Fans of the steampunk induced action role-playing title from Neocore Games; The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing will delighted to see that the sequel holds a lot of the same elements with many improvements.
We were able to go hands-on with a preview build of The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II. The game plays very much like other action role-playing games like Diablo but it has a very different aesthetically pleasing element and it stems from the source material of Van Helsing. It is rather easy to get into and play but can be intricate with perks, magic, weapons and various abilities for each of the six available classes. The Gunslinger with his shooting and melee skills, the Blade who has powerful melee attacks. The Spellkeeper, which is essentially the mage with his enhanced magic abilities that stay on the battlefield for a period of time. The Adeptus is much like the normal mage with powerful spells. Then there is the Bombadier who is a master of long to medium ranged attacks. Finally there is the Contraptionist who sets up devices and fights alongside mechanical allies. These aren’t the only ones available, but they help in the scenario mode and can be used in the Campaign mode if you choose to create your own character instead of using one of the stock three that are apart of the campaign. Van Helsing II allows for players to carry their character over from the first game to further improve which will be a much used feature of returning fans.
Fans of the atmosphere in the first Van Helsing will be right at home in the sequel as the steampunk art makes a return. The enemies come in a large variety ranging from grunts to large hulking creations of science experiments. In the level we played we were able to interact with various groups directed by captains who we were able to make decisions for such as falling back, standing their ground or merging with a nearby group. The overall goal was to defend the area from invading enemy forces. Then there are various side-objectives such as helping engineers or taking out the power supply and all allow you to explore the vast expansive area of the map. Following you throughout is the returning Lady Katrina at your side as an AI companion.
Players continue to play action-RPG games like Van Helsing II because of the loot drops and the continuous difficulty change and fans will not be disappointed with that. The drops and selection of weaponry is so vast among the classes from armors and accessories to the two different weapon slots for them. Not to mention the store which has an array of weapons for sale. Featuring over two-hundred and fifty (250) unique weapon models compared to the originals thirty, Van Helsing II is going to give players a lot of choice when it comes to weapons. They are also now able to do runecrafting to further enhance their characters.
The array of choice that will be available in the full game is quite impressive. Players will be able to engage in four-player co-op within the story. Then there is an eight player PVP multiplayer across three different modes. The much loved tower-defense mini-game from the first makes a return with seven levels and double the amount of traps in the original. It also now features over fifty quests for players to take part in.
The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II looks to be a much welcomed improvement over the action-RPG formula that was created in the original and adds so much more depth and content. They essentially went back to the drawing board and doubled everything that they could and added an array of new features such as a trophy system, lair beasts, runecrafting and more character classes to name a few. It is an enhancement in every definition of the word. If you are looking to dive into the steampunk action-RPG world of Van Helsing again, keep your eye out for this upcoming title.
