Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 271 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 198 out of 271
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 271
  3. Negative: 39 out of 271
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  1. neomoonsevin
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    love this game again another awesome IP can we have a sequel Konami Or Kojima please
  2. anfeherle89
    Dec 5, 2021
    8
    very good, very good continuation of the history of the first part, the only bad thing is that you can not watch the complete map of each area, and the end is acceptable, is a very good game, play it.
  3. Marramiau
    Apr 11, 2020
    8
    Me ha encantado.

    Gráficamente para ser un juego de xbox 360 es sencillamente superlativo y la banda sonora magistral.

    El 1 no me gusto porque me recordaba demasiado al god of war pero este en cambio me ha parecido sublime por lo que los cambios que le han hecho le han sentado muy bien.
  4. DarkEpiphany88
    Jan 6, 2020
    2
    What even is this game? I'm a long time fan of Castlevania from the very beginning, and this is a travesty from every perspective. I suppose the graphics are fine, but more than half of this game is finding the ledge to jump on or stealth. I can see that they tried to revive the Lament of Innocence gameplay, which is God of War-esque, but somehow it feels even more limited than that systemWhat even is this game? I'm a long time fan of Castlevania from the very beginning, and this is a travesty from every perspective. I suppose the graphics are fine, but more than half of this game is finding the ledge to jump on or stealth. I can see that they tried to revive the Lament of Innocence gameplay, which is God of War-esque, but somehow it feels even more limited than that system from Playstation 2. I can see why we won't get anymore Castlevania games now.… Expand
  5. Stevesitz
    Dec 15, 2014
    6
    A good stand alone game, but a very very disappointing sequel. Lords of Shadow will always be one of the best Castlevania games, and one of the most playable overall games. I think where LOS2 failed is the mixing of the old and new. This game felt more like the reboot of Devil May Cry (DMC) than it did an open-world Castlevania title. The play mechanics are fun, and it feels good toA good stand alone game, but a very very disappointing sequel. Lords of Shadow will always be one of the best Castlevania games, and one of the most playable overall games. I think where LOS2 failed is the mixing of the old and new. This game felt more like the reboot of Devil May Cry (DMC) than it did an open-world Castlevania title. The play mechanics are fun, and it feels good to upgrade your character as you progress through the story, but once you see that you are working against an evil corporation that is run by evil, it just feels corny. The characters and 'God of War' style game play is fun and strong but the story nearly stops the game in it's tracks. As a fan, this is a disappointing game to end the story of the previous game which easily had the most jaw dropping conclusion I've seen. If you are a fan of the DMC reboot you may like this, but I can say that most Castlevania fans may be completely unimpressed.… Expand
  6. Raiden94
    Jun 19, 2014
    0
    If I had a metacritic account by the time Lords Of Shadow 1 came out, I would have probably scored it a perfect 10/10. That game was perfect in every sense. It was so perfect, infact, that it shamed the God Of War series by doing everything better.
    The developers must have had the easiest job in the world for the sequel, then. Just take the first game, add a new story, improve the    If I had a metacritic account by the time Lords Of Shadow 1 came out, I would have probably scored it a perfect 10/10. That game was perfect in every sense. It was so perfect, infact, that it shamed the God Of War series by doing everything better.
    The developers must have had the easiest job in the world for the sequel, then. Just take the first game, add a new story, improve the graphics and voila: we would have another game of the year contender on our hands.
    But hell no. They decided to scratch EVERY single thing that made the first game great, and instead they churned out this piece of garbage called "Lords Of Shadow 2".
    You see, LoS 2 is no longer a beat 'em up heavy game. No, it's a f*cking stealth game. You heard that right. STEALTH. GAME. Forget about the amazing landscapes, set pieces, puzzles and environments of the first game. 90% of the time in LoS2 is spent in corridors of a SCIENCE LABORATORY. As for the other 10%, well, you spend them playing through weird flashbacks, fetching Mirror of Fate pieces and looking for keys to open doors. Lots and lots of doors.
    There are no puzzles. The only thing I consider puzzling is trying to find out where the game wants me to go. Why can't I jump over this small rock when my jump is clearly higher than enough? Why can't I grab onto this edge when I grabbed onto a similar one a couple hours ago? You'll find yourself constantly asking these questions. The level design is really, really bad. It makes you sincerely question were the developers were for the past 10 years. Thank God for wikis and walkthroughs, or else I would still be stuck in that volcanic level.
