. Bargain priced as well!!!
  13. Decus
    Sep 12, 2014
    10
    Hands down one of my favourite games on Steam and I have far too many ;)!

    I loved the first iteration of Van Helsing and this just builds on it in so many positive ways. I can understand people saying the skill tree is a little random, but in reality, with a little thought it's quite intuitive. There's much more to the game than just hacking and slashing, the tower defense game is    Hands down one of my favourite games on Steam and I have far too many ;)!

    I loved the first iteration of Van Helsing and this just builds on it in so many positive ways.

    I can understand people saying the skill tree is a little random, but in reality, with a little thought it's quite intuitive.

    There's much more to the game than just hacking and slashing, the tower defense game is definitely one of the coolest examples, I can only hope and wait for them to release it on mobile :P. You have your own secret lair, send out commanders on missions and more.

    If you like ARPG's/Hackn'Slash with a little more meat to them in terms of extra features, like a great story, amazing atmosphere and environments, witty banter between you and your companions, many classic references, tons of humour and hands down one of the best soundtracks in a game, do yourself a favour and buy this for the ridiculously low price it's at. There are only minor downsides to the game and they really are only minor.

    Seriously good job to the devs - absolutely no idea why this game doesn't get more publicity, hope they continue this series!    … Expand
  14. Hermes_tri
    Jun 26, 2014
    8
    So, one year after the release of the awesome Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 1 second part ia out. Neocore has managed to improve on many aspects on the game, without changing too much. Honestly, I like ARpg games although I like to play them and not grind them! I like the good story and charachets that feel alive. The game is well done, although it feels more like expansion then aSo, one year after the release of the awesome Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 1 second part ia out. Neocore has managed to improve on many aspects on the game, without changing too much. Honestly, I like ARpg games although I like to play them and not grind them! I like the good story and charachets that feel alive. The game is well done, although it feels more like expansion then a second part. Story is better this time around, its more logical with better character evolution. Gameplay is much better, three classes(actually four, as the hunter class has two completely different trees) push you to level up all of them ae they are so distinct - warrior specializes in melee combat with either in and out skirmish attacks or tanking the mobs, Hunter rolls with guns and burst damage, Thaumaturge either controls the battlefield and mobs with various spells, or destroys them with wallw of fire, ice and wild energy. This class has lots of drawing, holding and fast clicking skills. The last class is the Arcane Mechanic - he uses various gadgets and can summon awesome mechanical spiders to fight for them - this changes the gameplay completely.

    Environments are different, and some of them are so beautiful and atmospheric with nice weather effects.

    Enemies range from forest creatures, to lots of mechanical and steampunk mutants and to even few undeads. Game could use more undeads actually but they probably saving it for next part. I loved the minigames - one is tower defense(totally skippable if you prefer that), and second is a resistance management game where you decide who to send on which mission. Your chimera pet also gives you choice - do you take it with you as a helper or send it on the hunts for some special items?

    Loot - there is plenty of it! Swords, axes, pistols and staves, and some more. Skills are flashy and impactful, although some of them feel not logical(I know its an ARpg) and not balanced.

    So few things for me detract from 9 or 10 - the game coukd be longer, choices could have more impact, Ui could be cleaner, more enemy types, more rounded story without such obvious sequal bait and better villain.

    So there you have it, bargain for the price - 8 out of 10 for me.

    P.s. Dont forget to check the ingame journal, its awesome    … Expand
  15. orctown-troll
    May 30, 2014
    10
    Neocore, I love you. A good game at a nice price. Nothing to cry about here, and a lot to appreciate when you actually get into it. A nice evolution from the first game. People with complaints haven't bothered to play enough and find out how much there is to see in this game. Very much looking forward to the third in the series.

