Fangs for the memories

Lords of Shadow may not have been the Castlevania game everyone wanted, but I mostly enjoyed it for what it was, and that ending was to die for. It was the perfect segue into Lords of Shadow 2, which has been teased for nearly four years now as the return of Dracula -- the main man himself -- and a culmination of the Lords storyline.

Whether that wait was worth it or not hinges almost entirely on how much you enjoyed the first Shadow outing -- if it had ??a? few extra problems added on top of it.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: MercurySteam
Publisher: Konami
Released: February 25, 2014
MSRP: $59.99

With all of the pieces in place, Lords of Shadow 2 really has a chance to bear its fangs and show us what the vampire of all vampires is really made of. But I can't help but feel like for the most part, this use of Dracula is a wasted opportunity. The gimmick here is that after many years, Dracula at long last has arisen in a modern-day setting, taken aback by the skyscrapers that tower over his once-great castle. If you haven't joined him on his adventures before, a quick 15-minute intro will sum up the first game and Mirror of Fate.

The story never really drops to the embarrassing levels of "Dracula 2: Vamp in the Big City," but it just feels so uninspired, and almost unfinished -- like the writers had a really goo?d idea and had to ??fill in the gaps along the way. Patrick Stewart's always stellar voicework as frenemy Zobek attempts to save the day despite the script's best efforts, but the generic "Satan is coming, you must prepare" plotline is paper thin.

The problem is we never really have the chance to care about Dracula and his plight, because of so many side distractions tangential to the plot, and the fact that it takes forever for him to "power-up" to his full potential. You're ?also constantly reminded of areas that you "?can't reach yet" by way of giant camera pans and on-screen text -- not exactly the most empowering of scenarios.

This is exacerbated by Drac's voice actor Robert Carlyle, who doesn't really bring his best to the table when playing the iconic character. It's definitely a big robe to fill, but I was expecting ??a little more emotion than what he eventually recorded and signed his name to.

One of the afore??mentioned distractions is the bizarre focus on stealth in many portions of the game. These sections are headlined by "Golgoths," denizens of Satan and essentially demonic cyborgs. In terms of the actual stealth part I'm not talking mildly irritating concepts like "if enemies see you, they'll attack you on sight" -- I'm talking sometimes, it plays out as "if enemies see you, you fail the mission."

While I'm generally a huge stealth fan, I'm of the opinion that it has no place in a Castlevania game -- especially one that boasts the ability to play as the Count in all his glory. Matters aren't helped by the fact ??that the all-powerful?? Dracula needs to navigate most of these sections as a rat. Yes, a rat.

Having said all that, Lords of Shadow 2 isn't a complete disaster -- not by a longshot. The vast majority of the game takes place in the heat of combat, which is a blast to play. In fact, it's improved this time around in Lords of Shadow 2. Dracula still has his trust?y whip (cleverly explained by his power to harness his blood as a weapon, combined with his old Combat Cross training), and two other weapons at his disposal: the Void Sword and Chaos Claws.

The sword leeches health when enemies are struck with it, and the claws break their defenses and ?shields. It's straightforward, but it serves as a nice design that encourages you to use all three weapons in tandem with one another, rather than rely on your personal favorite. I know all too well of the temptation to rely on just one weapon type in action games, so kudos to ?the team for making them all viable.

Having said that, the way you need to power them up for use is a bit convoluted. You need to constantly strike at foes with your whip to earn "runes," and when your rune meter reaches maximum, you'll start earning magic orbs for your strikes, pressing in the left analog stick to "suck up" said orbs (kind of like Onimusha) and earn MP.

If you're hit at all, your meter goes down. There's no leeway here. While I personally like this system because it creates more tactical nuances (like ??deciding when to gather orbs) and pla?ces a higher emphasis on the dodge ability, most people will likely find it annoying and cumbersome.

Speaking of the dodge, there's no invincibility frame on it. Most people don't even notice that in games like God of War, Kratos can't be damaged during a certain part of his roll -- they just chalk it up to skill. But here, Dr?acula can be hit basically at every moment outside of a well-timed block, and even then almost every enemy in the game has some form of unblockable attack at their disposal.