    Now, onto the most important part: Boss fights. Did you love fighting titans and bringing down buidling sized monsters in the first game? Well too f*cking bad. There's little to none of that in LoS2. Most of your so called "boss fights" pit you against opponents of your own size. If you're lucky, you'll get to fight someone a little taller than you, and an example of that would be Satan's daughter.
    When you're not fighting, you're doing a lot of stealth. This element makes absolutely no sense. It shouldn't be in the game. There is no reason for it to be in the game. It's just there so the developers could write "we developed a stealth game" in their portfolios.
    Why is Gabriel hiding from this guard? Why does he instantly die upon being discovered, in one single hit, when he brought down a boss 10 times stronger? It's just baffling how little to no thought was put into it. This is a man that defeated TITANS, and here he is, hiding from a single low tier guard. Amazing.
    For all the atrocious faults of the stealth system, I would gladly let it slide if the gameplay was a little bit decent. But, again, HELL NO. The least they could have done was a little research. We have all these amazing stealth games coming out year after year, from the Assassin's Creed series to the Splinter Cell games. Hell, LoS2's publisher has Metal Gear Solid under its name. Use it, you lazy bastards.
    Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 is one of the worst games ever created, and it still doesn't make sense how they screwed it over so bad. Do yourself a favor and stay clear of this game. Such lazy, careless developers do not deserve your money or your attention.    … Expand
  7. GameZoneXtreme
    Apr 29, 2014
    0
    Complete crap. The worst Castlevania game ever made. Such a shame that it had to end like this. Hope another company takes over the series and does much better. Playing as Dracula is the worst idea ever. The sneaking missions were a joke. Just terrible. Wouldn't pay $9.99 for this crap.
  8. paleknight1
    Mar 29, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible game even the first one sucked along with Mirror of Fate which is even sadder that those two titles got a chronicle pack and the 3ds one Mirror of Fate got an HD release. I don't know what they where smoking to come up with this it I mean I do like new gamplay, but not like this. I may only have played the first one yet this one gets boring as fast as the other one in combat. So here is how it goes the main story has a Belmont named Gabriel who becomes Dracula and is the new lord of darkness who is the hero of the game. Apparently it starts off with the brotherhood breaking down his door at the start and he ends up having to fight them off with his vampire like powers which he uses a blood like whip lash, chaotic powers, and a void sword. So after that he fights a giant titan after figthing a gold like angel knight or something and destroys the titan by puking up blood on the crystal. So after he takes down the titan the golden knight angel guy tries to make a prayer after fighting Dracula (aka Gabriel if you forgotten) on a cross as he does Dracula grabs it and makes the same prayer. When Dracula does a huge explosion happens and all the brotherhood knights nearby are killed. Then out of nowhere Alucard shows up (aka Trevor Belmont who was killed by his father and then resurrected in Mirror of Fate) he apparently ties with the story ending there without what happens making oh a plot. So you wake up in an abandoned church in what I am assuming is Europe I don't know its hard to tell. So you do a boring short walk out of the church after a flash back from the first game which doesn't tie in with the story and is completely pointless. It also is never mentioned again in the game and serves no purpose. So after he leaves the church weak as crap apparently he sees an image of his son and follows him down an alley way. This would have been great if he got in a fight with thugs and used them to heal up his strength, but no he gets the **** beat out of him by a monster that appears and nearly kills him. When about to die he gets saved by some guy in armor with a familiar sword which gives an obvious hint to who the guy in the armor is. So he wakes up somewhere murders and drains the blood of three humans a father, mother, and a son. Then he meets Zobek who says he needs his help (You know the guy who was the third Lord of Shadows and betrayed Gabriel before in the first game now they are working together) to stop these guys called the acolytes which are planning to take over the world and Satan would make Dracula and Zobek his personal pets as he says. So Zobek claims to have found the Vampire Killer which said to end his life permanently (Which is not explained too well and also FYI Dracula usually comes back after 100 years, but in this game he came back in a century proving these idiots didn't research too well when developing the game). You know what I will make it short and simple to skip the boring details or somewhat like that quick and simple.

    1. Dracula goes and is followed by trails of blood which is his darker side of him who fights later, and he has to gather items and weapons to gain his powers back.

    2. Meets his servants who are possessed by the evil side of him.

    3. Have to save a city cause there is this acolyte who wants to turn people into monsters, and having these kinda of future englishmen soldiers fight them shooting them with machine guns.

    4. Sneaks in to a base to get a cure with the most crappiest sheath system and use it on the acolyte which doesn't cure, but instead makes him more stronger fighting her to the death.

    5. Meets and fights Victor Belmont and then watches him die which was the most moment killing scene ever in the series of the games.

    6. Fights Carmilla, Toy Maker, Frankenstein, and Pan (The guy he killed when Pan became the Silver Warrior angel think which was a difficult boss fight).

    7. Discovers that the armored guy is his son Alucard and knows the truth of what happened to him for real (Which is not surprising).

    8. Fights Zobek the guy who betrayed him and also lied about ending Dracula's life to put him to rest.

    9. Final and worst fight of the game you fight Satan again, but this time he looks like the lead singer of Dethklok, and has leggings which looked like the ones from the manga and anime Devilman. But wait he doesn't fight Satan, but his son who gets possessed by Satan and he uses Vampire Killer on Satan to finish him with even though the whip in the series says it can not be used by vampires or creatures of the night some how works and kills Satan again.

    10. Well his son is knocked out which Dracula uses his own blood to revive him and they both stare off into the sunset which is not very memorable.

    Bottom line game mechanics gets old, the story is broken and really sucks, shows they put no work hardly into it like Castlevania Judgement, and hopefully they never make more sequels to this game that would be like this. Save your money folks!    … Expand
  9. f3lipz
    Mar 22, 2014
    10
    It's a great game, giving a worthy end to the series Lords of Shadow.
    The only flaw of the game are the moments of Stealth. But apart from that the game is perfect.
  10. Murphmeister
    Mar 21, 2014
    6
    I like it, kind a cool. Well executed from the story side but honestly I thought the ending could have been better. I won't spoil it for you though!!!
  11. Storm1672
    Mar 20, 2014
    8
    Lacking the technical superiority of the PC version, this is a great game. Inferior to its predecessor but as a sequel it does many things right. It's just hard to compete with LoS1. MercurySteam took the hard road and tried to differentiate this game from the first. Not always with success, but this is a different game and I appreciate the effort.

    Technically this is a much improved    Lacking the technical superiority of the PC version, this is a great game. Inferior to its predecessor but as a sequel it does many things right. It's just hard to compete with LoS1. MercurySteam took the hard road and tried to differentiate this game from the first. Not always with success, but this is a different game and I appreciate the effort.

    Technically this is a much improved title, nonetheless the lower horizontal res is obvious as is the res of the effects. It is pixelating all over the place. It takes time to getting used to it.

    The core gameplay is improved and the story is great and dark. Much darker than the first. It has some great atmosphere and lovely art.

    Ok, the stealth segments and the design of the current time places isn't the best, but it is far from being a game of "5" as the reviews try to make it. This is a 7-8 game. I enjoyed its combat and the great conclusion of this story and would like to see more (though I'm not gonna...)    … Expand
  12. cazetta
    Mar 17, 2014
    9
    This game deserves better than 6. It has a gorgeous and one of the most immersive artstyle EVER. The gameplay is not ok at all, I know, but I think the game deserves a try, and the spanish developer had to be good credited!
  13. JohnWitten
    Mar 16, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. [Condensed]

    Concept: Wail on and on about being cursed with immortality, and ultimately flail and rail about the nostalgic older days (Lords of Shadow 1) and sound like Napoleon's uncle Rico dreaming about his old football days in Napoleon Dynamite. That is still a better story than Lords of Shadow 2's botched one.

    Graphics: Some environments, main characters, and bosses look excellent, but the rest of the characters and enemies and modern day setting really bring everything back down, so ultimately the graphics are average for the majority of the experience. There are some definite highlights, and there are some definite low points as well.

    Sound: There are plenty of references in dialogue to older Castlevania games, which is some neat fan service, but no amount of fan service can save the mostly cheesy dialogue and conversations. Understandably, the voice acting itself is great as is the soundtrack, but sometimes the experience is brought down by focusing on stupid things and really running with them.

    Playability: The combat is a blast though it can come down to trial and error at times when facing bosses. However, the stealth segments are laughably bad and strip you of all your powers- which makes no sense and makes for a terrible experience as well. So on the whole playability balances out, with one terrible part and one good part vying for control during the experience. Thankfully combat is more dominant and frequent than stealth segments at the least.

    Entertainment: Whereas the first game was really fun, this is a poorly realized sequel, and just when things were really heating up as well. It's a shame truly that it came out this way, and not like other great sequels such as the recently released Dark Souls 2 which is actually as good or better than its predecessor.

    Replay Value: Moderately Low.

    Overall Score: 7.0    … Expand
  14. BrunoAuditore
    Mar 13, 2014
    10
    I really like this game, but i think that has to be another one. This series needs a 3 game! I really enjoy playing this, i really feel like i was the Prince of Darkness.
  15. Nothingham
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    Esse jogo foi injustiçado pela critica jamais deveria ser classificado como um jogo mediano, merece estar entre os grandes a nota justa seria entre 8.5 a 9.0
  16. paddystudmuffin
    Mar 12, 2014
    7
    This game is decent but far from epic. Game can get pretty boring at points and the graphics are really hit and miss. At certain points it like last gen graphics then sometimes it does look pretty good. There's just something missing with this release. Unlike the first game there are very few interesting enemy types and some of the locations are drab. As I say it definitely worthThis game is decent but far from epic. Game can get pretty boring at points and the graphics are really hit and miss. At certain points it like last gen graphics then sometimes it does look pretty good. There's just something missing with this release. Unlike the first game there are very few interesting enemy types and some of the locations are drab. As I say it definitely worth playing but it's not one to keep for your collection unlike the first LOS which was a solid 9. Pity.… Expand
  17. Augusto_Goth
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Excelente jogo, adorei o jogo, e sem duvida o mais macabro da serie castlevania, o jogo teve toda inovação necessária, e se faz sem duvida muito melhor que o primeiro jogo, na minha opinião, muitas pessoas deram críticas ridículas em maioria dos casos, por terem jogado um pouco após o inicio e desistido, sendo que o jogo realmente começa a melhorar e uma melhora bem drástica após oExcelente jogo, adorei o jogo, e sem duvida o mais macabro da serie castlevania, o jogo teve toda inovação necessária, e se faz sem duvida muito melhor que o primeiro jogo, na minha opinião, muitas pessoas deram críticas ridículas em maioria dos casos, por terem jogado um pouco após o inicio e desistido, sendo que o jogo realmente começa a melhorar e uma melhora bem drástica após o primeiro boss(evitar spoiler).… Expand
  18. Whoami
    Mar 11, 2014
    6
    Game was ok, not as good as the first one... Frankly I'm sick of this over the top melodramatic twighlight story....I guess maybe because there was no real good twist in this game, like the first one... This game lacks..... good graphics though, but wayyy too over the top with this dramatic crap that feels like a womans game.. And I feel like I have a vagina while playing it..Wish I didGame was ok, not as good as the first one... Frankly I'm sick of this over the top melodramatic twighlight story....I guess maybe because there was no real good twist in this game, like the first one... This game lacks..... good graphics though, but wayyy too over the top with this dramatic crap that feels like a womans game.. And I feel like I have a vagina while playing it..Wish I did have a vagina, id play with that instead...… Expand
  19. burtondman
    Mar 11, 2014
    7
    While the Mercury Steam reboot of Castlevania was not an instant classic, it ventured into new territory for the iconic series, delivering excellent yet familiar battle mechanics, good graphics, and an intriguing storyline with a twist very few saw coming. With LOS 2, Mercury Steam unfortunately stumbles but still delivers an enjoyable experience hindered by a few bothersome details thatWhile the Mercury Steam reboot of Castlevania was not an instant classic, it ventured into new territory for the iconic series, delivering excellent yet familiar battle mechanics, good graphics, and an intriguing storyline with a twist very few saw coming. With LOS 2, Mercury Steam unfortunately stumbles but still delivers an enjoyable experience hindered by a few bothersome details that my turn away some players.
    Dracula, being awakened in modern times, is approached by Zobek to assist him in the defeat of Satan once and for all. While seemingly straightforward at first, the game actually consists of the main plot and a secondary storyline consisting of a much more interesting perspective focusing on Dracula. While the story does cross the line into cheesy territory from time to time, I still enjoyed it immensely, though it certainly can be a little heavy handed with sentiment and storytelling aspects. I do commend it for being the first Castlevania game that not only allows you to play as the Prince of Darkness but also explores what makes him who he is, which I found to be very rewarding. These narrative paths jump between the past and the present as you move between Dracula’s infamous castle and the city that is now built upon the fabled dark estate.
    LOS 2 does suffer from an obvious inconsistency: exploring Dracula’s sprawling castle is far more enjoyable than the city. In the castle I found myself trying to recall memories of playing the past games; trying to connect the rooms and chambers I now roamed to memories of days gone by. As to why the castle inhabitants are fighting its master, Mercury Steam does a decent job explaining this to the player through lore pages, a feature I liked in both the first game and this one. The look of the castle and its large, expansive pathways made my time there the highlight of my play session. Mercury Steam does an excellent job giving you enough to add a sense of realism, even to a far-fetched fantasy world such as this. Every enemy and character having a backstory was appreciated.
    My time in the city was a different affair. I found it difficult to traverse from a beautiful, gothic and twisted castle of horrors to the mundane trappings and streets of a modern city. The two worlds just do not compliment each other well, with the former being the obviously more enchanting setting. The gameplay mechanics of the two are the same aside from the mildly frustrating stealth gameplay that is used in the city, although I did not find it as irritating as some other reviews I have seen, since these sections are short and were found to be a nice change of pace from the frenetic action of the fighting system, though it was still odd to be holding the reigns of the infamous Count yet reduced to possessing rats and enemies to navigate laboratories and offices. The game is very large, much larger than the first LOS, and it’s made even more so by a lackluster map and traversal system. Each section of the city and castle has map rooms that must be accessed to fast travel from location to location. Several times I found myself forced to explore areas already cleared out simply because there was no more convenient way of moving from one place to another. Couple that with an almost non existent map of the world, and you have a recipe for wasteful backtracking not seen in a recent game in a long time. If you are a completionist gamer, be prepared to spend a lot of time walking through areas you’ve been in before several times in the illusive search for items and secrets, especially ones you have found before and simply couldn’t access due to missing abilities or weapons. The only upside to this is that you have plenty of opportunities to master the games robust and fun fighting system.
    This is where LOS 2 really shines. The combat built in LOS is improved upon in LOS 2, mostly by the implementation of a mastery and upgrade system. You have two choices: upgrade an attack using XP points, or transfer the mastery of attacks into the weapon itself. This reward system gave me a reason to not only perfect my battle prowess but also branch out from my usual bag of tricks and use attacks I most likely wouldn’t have bothered with, a strategy I ultimately liked.
    All in all, while the second Lords of Shadow does not deliver on it’s many expectations, it still holds enough entertainment for any gamer to find it an enjoyable experience, and I would recommend it to any of my gaming friends. The combat combined with the pristine landscapes of the game and interesting, albeit somewhat overburdened and odd main storyline make for an entertaining experience overall.    … Expand
  20. Pablocortesi
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Castlevania Lords of shadow 2 is amazing .... wooow, a game totally Surprise yourself and full of memorable moments.
    His story loved it, amazing moments, especially knowing that the story is almost the end of the game, with that gabriel reunion with his son trevor united to defeat satan.
    That artwork is worth more than a 10. Completely differ from criticism for this game, I note that we    Castlevania Lords of shadow 2 is amazing .... wooow, a game totally Surprise yourself and full of memorable moments.
    His story loved it, amazing moments, especially knowing that the story is almost the end of the game, with that gabriel reunion with his son trevor united to defeat satan.
    That artwork is worth more than a 10.
    Completely differ from criticism for this game, I note that we have to change the critics, because they do not recognize when there is a spectacular game in front.    … Expand
  21. luminaxster
    Mar 10, 2014
    10
    I am really shocked the way "critics" are so biased. This game delivers, from story and art to music and game-play. They all blend over and over again carrying you to Castlevania, goosebumps all the way... It is beautiful, from beginning to end. During the journey, epic battles will be on one side and then suddenly, strategy comes as a must. Rewarding sensations in your thumbs as youI am really shocked the way "critics" are so biased. This game delivers, from story and art to music and game-play. They all blend over and over again carrying you to Castlevania, goosebumps all the way... It is beautiful, from beginning to end. During the journey, epic battles will be on one side and then suddenly, strategy comes as a must. Rewarding sensations in your thumbs as you deliver every blow.
    As a note, it is disturbing how self-labeled critics present impressions as reviews. To quantify a review it is required a consistent, clear and "objective" method used by all participants.Without it, all reviews are heavily biased. As an example, one of the critics being pissed at the whole game by a stealth mode that last one or so hours at the most of the 20-25 hours total game-play it is way out of proportion. Also, expecting that every game have to be a variation of their perfect game is plain silly.    … Expand
  22. TSHyperion
    Mar 10, 2014
    9
    I was a big fan of the first Lords of Shadow and having just finished the sequel, I have to say I'm very happy with it as well.

    Starting with the obvious, the game is really good looking. The castle and modern city are all really detailed and well designed. Character/enemy/monster design are also pretty good. In terms of the first Lords of Shadow, this game improves on some aspects    I was a big fan of the first Lords of Shadow and having just finished the sequel, I have to say I'm very happy with it as well.

    Starting with the obvious, the game is really good looking. The castle and modern city are all really detailed and well designed. Character/enemy/monster design are also pretty good.

    In terms of the first Lords of Shadow, this game improves on some aspects but loses quality in others. The combat feels better and more challenging than the first, with a lot of variation in the moves and the return of favourites from the first. A few more combo's wouldn't have gone amiss but it's fine how it is.

    I think the plot has a weaker ending than the first which is a shame. Without mentioning spoilers, the ending is quite flat and despite a lot of dramatic build up, feels almost anti-climactic. Ending aside, I thought the plot was quite good though. It introduces a lot of interesting new characters, as well as seeing the return of others from previous games and the dialogue can be cheesy but I think that suits the style of a game wherein you play Dracula himself fighting the hordes of Satan.

    One of the least enjoyable changes from the first game (and what I imagine cost this game recieving higher scores from professional reviews) would be the removal of puzzle sections in exchange for stealth sections. The stealth works well sometimes and I thought the change of pace and logic behind it was acceptable. The major issue however comes from one significant stealth section in the game which is a combination of being very difficult and poorly designed and anyone who has played the game will immediately know what part I refer to. A few other stealth sections also left me scratching my head sometimes.

    They also decided to lose the mission/level based style of the first game and made LoS2 a more open-world experience. On one hand, the level based platform of the original allowed for great variety in set pieces (forests, castles, colossus battles, etc), the world they have created in this game is so well done that it makes you wish the first game had been like it too. The map is huge and explorable in all directions and if you aim for 100% completion, it can take a while to find everything. My only criticism of the open world is that you can never open a detailed map of it and it's difficult to get your bearings sometimes. It also wouldn't have killed to have more quick-transport locations.

    There is a lot of variety in the enemies you face and I'd say every hour or so, the game will introduce you to a new enemy type which keeps the combat fresh as you have to approach each fight with different technique.

    There is a lot of detail written in the historic lore in Dracula's castle through the diary entries of the failed Brotherhood of Light soldiers which make for good reading as well as modern day inscriptions that detail how aspects of Dracula's old castle have been adapted for modern society which are sometimes interesting, ironic or humourous.

    All in all, I think this is a fantastic game that deserves a lot of praise for doing so many things so well. It is unfortunately let down by a couple of questionable game design choices though. I'd go so far to say that if they removed one moment in the game, a lot of other reviews would easily add an extra one on to their score. Potentially more if they removed stealth entirely but I'm of the opinion that these aspects aren't as bad as some critics will have you believe.    … Expand
  23. isturbo1984
    Mar 10, 2014
    8
    This game is great. The biggest selling point of the game has probably got to be the graphics and environments. Mercurysteam outdid themselves with the level of detail on the beautiful environments. The modern-day mirror world of Dracula's castle-turned-into-city isn't quite as breathtaking. But the medieval setting is jaw-dropping. It is apparent in the forced low-res. Stays horriblyThis game is great. The biggest selling point of the game has probably got to be the graphics and environments. Mercurysteam outdid themselves with the level of detail on the beautiful environments. The modern-day mirror world of Dracula's castle-turned-into-city isn't quite as breathtaking. But the medieval setting is jaw-dropping. It is apparent in the forced low-res. Stays horribly grainy at all times, but when you see castle, resolution isn't everything.

    The game is story and character driven like the first Lords of shadow game, but not nearly as strong. The endgame plot to overthrow Satan is pretty shallow, but the characters retain the presence they once did in LoS1. Particularly Gabriel and Zobek. And the "flashback" story is cheap.

    Actual gameplay is actually more classic Castlevania for a change. The combat is a refined God of War -esque, while actual traveling place to place, backtracking and exploration is old school "Metroidvania." Although it was a breath of fresh air from most games, and something to be excited about as a 2D Castlevania fan... the execution doesn't do the subgenre as much justice to a hardcore "Metroidvania" fan as I would have liked. The backtracking and exploration was all optional. and the game pushed you forward through funnel, only necessary to backtrack if you wanted to track down the collectables.

    The game suffers mostly from bias and disappointed gamers. But for what it is, its a great game, a breath of fresh air, beautiful graphics and scenery, open-ended exploration, a refined GoW action combat, and an exciting cast of characters you care about. But it isn't perfect.

    spoiler disclaimer:
    no spoilers for any intelligent human being that properly played through Lords of shadow 1. new to the series? don't start here, lol.    … Expand
  24. Xenugears
    Mar 6, 2014
    9
    As much as I would like to see a proper console follow-up to Symphony of the Night I have to applaud the direction that Lords of Shadow 2 takes the franchise in its closing chapter of this ambitious trilogy. This game attempts to innovate and implement new ideas while also preserving what made the first LoS work and for the most part it's successful.

    The God of War meets DMC gameplay is    As much as I would like to see a proper console follow-up to Symphony of the Night I have to applaud the direction that Lords of Shadow 2 takes the franchise in its closing chapter of this ambitious trilogy. This game attempts to innovate and implement new ideas while also preserving what made the first LoS work and for the most part it's successful.

    The God of War meets DMC gameplay is solid, the puzzles are much improved and more intuitive and the story is compelling. That's all I can ask for. There are still flaws (I agree that the open world aspect could have been more... open) but it's far from mediocre as the review aggregates seem to indicate.

    Playing as a version of Dracula who has awoken in a modern world and mad as hell is something I've been waiting for since the mindblowing ending of the first game. Konami delivers. This is a character that is understandably haunted by his past and attempting recover his full power so that he can finally find peace and while the get-your-powers back plot device may not be original, it's an effective mechanic that, for once, actually makes sense within this game universe. I even found myself enjoying reading about the history and mythos surrounding Dracula that took place after Lord of Shadows. This game offers the deepest protagonist/antagonist in Castlevania history. That's more than enough to bump this game into the green. 8.5/10 but I'll round up to 9.    … Expand
  25. Railgun01
    Mar 6, 2014
    9
    Injusticia, esa es la palabra que mas me ha venido a la mente durante las 23 horas que me ha durado este INCREIBLE Castlevania Lords of Shadows 2. Y es que lo que ha pasado con las notas de este videojuego es algo que escapa a toda lógica y te hace pensar hasta que punto los críticos están comprados o lo objetivos que pueden llegar a ser. Como bien dijo Enric Alvarez (director del juego)Injusticia, esa es la palabra que mas me ha venido a la mente durante las 23 horas que me ha durado este INCREIBLE Castlevania Lords of Shadows 2. Y es que lo que ha pasado con las notas de este videojuego es algo que escapa a toda lógica y te hace pensar hasta que punto los críticos están comprados o lo objetivos que pueden llegar a ser. Como bien dijo Enric Alvarez (director del juego) en la entrevista que le hicieron en Eurogamer..."El que ponga un 4 a este juego (como la revista Edge) o está ciego o es idiota".

    En primer lugar el juego deja de lado el desarrollo por niveles inconexos dando lugar a un Metroidvania en 3D como lo pueda ser Batman Arkham Asylum, Darksiders I y II, Shadowman, Soul Reaver, etc. Es decir, el mapeado ahora es libre, pero tendremos las oportunas "barreras" para no poder explorarlo todo desde un principio, si no que tendremos que ir consiguiendo nuevas habilidades y "gadgets" para ir pudiendo avanzar por el mapa. Curiosamente esto es algo que se ha criticado al juego, alegando que ya no tiene nada de Castlevania cuando es el Castlevania con mayor componente de Metroidvania desde el legendario Symphony of the Night.
    Además el mapeado es bastante grande teniendo en cuenta que hay "pasado" y "presente" y son 2 mapas totalmente diferentes (incluso son diferentes enemigos), los 2 MUY bien interconectados.

    Técnicamente uno de los mayores cambios es que la cámara ahora es totalmente libre (uno de los puntos criticados del 1º juego) y te deja apreciar los APABULLANTES escenarios creador con un mimo y detalle que quitan el hipo, donde, además de no tener tiempos de carga, TODAS las escenas cinemáticas están generadas en tiempo real, se acabaron los vídeos de mala calidad, se acabaron los 30 fps en las escenas, esto en mi opinión es un grandisimo punto a favor y que dice bastante del estudio, ya que podían haber optado por la vía rápida como el resto de estudios y hacerlos pre-renderizados.
    Los modelados poligonales, texturas (algunas mejores y otras peores) y animaciones han mejorado mucho respecto al 1º juego y desde luego que rayan a muy buen nivel (siempre hay que tener en cuenta que el juego ha salido en la obsoleta generación de consolas así que tampoco se le puede exigir remodelados en PC), los efectos de luces y sombras son bastante buenos aunque me habría gustado algo mas de resolución en las sombras.

    Jugablemente en los combates sigue el mismo esquema que en el 1, tendremos la espada del Vacío para curarnos y las Garras del Cáos para dañar, y de arma principal el látigo pero esta vez "de sangre", tenemos los mismos movimientos y cómbos que en el 1, esto en mi opinión si podría ser un punto algo negativo pues podrían haber creado mas cómbos, pero tampoco tenía queja del 1º, así que la única queja que podría tener es de "poco avance" en la mecánica.

    La banda sonora es INCREIBLE y una de las mejores bandas sonoras que ha dado el mundo del videojuego, y pensar que he llegado a leer que la banda sonora del juego es una mierda.... en fin... Óscar Araujo (repetidor en la saga) se ha salido por los 4 costados, con algunos temas ÉPICOS.
    El doblaje ingles también es brutísimo, la voz de Dracula (lógicamente repetidora) suena de verdad "atormentada" e "iracunda", nada que ver con el registro de "heroe" del anterior juego. En general la historia me ha encantado (con GRAN giro argumental incluido) y sobre todo la forma de contarla, pues en el juego esta basado en un pasado "onírico" y en el presente. Lógicamente de esto apenas hablaré por que no quiero destripar nada. Como puntos negativos en este aspecto le pondría dos. Uno sería el final que ha sido bastante simple y abierto. Y el otro que el juego debería de tener una especie de "resumen" de lo que paso en Castlevania Mirror of Fate pues tiene MUCHO que ver con este juego y lo tienes que seguir mas por contexto que por que te expliquen que ha pasado, lo explican pero muy rápido y sin demasiados detalles, y el problema es que el juego no ha salido en PC.... (aún).

