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

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  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. Ansatsu83
    Jan 11, 2015
    7
    This game is not bad at all. I picked it up on a steam sale, for 10 bucks, and it was well worth the purchase price. Its Diablo 2, Dracula style. The dialogue between the main character and his ghost friend is quite funny, at times. The game play is very close to diablo 2, in play, but it just feels great, the universe is good, its just a very good, underrated game. The only complaint IThis game is not bad at all. I picked it up on a steam sale, for 10 bucks, and it was well worth the purchase price. Its Diablo 2, Dracula style. The dialogue between the main character and his ghost friend is quite funny, at times. The game play is very close to diablo 2, in play, but it just feels great, the universe is good, its just a very good, underrated game. The only complaint I really have... Is the voice acting on the generic npcs is very monotone. It feels like they took audio recordings of each word and tried to stitch it together, just feels robotic.… Expand
  4. sh4dow
    May 22, 2015
    4
    Lost interest right at the beginning. Ornithopters spawning like crazy - I'm sitting there just hacking away, barely progressing... so I asked myself: Why am I doing this?
    There is really no good reason to sit at my PC and hold down the mouse button when there is really nothing going on in the game. So I'll play something else. It's a shame because I found the first game very amusing.
  5. 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
  6. CoolDadTx
    Nov 9, 2014
    1
    One of the worst gimmicks I've ever seen. Took the first game, added thousands of extra HP to enemies, had them respawn infinitely in most areas and called it a new game. Some of the bosses have 1mil+ HP. This does absolutely nothing for fun except drag battles against overwhelming odds on and on.
  7. 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
  8. Kerberos07
    May 30, 2014
    6
    More than just a faithful adaptation of a cult TV series. It's a benchmark for translating a favourite property into a video game format, something that other licensed properties could learn from. And it's also the funniest game on the market.
  9. Murphfriend2all
    May 27, 2014
    4
    The solo gameplay is fine, not spectacular, it is redundant. The story is a snooze fest, easily hit escape to bypass it all. This game lacks all sunlight in multiplayer gameplay, it is horrific. After about 2 hours of gameplay me and my two buddies could not, literally could not progress any further due to the constant glitches and bugs. This game freezes like there is an ice age on theThe solo gameplay is fine, not spectacular, it is redundant. The story is a snooze fest, easily hit escape to bypass it all. This game lacks all sunlight in multiplayer gameplay, it is horrific. After about 2 hours of gameplay me and my two buddies could not, literally could not progress any further due to the constant glitches and bugs. This game freezes like there is an ice age on the horizon. It has been like this since day one, nothing has been done to improve this dire situation. Why include multiplayer in the descriptions if it is rendered helpless with all the errors, frozen screens, respawning only to end up stuck and motionless. i picked this title up strictly for its multiplayer coop, nothing else. Where do you apply for a refund.… Expand
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. ShadowDDD
    May 27, 2014
    3
    Buy this game if you want a headache. I pre order is game and have nothing but problems.

    Con:
    This game lag and crash every few minutes.
    The skills is bug to a point you can spam your spell without consuming any mana.
    The game is unbalances.
    Low frame rate.
    Skill Lock.
    When you respawn you have to go through a long long load screen.
    Coop story doesn't save.

    Pro:
    Level one work fine.
  18. crashCourse
    May 27, 2014
    3
    I bought this game hoping to play with my friends but the game kept on crashing and the skills are bugged. I have be trying to get this game to work for a week with no luck.

    I had high hope for this game because it reminds me of Diablo, which I loved. Wait a few months for the developers to fix the game before you consider buying it. If it is not fixed, I suggest you spend your money    I bought this game hoping to play with my friends but the game kept on crashing and the skills are bugged. I have be trying to get this game to work for a week with no luck.

    I had high hope for this game because it reminds me of Diablo, which I loved.

    Wait a few months for the developers to fix the game before you consider buying it. If it is not fixed, I suggest you spend your money else where.