    orctowngrot
  16. LauraPax
    Jun 15, 2014
    9
    Van Helsing II is an entertaining experience, full of variety of play and witty and often hilarious dialogue between Van Helsing and Lady Katerina. A lot of the play is old Diablo II style, which most gamers fell in love with and which Diablo III failed to replicate. The Van Helsing series is like a steampunk version of Diablo. VHII is steampunk in the sense that you are fighting in aVan Helsing II is an entertaining experience, full of variety of play and witty and often hilarious dialogue between Van Helsing and Lady Katerina. A lot of the play is old Diablo II style, which most gamers fell in love with and which Diablo III failed to replicate. The Van Helsing series is like a steampunk version of Diablo. VHII is steampunk in the sense that you are fighting in a world of mad science and machines (and you get to use guns and not just the traditional RPG swords.) The music is hypnotic and beautiful. Beginning VHII, you have the choice of three ways to play Van Helsing. I chose Van Helsing classic, because I like the traditional hat-and-cape, gun wielding character, but you can choose from two other character versions, including "arcane mechanic." This game is different also because you are in command of a team of four experts and you send them out on missions. If you don't like the "traps" mini-game from VHI, you can assign one of your experts to do it instead. I thought the traps game was harder in VHII. I couldn't win it and so I assigned it to one of my captains. I have no idea whatsoever why this game was only $15. It's worth at least twice that. Although I only played for 30 hours, the game has good re-play value, since you can alter the character and it is easier to fail quests (and there are far more "Easter eggs") in this game than in other games of this genre. There are lots of ways to vary the game experience and you may want to replay parts of the game to see if you can succeed where you failed before. I like the variety of matching armor sets you can collect, too. I only rated the game a 9 because of a couple of technical things. I could never get my "chimera" to come when called. The "summon" button didn't work. Also, I couldn't use the rune crafting machine. It wasn't intuitive like the essence insertion one. I loved this game.… Expand
  17. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    Van Helsing 2 continues and expands on the gameplay of its predecessor in predictable, but satisfying ways. Beginning with the ability to import a saved character from the first game, II delivers an additional thirty levels of experience, new items, skills, quests, tower defense levels, enemies, quests, and sarcastic retorts from the ghostly Lady Katerina. It is more linear then the firstVan Helsing 2 continues and expands on the gameplay of its predecessor in predictable, but satisfying ways. Beginning with the ability to import a saved character from the first game, II delivers an additional thirty levels of experience, new items, skills, quests, tower defense levels, enemies, quests, and sarcastic retorts from the ghostly Lady Katerina. It is more linear then the first game, with fewer sidequests overall but more tower defense levels, and additional side mechanics that allow you to send out NPC captains to perform offscreen missions, rewarding you with additional gold and items, and an additional pet with customizable abilities. The equipment-modding obsessed can now alter their equipment in an additional way, via stat-increasing runes. While Van Helsing II treads ground already heavily traveled, it is nonetheless an excellent Diablolike and arguably a better singleplayer experience then many other titles in the genre, due in no small part to Van Helsing's both varied and powerful skillset. My hunter-class Van Helsing was capable of dealing extraordinary damage both to single targets and in an area, but was also very survivable thanks to a lot of lifesteal. The game is significantly easier on its normal difficulty then other titles in the genre, including the first Van Helsing, but offers two additional difficulty levels beyond that along with repeatable, randomized, high-level dungeons for the discerning munchkin. I will be proceeding directly to Van Helsing III and what I hope is a thrilling conclusion to the trilogy, and I will look forward greatly to Neocore's recently announced Warhammer 40,000 ARPG, Inquisitor - Martyr.… Expand
  18. MustisTheCat
    Feb 25, 2015
    8
    Very good, laid back action rpg. I bought it because I was pleasantly surprised with the first Van Helsing and I was not dissapointed. Was the sequel improved? Well, yes. But I do not feel any of the improvements actually enriched the game. Many things are the same as in the 1st part, so this can even be called and expansion pack. There will be Van Helsing III and I`m sure than all of themVery good, laid back action rpg. I bought it because I was pleasantly surprised with the first Van Helsing and I was not dissapointed. Was the sequel improved? Well, yes. But I do not feel any of the improvements actually enriched the game. Many things are the same as in the 1st part, so this can even be called and expansion pack. There will be Van Helsing III and I`m sure than all of them could be made into just one game. Nevertheless, it was 15€ at premiere so it is worth it.