As a result, combat can ge?t heated. It's a good thing too, since the enemy models look and act formidable, and when coupled with the top-notch combat system, it makes for a good action romp. Boss fights in particular exemplify this concept, and they're all wonderfully designed both visually and conceptually.

If the entire game was a string of mild exploration elements and fights, I would have loved Lords of Shadow 2 a lot more than I did. In fact, if you could watch my face while playing it, you'd see my eyes would light up during most of the game's combat sequences, and then see me quickly let out a sigh of remorse during a particularly bad trans?ition or over-tutorialized sequence. It doesn't help that the game is around 15 hours long, which wouldn't be a problem if it didn't have so many out-of-place elements.

It does help that there's an awesome challenge mode built into Lords of Shadow 2 that's similar to the old Devil May Cry trilogy's challenge?? rooms. You'll have specific goals in mind like "ki??ll each successive enemy within a time limit," which will test the depths of your action skills. It's here that I found myself longing for all of the winded concepts to be scrapped in favor of more fun arcade-like bonuses such as this.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 could have either used significantly more development time, ??or significantly less. Either way you slice it, ideas that just have no place in the game could have either been expanded upon or pared down to the point where it doesn't feel like Dracula was wasted. T??he good news is action purists looking for a good time will have fun skipping past the story and laying waste to everything in their path -- once they're done doing rat quests, of course.

The post Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Well, ridiculously long swords are something too

Vampires sure do have a one-track mind, eh? Everything with them is all blood, blood, blood, blood, blood. Blood is family. Blood is power. Blood is everything.

We get it. Vampires like blood. Gallons of the stuff. This Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 launch trailer has no problem boldly reinforcing that stereotype. But, I guess a game about vampires?? and their newfound macramé hobby isn't nearly as in??triguing.

The post Blood is everything in Lords of Shadow 2 trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Check out one of the boss fights

The Toymaker was first introduced in Mirror of Fate, and he returns for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Dracula is looking for ??the Mirror of Fate, and when the Toymaker is about to p?resent one clue pointing to the mirror he gets floor molested and turned into a big jerky boss fight.

I'm actually really looking forward to Lords of Shadow 2, it's just something about this boss fight that kind of tu??rned me off. I think it's the lack of music. What's up with that? Is Konami worrie?d about getting flagged some weasel claimer?

The post The Toymaker returns in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ??2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Dracula Unchained

In 2010, Konami took a chance on the obscure Spanish development studio MercurySteam to create a reboot for one of the most adored and quoted game series ever. While Castlevania: Lords of Shadow went on to become a popular seller and was admired for its storytelling and action, it was a also a polarizing entry among fans of the series.

Now, the developers are back with their next and final title in the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series -- and they fully intend on leaving their mark on the franchise. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is daring, shows the clout that the developers earned from their previous o??uting, and also marks the first time we'll get to play as the infamous Dracula.

Destructoid was invited out to play the first few hours of the game, where we also had some time to chat with game producer?? Dave Cox. We got to see firsthand what it took?? to bring this iconic character to life, and how the developers at MercurySteam plan to make the series relevant again.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3 [previewed])
Developer: MercurySteam
Publisher: Konami
Release: February 25, 2014

Lords of Shadow 2 does well to try and ease players back into the action. In the opening level o??f the game, which takes place in the past during Dracula's prime, his castle is being raided by humans looking to vanquish him in the name of God. This epic and fairly ambitious area serves as the tutorial, where players learn the ins and outs of the combat and traversal gameplay. The controls are largely untouched, but feel much more tight and responsive than the previous game.

Eventually, the Prince ?of Darkness succeeds in wiping out the army of Paladins and their man-made titan, but not before being surprised by the appearance of his son, Alucard. This sets the stage for what follows in a story that transcends the bonds of family and time itself.

Immediately after the twist ending of Lords of Shadow, we find Gabriel Belmont, now known as Dracula, in a weakened state. After his resurrection from his defeat in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate by the hands of h?is own kin Simon Belmont and Alucard, he ventures out into the modern world looking for answers. With the promise to free him of his immortality by Zobek, a central villain from the pr?evious game, Dracula must reacquire his powers and strength to defeat the army of Satan and prevent his return to the modern world.

It's clear that everything in Lords of Shadow 2 is going for a much darker tone, and far more personal storyline. As the end of the former Belmont's story, MercurySteam plans to tell an uncompromisingly dark and sinister tale of redemption. And when it gets dark, it really gets dark. That includes placing ??players in positions that would disturb and trouble many. When Zobek realizes that Dracula won't last long in his weary state, he places the Prince of Darkness in a secured room, along with a frightened and helpless family of three.

From here, players enter a first-person view and mus?t go about slaughtering and feeding on each of them to replenish the Prince of Darkness’ powers. As you can imagine, this scene is very tough to stomach, let alone play through -- and the game pulls no punches as killing off one member of the family will cause the others to panic and become paralyzed with fear. It was sickening, painful, and heartbreaking to witness; however, this scene is incredibly effective in illustrating that Dracula is NOT the good guy of this story.

I can already tell this sequence will be controversial, and may cause som??e to feel conflicted about the main character, but this was something that Konami and MercurySteam were very sure of conveying in their story.

"That scene caused a lot of discussions between us and the marketing guys, as they believed we went too far," said Producer Dave Cox while discussing the feeding scene. "But we thought this wasn't going to be a Twilight or True Blood vampire, this is going back to what vampires used to be. Scary, evil. This is a character that has feelings and has emotions, but this is a guy who?? is not afraid?? to do horrible things."

Not long after restoring his powers, we regain control of Dracula and must explore the modern world. As we progress further with? our playthrough, things begin to open up. Gone were the awkward and jarring chapter breaks from the previous games, replaced with a more organic, natural flow. More ??and more, the linear progression faded and we were presented with choice and room for exploration. This title is not a simple improvement over the original, it is an evolution from years of design work and refinement that attempts to create a world that is alive and without limits.

As many fans know, the original Lords of Shadow moved away from the famous Metroidvania style and flowed in a more traditional linear progression and focused ??heavily on set-piece moments scattered around the various levels;  his of cour??se was the first thing that MercurySteam wanted to do away with.

"We wanted to present everything seamlessly," said Dave Cox while discussing the world design. "In the beginning it's a very linear experience, but as you progress and explore the world it becomes more and more open. We did a lot of research with the fanbase, got the fans involved and asked for their opinions about what?? they wanted to see for the sequel. Almost every single person said they wanted to explore more and return to previous areas for new content."

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 sees a return to the open-ended approach in the vein of series titles following the Metroidvania design formula. While the developers were keen to move away from that label, they sought to evoke the same level of gradual open-world progression and exploration seen in titles like The Legend of Zelda and Batman: Arkham Asylum. Lords of Shadow 2 takes thin??gs much further by including?? the connection between two unique open worlds.

Yes, there are two open-world settings to explore, each one possessing a unique setting and content such sidequests, NPC characters to interact with, and lore journals to collect. While fans might anticipate callbacks to the inverted castle of Symphony of the Night, the two worlds presented are wholly unique and?? independent from one anothe?r.

As Dracula's Castle is set seemingly in the past, you'll encounter enemies and allies alike from that time period. The enemies range from humans, to the undead, that use traditional swords and magic to battle Dra??cula. Moreover, the layout of the castle represents a classic gothic style in keeping to series aesthetic. However, things change once Dracula is within the open world of the city.

In the modern day, Satan's army has taken to the abandoned and derelict streets of the ci?ty, utilizing more advanced means to battle Dracula. These include giant robots, firearms, explosives, and power armor for the weaker minion?s.

During the span of 10 minutes, our session saw Dracula battling waves of Paladins while exploring and completing side-objectives in his castle, and then transporting himself back to the moder?n day where he battled Lycans and Satan's Acolytes controlling mech suits complete with missile launchers. It was mind-blowing to say the least. You'd think something so different stylistically couldn't work, but it does.

In many ways, the developers at Merc?urySteam sought to make a sequel that solved all the issues and criticisms of the original. As ??they were hampered by technical limitations for the first game, they spent the first nine months of development crafting a brand new engine to handle the scope and vision of their epic story. One of the benefits of the new engine allowed for the inclusion of a fully controllable camera.

One such issue that has th??ankfully been fixed was the severe frame-rate issues of the original, which were often times below 20FPS during gameplay. With the performance of the new engine, the game now runs at a solid 30FPS without visual hiccups hindering the experience. With the solid frame rate, players can marvel at the stunning art d??irection that evokes the series' past while showing a new spin on the classic style.

Although many of the new features present in the game may put off some fans, at its core, Lords of Shadow 2 is functionally the same as its predecessor -- yet it includes far more depth and content. In particular, the t?alent at MercurySteam wanted to include a larger focus on skill and variety to experience. One such area that benefits is the combat, which is more refined and tighter than ever.

Though Dracula's powers are vast, he will still need to utilize dodging, blocks, and other strategies to wear down his enemies. The focus system from the previous game returns, where performing efficiently in?? combat can earn magic power ?to fill up both Light and Dark magic meters.

"It's a thinking-man's hack-n-slash," Cox explained. "That's how I've always described it." A key element that MercurySteam wanted to include in combat is a greater level of variety and focus on tactics. Dracula is now armed with three central weapons, including his iconic whip. The light magic-focused Void Sword can freeze enemies and heal the Prince of Darkness' wounds, and the dark magic-powere??d Chaos Gauntlets can break enemy defenses with flame attacks.

Like the original game, the use of light and dark magic plays a key role in combat. With both forms of magic, Dracula can heal himself and increase attack power of his moves. As the sword and gauntlets require light and dark energy to work, there is greater incentive for players to utilizes Dracula's offensive and defensive skills to exploit the benefits of th?e focus system.

The Prince of Darkness also possesses an arsenal of relics to assist him in his fight against Satan's Acolytes and the Belmont clan. As a more advanced version of the ??sub-weapon system, relics function on a cooldown system and are powered by Dracula's blood energy.

The daggers make a return in the f?orm of the shadow daggers, but a brand new relic called Stola's Clock allows Dracula to manipulate time. During combat he can create a temporary circle on the ground where time is slowed along with anything else in it. This allows for some interesting chances for combos and crowd-control.

It's pretty easy to become overwhelmed, unfortunately not for all the right reasons. While you have a number ??of options during combat, the action can get hectic and visually busy at points, which can become a distraction. Hopefully, the developers can tone it down a bit before release.

It's not often you're playing as Dracula -- the vampire in fiction -- and t?he developers wanted to truly make players feel as if you were controlling a supreme creature of the night.

"We wanted to tell Dracula's story, we wanted to present a character that had depth and depiction and wasn't just another Bela Lugosi depiction of the character," said Dave Cox. "From the previous Castlevania ti?tles he was a one-dimensional character. We wanted to present a character that had shades of grey."

In addition to his prowess in combat, he possesses many unique and interesting abilities that take advantage of his vampiric status. The fan-favorite Mist form returns and lets players enter special areas and evade waves of enemies while traversing through the world space. Another skill is Possession,?? which allows players to control the minds and bodies o??f enemies for their own benefit.

Surprisingly, stealth can be a much better option when traversing through new ??locations. As some enemies possess skills and items which can prove fatal to the Prince of Darkness, it's best to get the jump on them whenever possible. During an early segment from our session, Dracula snuck his way into a massive pharmaceutical factory controlled by Satan's army and came across a special enemy utilizing modern weaponry. Using his powers, Dracula possesses a small rat and sneaks past this foe to use a special stealth takedown to enter its body and venture further in disguise.

Of course, when things get too tough in a fight,? Dracula can call upon his powers to transform into a dragon and unleash a massive attack on all nearby foes. Unfortunately, while you don't control this beast, you do get to watch a short but satisfying cutscene of him morphing into a massive beast and unleashing his fury.

When you view both games side by side, it's clear that they both contain different design philosophies and ideas. While one game was limited by technology and time, the developers found no constraints for the sequel and were left unshackled by the past. In many ways, and if I may be so bold, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 represents the Symphony of the Night of the Lords of Shadow ser??ies. In terms of sheer expansion and game-changing elements. It's like night and day. So to speak.

In a year with so many heavy hitters, it's best not to underestimate MercurySteam's new and final entry in the Lords of Shadow series. With a campaign spanning over 20 hours, improved world design, and a strong reverence for the source material that's still not afraid to tell its own story; Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a title to watch out for.

Even in the first few hours, its ambitions could not be contained by the tutorial and opening segments. Konami and MercurySteam certainly have a winner on their hands, and this game is poised to become one of the biggest surprises of 2014. As this is the conclusion of the Lords of Shadow storyline, they have every intent to ??make sure it will not go out ??quietly into the night.

The post Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is ??bold and uncompromising appeared first on Destructoid.

Voice acting talent is impacting character development in a big way

While there was a ton of news about Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 a few weeks? back at San Diego Comic Con, we did have a few more tidbits to share from a joint session with the voice of Gabriel Belmont/Dracula, Robert Carlyle, and producer Dave Cox.

According to Cox, in the early planning stages, "[Gabriel Belmont] was much more of a big, muscly, barbaric, almost Conan-style character, and when Robert came on board, we realized we nee??ded to make him more of an every-man, a more realistic character," to which Carlyle agreed, "This team was really open to interpretation and gave me a lot of leeway to give this performance some gravitas and emotional wei??ght that it needed."

Also of interest was where the character of Dracula stands today in the development process: "... In fact, we’re still tweaking the character on a daily basis to establish the character as fitting Robert’s performanc??e."

Would a muscly, barbaric Gabriel Belmont have worked for you? Has Robert Carlyle's voice done much for you in Lords of Shadow and what you've seen and heard from Lords of Shadow 2?

Check out a few photos from the session below.

The post Lords of Shadow 2’s Dracula still evolving as a character appeared first on Destructoid.

New abilities, music, and camera system shown

In an unexpected surprise here at Comic Con, Konami showed off an extensive hands-off gameplay walkthrough detailing more of the game’s systems, music, and environs. The demo took place a brief time after the events seen in the E3 demo, after Dracula has awoken from his thousand-year slum??ber and is exploring his castle in an effort to reclaim his lost power.

There are more reasons than ever to be excited about this game, so find out ??w??hat it was all about below.

As noted, the new gameplay shown was contained within Dracula’s castle. I found it to be dark?, moody, and showi??ng signs of decay, and I have to say first and foremost that the music accompanying this area is amazing. We heard building string work that was ominous yet adventurous, and had a strong sense of melody. I can’t wait to hear more of this soundtrack, which we know will feature a return of composer Oscar Araujo.

We were introduced to the free-range camera that allowed us to fully explore our surroundings as well as spot different routes and secret areas that were not accessible at this time. These areas, we were told, will require backtracking once we acquire abilities such as the double jum??p or mist transformation. This kind of exploration with often turn up hidden relics which can be used to heal life points, increase the amount of experience gained for a duration ??of time, or even allow you to transform into a dragon.

Another key feature that was re-emphasized was the focus system, whereby attacking your enemies builds up a gauge that, once filled, allows you to use the special abilities of your three weapons: the shadow whip, void sword, and chaos claws. Getting hit reduces your focus, so it’s important that you play this game well to succeed, and even our expert demonstrator had difficulty at times, so look forward to a challenging experience. Additionally, there are specific skill trees for each weapon that?? can be leveled up, and once a particular skill is mastered, you can improve the effectiveness of that particular weapon.

At this point in the game, we had access only to the shadow whip, but were attempting to acquire the void sword. Along the way, we encountered some marvelo??us feats of sound design as a chaotic whirl of whispers, screams, and chanting filled the corridor while the floor fell away, giving rise to geysers of?? blood and stone. Upon retrieving the void sword on the other side of the corridor, the pools of blood and crumbled stone came together to form a stone golem, who proved to be quite a challenge, and exploded in waves of blood when defeated.

Several trappings from the first also game m?ade a return as well, including the travel book that contains a combo list, bestiary, and lore section to read up on the game’s characters and locales, as well as knight’s scrolls to tell the game’s back story.

From here we learn that there are forces persuading Dracula to leave his castle, while the castle itself is rebelling against its master to prevent him from escaping. The powers luring Dracula away from his castle are represented by the ghost of his son, Trevor, who gives Dracula the white wolf medallion to travel between the castle and the modern city areas, while the castle itself senses Dracula’s desire to escape and devises ways to stop him, usually involvi??ng the appearance of pools of blood that hinder his progress and turn his minions against him.

This desire to prevent Dracula’s escape culminates in a battle with one of Dracula’s former minions, the vampire orc. This battle was particularly gruesome as the foe is able to knoc??k you down and drive a sword straight through your chest, requiring a series of button presses to remove the sword and beat back the enemy. We were introduced to weapon abilities? as well, including  freeze projection for the void sword that not only acted as a means to freeze enemies in battle, but can also be used in exploration to freeze water elements to solve puzzles and move forward.

At the end of the demo, I found myself particularly excited about the prospect of exploring the world of Lords of Shadow 2 and discovering its secrets for myself. One of the goals of the team is to make the combat interesting, and I ??think the variety of weapons and skill ??trees will do just that.

The post New Lords of Shadow 2 gameplay e??mphasizes exploration appeared first on Destructoid.

Next Castlevania will have to come from new team

Speaking with producer Dave Cox at San Diego Comic Con about Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, ?we found ourselves surprised by the candid response we received when we asked about the future of the franchise:

"I’ve always thought that this was a torch being passed down," David told us. "Nobody on the team ever felt like we owned Castlevania. We always felt it was our re?sponsibility now but it wou?ldn't be ours forever. Let’s do what we’re going to do, tell our story, and move on.

"So we’ve told Japan headquarters that this is the last ??one for us... there’s nothing worse than when somebody’s got something to say, and when they’ve said it, they just keep talking. We’ve got a beginning and end, and it’s a cool ending and a cool story. Once we’ve done that, it’s time to say to somebody else, 'now it’s your turn.' Maybe it will be a young producer in the company looking f?or his first break. I think you’ve got to bring in fresh blood."

I'd have guessed the team would committed to a trilogy, and given the success of Lords of Shadow, I'm even more at a loss. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this i??conic franchise.

More from this interview will be coming in the next couple days, but in the me?antime, chime in and let us know if this news surprises you. Any thoughts as to what might be next?

The post Dave Cox: Lords of Shadow 2 is ‘the last one for us’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Nine screenshots to sink your fangs into

Have I ever mentioned that I'm really looking forward to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2? It was my personal favorite game at E3 last month, but Konami gave us some hands-on time with the PC version here at San Diego Comic Con. We have to tell you... it looks and plays? a lot like the console experience. This was probably reinforced by the fact that we played it with a console controller on the PC.

In other news, Konami has released a ?new bat??ch of screenshots that are looking pretty tasty.

Check them out below and let us know if this one's doing? anything fo?r you yet. Will you be picking it up the console or PC?

The post We played?? Lords of Shadow 2 on PC, plus new screens appeared first on Destructoid.

Dracula, dead and loving it

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 had a new trailer to show off during Konami's pre-E3 event, and it's looking pretty good. There's tons of biting, slash?ing, and jumping action abound in this fairly lengthy video, showing off some of Dracula's new and improved moves.

Konami states that this is the "epic conclusion" to the Lords of Shadow saga, and that the game will "explain the story of Dracula in greater detail.??" Some characters return from the original, including the Patrick Stewart voice Zobek, who was probably the bes?t part of the first game.

You know what? This looks pretty good! Although I had my issues with the first game, I think it was a good experience overall, and I'm really interesting in seeing what M??ercurySteam doe??s with the modern setting, the open-world concept, and the tale of Dracula.

The post Patrick Stewart ?returns i?n new Lords of Shadow 2 trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Back with a vengeance

Whoa. Castlevania in modern times? What did I miss? I really need to get Lords of Shadow out of my backlog in preparation for the sequel. This brief trailer for the ?game was broadcast during the 2012 Spike VGAs, showing a very unhappy Prince of Darkness.

Looks great, visually. According to producer Dave Cox, nothing shown in the trailer is CGI -- it was ??all "captured direct from the game." I have to wonder if we'll be forced to start off weak and build our powers up over the beginning hours of the game. Just this once, I'd rather not.

The post VGAs: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 trailer appeared first on Destructoid.