    Pro: The tutorial level worked find. Friends can spawn Lady Katarina like Star Craft's zergs (bugged)
    Con: Bugged and Crashes.    … Expand
  19. 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!!!
  20. 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
  21. TheNikus
    Jul 16, 2014
    6
    I really enjoyed the first game, but this sequel is somewhat of a mess. It is more or less the same as the first game (literally) but with a lot of gimmicks thrown into it that clutter the whole experience (tower defense and army management, pet management, all very tedious).

    Speaking of clutter: the masses of enemies you encounter are insane! Sometimes you'll be dealing with a whole    I really enjoyed the first game, but this sequel is somewhat of a mess. It is more or less the same as the first game (literally) but with a lot of gimmicks thrown into it that clutter the whole experience (tower defense and army management, pet management, all very tedious).

    Speaking of clutter: the masses of enemies you encounter are insane! Sometimes you'll be dealing with a whole screen of enemies all clipped into each other and you'll have to kill them by whaling into the ball of bad guys for 5 minutes.

    The charm of the first game is also lacking. While the first game had its own humor, this one just throws in lame movie references like Terminator.

    My recommendation: Get the first Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing and all its DLCs and you'll have a better game than this.    … Expand
  22. notacarebear
    May 28, 2014
    0
    Uninspired world and storyline, buggy and unoptimized engine, boring and clunky gameplay. And an art director that actually approves this game's assets and its implementation you know will usually pair well with amateur programmers in his studio, and hide "incompetence" behind "indie". All they could do was badly copy-paste diablo 3 (which is even worse to be honest) item stats andUninspired world and storyline, buggy and unoptimized engine, boring and clunky gameplay. And an art director that actually approves this game's assets and its implementation you know will usually pair well with amateur programmers in his studio, and hide "incompetence" behind "indie". All they could do was badly copy-paste diablo 3 (which is even worse to be honest) item stats and progression and put them into a sneezing single-player experience. Good thing is, this tedious game wont last long, since i finished the main storyline in a few hours in hardcore mode.… Expand
  23. LD9000
    Jun 30, 2014
    6
    Mediocre. After playing for a couple hours I have no desire to go back. Given that I've never played the first one, a lot of story seems disconnected - who is Katarina? Why do I have a bunch of soldiers under my command ?
  24. Stemwin2
    May 24, 2014
    4
    This is a game full of trash there is nothing new contrast. But we Haight transistor with good storyline and new gameplay priyyatyn
    Thanks Quarter to Three
  25. BIDMAL
    May 26, 2014
    5
    Major step down from the first part. I could excuse lots of bugs, since it is matter of time till they will get fix. But gameplay became dull and dumb: ability to change difficulty anytime you want, no hardcore mode (you can switch hc/sc for a character anytime too), no balance whatsoever on top of other casual mechanics which we all already got used.
    There were three good things about    Major step down from the first part. I could excuse lots of bugs, since it is matter of time till they will get fix. But gameplay became dull and dumb: ability to change difficulty anytime you want, no hardcore mode (you can switch hc/sc for a character anytime too), no balance whatsoever on top of other casual mechanics which we all already got used.
    There were three good things about the first game - story, gameplay and atmosphere as a result of first two. Now there's only story left, which is pretty short and unfinished with aiming for 3rd part.
    New features like chimera and rune-crafting are insignificant, irrelevant and dull.
    Big disappointment, i felt like it could be a great ARPG after failed D3, but Neocore decided to yield mainstream and casual players as well. And for those there already are polished games from major companies with more content.    … Expand
  26. 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
  27. Borreh1973
    May 28, 2014
    6
    Then immersed in the story is the strongest point of the game that continues where it stopped before. It has expanded skill system and option to start at level 30 lets you develop the game in a more dynamic way, sometimes improving the balance of combat, other times not changing anything in the routine hit-kill-loot.
    But the life bar falls frighteningly fast. 2 or 3 hits and you are lying    Then immersed in the story is the strongest point of the game that continues where it stopped before. It has expanded skill system and option to start at level 30 lets you develop the game in a more dynamic way, sometimes improving the balance of combat, other times not changing anything in the routine hit-kill-loot.
    But the life bar falls frighteningly fast. 2 or 3 hits and you are lying dead, even if you try to drink the potion will not have time to see the red bar back up.
    The main point to justify a middle score (6) is that the game is still a beta test, launched before the time ends. Let the players pay to test and find errors. It is cheaper, is not it? Then release patches correcting and then sell DLCs correcting and rewarding bidder. I see the future of this game (and their creators and their distributors) repeating the past of others. And I do not like what I see.    … Expand
  28. PowerGamer
    Jul 3, 2014
    6
    I really loved the first one. It was really great, kind out of no where to me, pleasantly surprised.
    On first impressions #2 it looked a lot the same. Even the starting level as I recall was about the same.
    Some stuff new, and some new stuff they probably shouldn't have attempted.. There are little one liners here and there, references to "Lord of the Rings", etc., the horrible    I really loved the first one. It was really great, kind out of no where to me, pleasantly surprised.
    On first impressions #2 it looked a lot the same. Even the starting level as I recall was about the same.