    Overall I should say I had much fun with it. Except for the bugs, which are still in the works 10months after release, it is a must buy for aRPG fans.

    STORY
    The story picks up on where Van Helsing I ended. It is quite generic but not too boring. The sidequests are a bit tedious. I liked all the minibosses and the endbosses (yes, there are two of them). The ending is very weak. Also, I felt that all of the banter between Katarina and Van Helsing was very weak. Same should be said about some cameo`s which were corny. Still, 34 hours of gameplay is not bad.

    GAMEPLAY
    I am somewhat confused about this. The gameplay is overall fun though it is hampered by bugs. I had many CTDs and some graphical bugs and that made me a bit nervous. Had to search for answers on the forums and even then I did not find an answer to my troubleshooting. I had to test the graphic options for a few hours.
    Other than that it is still Van Helsing. I started from lvl 30 and to be honest it was quite hard at the start. My hardware was simply not up to the task so I had to get new stuff straight from part II to go on.
    The gameplay is very dynamic, using player skills is easy. The AI is not very bright but you face literally SWARMS of enemies at once so it doesn`t matter too much. As in the 1st part, the tower defense sections are very nice and fun with many very cool traps.

    Sadly, the sequel did not improve what should get improved. As in the first Van Helsing, sometimes I had trouble recognizing where to go, I was often stuck at some bushes or crystals which resulted in many cheap deaths. It really can get iritating at times.

    The game features some new stuff with adding runes, getting a Chimera pet but I didn`t find them any interesting. I felt that more should be improved on creating new skillsets and auras, reworking the UI but none of that happened.

    MUSIC
    Same as in Van Helsing I. Very good, never boring. The devs gave OST which is very cool. I don`t mind if they use it in Van Helsing III.

    GRAPHICS
    Not much improvement over the 1st one. Still cool graphics but a little worse optimised. Most of the maps are the same. The user interface wasn`t changed much though it is still good.    … Expand
  19. Aeryx
    Apr 9, 2016
    8
    Having played the original, I had high expectations. And although this didn't improve too far from the original, everything I loved about it is still here. The witty dialogue from the lovely Lady Katarina, Van Helsing, tons of gaming references, fast fluid gameplay, save game carry over from the first installment, base defense, commanders and tons of loot and customizations. This game isHaving played the original, I had high expectations. And although this didn't improve too far from the original, everything I loved about it is still here. The witty dialogue from the lovely Lady Katarina, Van Helsing, tons of gaming references, fast fluid gameplay, save game carry over from the first installment, base defense, commanders and tons of loot and customizations. This game is so packed full of RPG customization goodness that it is hard to fault for lacking in anything. There are some interface bugs which reset my melee attack interface everytime I loaded up the game, which is annoying and some lag. The voice acting is also, seemingly low-skill and low budget at best. But for $15, you really can't complain a lot as there is just huge huge value in this game that far surpasses nasty overpriced turds like Diablo 3. All the money went to development and game improvements. Nothing went to bribing "professional" Game Journalists and Media. No dollars were spent to producing fake expectations and hype. Overall, I love it and yes, I did get Van Helsing 3. Thumbs way up to the devs!… Expand
  20. lorddragonstar
    Jul 12, 2014
    10
    I have had more fun with this game than other other game I can remember in recent times, it is a stellar ARPG for a ridiculous budget. If you played the first this is a must buy. If you haven't played the first one it's still a fantastic game if you like games similar to diablo, titan quest, or torchlight, but I highly recommend the first game as well.

    I did picked this up recently    I have had more fun with this game than other other game I can remember in recent times, it is a stellar ARPG for a ridiculous budget. If you played the first this is a must buy. If you haven't played the first one it's still a fantastic game if you like games similar to diablo, titan quest, or torchlight, but I highly recommend the first game as well.

    I did picked this up recently and I'm not seeing all the bugs other reviewers have mentioned. I've had a couple of crashes to desktop but the save system has ensured I've never lost a minute of progress, just had to restart the game.

    I love the story. The character voice acting and interactions are top notch - better than most AAA games. The plot is engaging and fun and keeps the player invigorated to complete the next objective. The music is PERFECT, I love the music in this game. The graphics are cool, lots of eye candy spell effects explosions and very nice animations.