    En definitiva, para mi el MEJOR CASTLEVANIA que he jugado nunca, ya podían hacerme un remake de SOTN pero hecho así y con este sistema de lucha, NO DEJES ENGAÑARTE por las notas... por que este juego no es ni de 7, (mucho menos de 4)... yo le casco un 9 como una casa.    … Expand
  26. 1TrueGamer
    Mar 5, 2014
    10
    Very smooth running game with a compelling story and great graphics. i have been a huge fan of Castlevania since the 90's and i try to play every Castlevania game out there. Mercurysteam is doing a fantastic job with the franchise. all in all i would highly suggest buying this game. After buying and beating the first Los. 11/10
  27. antirishad
    Mar 4, 2014
    10
    It deserves a much better metascore than it received, but hey, some reviewers simply don't know how to review games. The adventure, the combat in the gameplay, the length, were all very satisfying, although the story might have been meh.
  28. Kurome
    Mar 2, 2014
    10
    I'll start saying that I wasn't a big fan of the Castlevania franchise, I used to play the first chapters as a child and I liked them, but not enough to make them my favourites. However Lords of Shadow changed it all, I loved it since the beginning, even after those somewhat frustrating platforming sessions or those fights where the main enemy seemed to be the control system itself. ThenI'll start saying that I wasn't a big fan of the Castlevania franchise, I used to play the first chapters as a child and I liked them, but not enough to make them my favourites. However Lords of Shadow changed it all, I loved it since the beginning, even after those somewhat frustrating platforming sessions or those fights where the main enemy seemed to be the control system itself. Then they announced the sequel and the expectations were as huge as the fear it wouldn't be as breathtaking as the first one. I admit that I was scared when I read the first reviews and when I started the game I was full of prejudices and bad feelings towards it. So here I am now, having slept just a few hours in the last days in order to finish the storyline and I still cannot stop. The combat system is astonishingly fluid, exciting and satisfying, the platforming is more enjoyable than ever thanks to the free camera control, the scenery and the musics are just perfect, the plot may be not the most original but is not flawed in any way by this fact and the dubbing is just fantastic. So I was particularly surprised as I tore through the main missions, it really didn't ( and still does not) seem such a bad game as the current reviews would convey. Even the so much hated stealth sessions aren't as much disturbing as they're described. They're obviously not as good as in MGS but they aren't so difficult to make them frustrating and not so ridiculously simple as in AC, besides they are a good way to give to our "hero" the deceiving abilities of Bram Stoker's Dracula, so, since quoting literature inside a videogame isn't a capital offence (until now at least), I can't understand so much hatred towards a single feature that, by the way, isn't nor horrible neither excellent. I admit that my score is not totally objective but since many reviewers judged Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 worse than a bad android game (and probably just on a whim) I don't feel bad about it. In conclusion I would like to say that it is a very good sequel, so I think that who appreciated Castlevania: LOS would like this one too, and it's also a good action game, since is fun, fluid and beautiful to see.… Expand
  29. Jonathanhudon
    Mar 2, 2014
    8
    I certainly do not understand the reviewers. Sure this game is flawed but it certainly doesn't deserve that much hate.

    And for the last time everyone, stop it with that 'god of war, devil may cry' thing. Symphony of the night was a mash-up of super metroid with some japanese rpg element and today, it is considered as a masterpiece. Are everyone that much blased about videogame nowaday?
  30. Max_the_dogg
    Mar 2, 2014
    10
    I don't understand the publication reviews why so low score...this game surely deserves 80+ score. Fun to play! Castlevania: Lord of shadows was a masterpiece and this game ends the saga completely. I have a feeling that publication reviews have some personal issues against the maker of the game.
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Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2014
8
#8 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2014
17
#17 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. MondoXbox
    Mar 10, 2014
    70
    A controversial title, not fully doing justice to the excellent work MercurySteam put in the first game. It sports a very good combat system but stumbles on boring stealth and platforming sessions, with too many cutscene interruptions. However fans of the series will love playing as Dracula and going deeper in the Belmont family story.
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  2. The Digital Fix
    Feb 28, 2014
    60
    If this Dracula seeks eternal rest then as much as we’d love to see him stay alive for one more adventure, perhaps it’s about time a stake was put through his heart.
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  3. Eurogamer Germany
    Feb 27, 2014
    70
    The problem is, the last game did everything much better. I don't think I have ever played a sequel that made me wonder more if the people behind it were fully sure why they did it. In a way, it's no small feat and a testimony to Mercury Steam's considerable talent that they still managed to make this an enjoyable experience.
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