    Some stuff new, and some new stuff they probably shouldn't have attempted..
    There are little one liners here and there, references to "Lord of the Rings", etc., the horrible voice acting
    and, or, the flippant way they were delivered was very cheesy.
    For that manner, one of the main characters is horribly voice acted too. He sounded like that one teenage schoolmate you probably had too that could make this constant guttural burp like voice.

    The bottom line, PLEASE have you voice acting professionally done and directed, and, or, have very little of it. Even with great professional graphics and what not with such horrible amateurish voice acting it makes the whole game feel cheap and shallow.

    There is one big nagging problem that made me give up and uninstall it this time around after several hours of trying.
    And that is the user interface/control interface that has to do with battles (which is really what the game is about after all).
    The percentage of the time I could not direct where I wanted my attacks/skills to go.
    I would right click in a direction, or most certainly get the cursor right on my target, but the dumb game would be fooled and think I wanted to move instead! I would click to attack but instead I run right into the enemy..oh great.
    Same problems with other skills like I'd try to put down a flame wall (that I bound on right click).
    A good percentage of the time the game would mess up and no wall was put down, and with no sort of feedback why it didn't. It became unbearably frustrating.
    The game was getting hard at points where I couldn't but help thinking that "humm.. maybe I'd have a chance if the game would just let me control my damn character!"

    For any game really, the #1 thing is..playing it. You got to get that right. The player has to be able to expressively control their character.
    All the graphics fluff (and horribly voice acted one liners) should come AFTER the game play control is solid!

    My advice if you really want to play this game is choose a skill build that has the least directionality to it, instead go for general AOE's that go down with a press/click or ones that are centered on your character et al.

    They had a hit with the first Van Helsing game, now hopefully next time around they will mature as a game company and put enough focus more on actual game play and interface mechanics the next time around..    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. justanhonestguy
    Jan 15, 2015
    5
    Tried Van Helsing 2 never having played VH 1. The mechanics of having a spectral companion was cool, the level design seemed good, production values good, but for me it seemed to be aimed at spamfest fans, and that's just not my idea of interesting.
    I only played it for a few hours before being bored with hundreds/thousands of enemies and no real point other than grinding through them    Tried Van Helsing 2 never having played VH 1. The mechanics of having a spectral companion was cool, the level design seemed good, production values good, but for me it seemed to be aimed at spamfest fans, and that's just not my idea of interesting.
    I only played it for a few hours before being bored with hundreds/thousands of enemies and no real point other than grinding through them with the same skills. I thought the writing and voicing were ok, but repetitive even after a couple of hours. It seems like a decent clickfest if that's what you're into, but all others might want to wait for a deal. Reminded me of the old Gauntlet games. Totally boring to me personally. 5/10    … Expand
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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.
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