    It is fantastically deep, re-playable, and has a fun endgame. You can specialize your character or respect into different builds, you can specialize your ghost companion, you can modify, enhance, and craft your items - in fact it has one of my favorite item crafting systems because it uses a number of different modifiers but each one is simple. Want an enchantment? Pay gold to the enchanter and get a random enchantment. Don't like that one? Remove it and pay for a new one! Quite easy, and when you do have the enchantment that you want and get a low roll, that's OK! Reroll to get a higher value (at the cost of gold)! Of course, you'll need lots gold, lol, which you get by playing the storyline, scenarios, or online.

    I also have to give a shout out to loot explosion lovers like myself. This is the first game in a long time that genuinely gets me excited about loot explosions. Sure, the mobs drop and plop the loot but you also get a chimera that you send on missions, when he comes back you get a loot explosion from whatever he gathered (usually 5+ rares on the higher missions). In the endgame you can do scenarios which drop lots of loot themselves, but you also randomly get keys that let you open up chests in your secret lair that - yes, give you loot explosions and chests can be reopened for each key you have!. It's so satisfying.

    I would pay $50.00 for this game, fortunately I only paid $15.00 and picked up the additional scenario for $5.00 which is rather short but I enjoyed it - a game lovers bargain for sure.

    I seriously can't recommend this game enough.    … Expand
  21. AlistairNY
    Sep 22, 2014
    8
    Great setting, humour and atmosphere make for a fun romp through this pretty, steampunk world. Visuals and voices are very good for a mid-range title. As to how it compares to others in its genre... I couldn't say because none of the others ever appealed enough to make me play them :)
  22. djball
    Feb 28, 2018
    9
    Underrated gem, with a few costly mistakes. Extremely hard boss fights on normal difficulty, defense is crucial, think about your build . The Chimara fights are bloody ridiculous, and the final fight is simply RETARDED!! The Devs are ripped on crack.
  23. Thiago_Fabrizio
    Dec 7, 2014
    10
    Não tenho o que reclamar, o jogo é lindo em gráficos, a ambientação é excelente, o audio é perfeito, a arvore de habilidades é realmente muito personalizada, a jogabilidade é muito boa, o jeito que vc pode controlar a sua ajudante, fazendo a mesma realizar tarefas chatas que vc não quer, tipo "vender objetos na cidade" ajuda muito nesse tipo de jogo.
  24. JoeHoodrock
    Jul 13, 2015
    10
    Hammer Game,es ist an alles gedacht worden.Das Gameplay ist einwandfrei.Die Optische Komponente ist echt okay.Die Umgebungen und die einzelnen Missionen werden Musikalisch,also die ATmosphäre wird so Authentisch wie möglich erstellt.Mir macht das Rollenspiel sehr viel Spaß und man viele möglichkeiten.Ein gutes Game um Chillig zu zocken..Grafik,Gameplay&Atmosphäre sind gute Arbeit,
  25. destinyfan1
    Feb 8, 2017
    8
    a good and addicting arpg with fun boss battles and very good graphics , great gameplay and character customisation ,and at least good dialogs... but i think the story is ( not bad ) but also not good , however their are changes in the game with new story campaign etc... it feels like the same as van helsing 1
    But in my opinion a great arpg that will keep you playing for maby weeks , but    a good and addicting arpg with fun boss battles and very good graphics , great gameplay and character customisation ,and at least good dialogs... but i think the story is ( not bad ) but also not good , however their are changes in the game with new story campaign etc... it feels like the same as van helsing 1
    But in my opinion a great arpg that will keep you playing for maby weeks , but not as good as diablo 3    … Expand

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. CD-Action
    Aug 25, 2014
    80
    As expected the sequel is massively improved and expanded (e.g. with two more character classes) in comparison to the original game. If it weren’t for Path of Exile and Reaper of Souls that got me my fix of hack’n’slash, I would be playing Van Helsing II till the third part appears. [08/2014, p.54]
  2. 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]
  3. 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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »