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[Card Boy]

Developer: NeocoreGames
Platform: PC
Price: $14.99
Genre: Isometric RPG Loot Hack n Slash
When: Out Now!
Where: Steam

It all seemed so simple: defeat the mad scientist, free the land and ride into the sunset, but sometimes the fall of a villain only opens the way to more sinister foes. So the incredible adventures continue, and Van Helsing, the famous monster-hunter returns to save the day again with the help of his charming, ghostly companion, Lady Katarina. The gothic metropolis of weird science is on the brink of destruction as chaos rules the streets and a new enemy plots revenge. It’s time to enter the dark side of Borgova and the forbidden wilderness, but beware: you are not the only one behind a mask.

• Three playable classes – In the sequel to this gothic-noir adventure, you can choose from three very different classes: the classic Hunter with shooting and melee skills, the magic-wielding Thaumaturge or the Arcane Mechanic, the master of deadly devices, all included in the base game.
• Hunter’s Lair – The Lair returns in the sequel as your perfect hideout to stash collected loot, trade with non-playable characters, teleport between locations, forge new items, utilize the alchemy lab and accept new quests from allies who join the Resistance against the scientific scourge.
• Extended Tower defense mini-game – With enemies invading in waves, you have the opportunity to defend your Lair and other strategic locations with deployable traps and several upgradable functions to ward off evil, now with improved gameplay mechanics and up to 7 levels presented as optional side quests.
• Resistance Management – As the leader of the Borgovian Resistance, you will participate in the micromanagement of the allied troops, improve the equipment of the Resistance fighters or find loot that makes them more powerful.
• Rage system – You can charge up to three skill modifiers called PowerUps on 8 active skills by way of spending Rage points collected from impressive feats.
• Unique companion – Lady Katarina, a ghost with snappy wit, comes to the support of Van Helsing with her own set of abilities, behaviors, and two skill trees.
• Runecrafting – Besides forging, enchanting and infusing items with essences, you’ll have another option to alter items to your liking. Artifacts can be taken apart, shattered into magical fragments to be turned into purely magical runes that can be altered and put on new items, changing them into various new powerful artifacts.
• The Beast in the Lair - The Chimera is a unique creature, an artificial monster straight from the Ink. You can enhance its abilities and summon it into combat or send away to the Ink to hunt for treasure.
• Hall of Trophies - You can decorate the Lair with trophies that give global modifiers to the game world, like empowering monsters, granting more spellpower to all allies or turning Katarina into a more lethal ghost.
• Multiplayer – You and your friends can test your skills against each other via the PVP mode (8 players) or join forces and complete the story in the co-operative campaign (4 players).

Release Trailer
Gameplay Trailer
Features Trailer

 

[killatopak]

Nice OT.

 

[Dolor]

Been playing this almost nonstop. Really an excellent game. Sad that it isn't better known, because it is easily on par with Torchlight in quality.

I am slowly convincing myself that this may be the best isometric ARPG in the genre right now.

 

[DemurOnion]

Gezuz I didn't even think the first one was that old. I still haven't tried it past booting it up. Looks good though.

 

[Atilac]

Gamepad support?

 

[JaseC]

Gezuz I didn't even think the first one was that old. I still haven't tried it past booting it up. Looks good though.

It isn't: the original is just a year old, almost to the day, in fact, which makes me question just how much of 2 is actually new (not that I'm overly concerned since I pre-ordered this for the DLC).

 

[antitrop]

I loved the first one last year, but how is there is a sequel already?

That one launched in an abysmal state and was patched every few days for a month.

 

[KePoW]

This is crazy, already a sequel?

Granted it's only 15 bucks so I can't blame them if there's a lot of re-used assets. As long as the gameplay is fun & polished.

 

[immortal-joe]

Gamepad support?

Was curious so I checked, doesn't seem like it : /

Can only see the "Mouse" icon next to the game on Steam.

 

[Card Boy]

Eh don't see the issue with the 1 year gap to be honest. The game is supposingly better than the first game and it is cheap too. Feels like better value than the Diablo 3 expansion to me.

 

[Sinatar]

[*] Extended Tower defense mini-game – With enemies invading in waves, you have the opportunity to defend your Lair and other strategic locations with deployable traps and several upgradable functions to ward off evil, now with improved gameplay mechanics and up to 7 levels presented as optional side quests.

Did *anyone* like the god awful tower defense shit from the first game? The only real bad bit of an otherwise great game, why would you expand upon it?

Bleurgh.

 

[bobnowhere]

Gamepad support?

From what I can tell it's coming just wasn't available in time for release.

I'm really enjoying it so far, seems a little more polished than the first and allowing you to choose between all three classes without DLC is great. Even though I went through 1 as a hunter as I never got the DLC, the chance to start again as an Arcane Mechanic was too good to pass up.

...and Katrina is snarky as ever!

Though I keep failing the resistance missions even though I'm pretty sure I'm choosing the right general.

 

[Chromax]

I enjoyed the bit of the first game I played. How's the loot system and endgame in these games?

 

[Dynamic3]

Is this what Reaper of Souls is to D3, or a true sequel? I had the original on my wishlist but I'm wondering if I should just jump to the second.

 

[Card Boy]

Is this what Reaper of Souls is to D3, or a true sequel? I had the original on my wishlist but I'm wondering if I should just jump to the second.

It's sequel and standalone game. Get the first game aswell just don't play on the hardest difficulty as you will be tearing your hair out. Original is amazing and they have fixed most of the launch issues. Wait for the Steam summer sale and get the complete pack for like $7.50.

 

[Dolor]

It isn't: the original is just a year old, almost to the day, in fact, which makes me question just how much of 2 is actually new (not that I'm overly concerned since I pre-ordered this for the DLC).

There is a lot of the game that is brought over from the first game. Depending on your view of the first game, that is good or bad (I think it's great).

Basically, Van Helsing 2 is Van Helsing 1 done a hell of a lot better.

I finished VH2 in about 3 sittings (~15 hours) which is nearly impossible for me on my schedule.

I highly recommend it if you like isometric RPGs.

And a special bonus, it has an optional tower defense mini-game that is better than most standalone tower defense games. I would pay another $15 just for a proper version of that with a couple dozen more levels.

 

[Dolor]

Shameless double post, but it is a tragedy that this game doesn't get more attention.

 

[KKRT00]

Shameless double post, but it is a tragedy that this game doesn't get more attention.

Yeah.
I was actually amazed, how feature rich is this game while watching Kripp's stream.

I'll definitely buy it in future, but for anyone craving for action RPG or good and deep action game, the 15E is a steal for so much content.
Its actually amazing to see how deep character skill customization is and i think Blizzard should be ashamed if they are playing this game.

I hope studio responsible for Van Helsing is doing well even without coverage from media (eurogamer didnt even review the game ;\).
I wish them the best.

 

[garath]

Hmm. I'm interested. The first one was a nice little romp. Nothing terribly deep or exciting but more fleshed out than I expected. At $15 this is likely a steal.

 

[DryvBy]

Shameless double post, but it is a tragedy that this game doesn't get more attention.

Agreed. Game does't even feel indie. Feels like a solid AAA game.

 

[Zafir]

I own it, but I'm waiting on controller support. It was marked down to have it, but apparently they took it out at the last min due to issues. Apparently patching it back in soon.

Probably for the best mind you, a lot of other things to play at the moment.

 

[Dolor]

Agreed. Game does't even feel indie. Feels like a solid AAA game.

For all the talk recently of middling Indie games that are getting lost in the glut of new releases, this seems to me like one of the ones that should have risen straight to the top. It's a good deal better than most AAA games I play.

The game is just solidly executed through and through, and for the price it's really hard to complain about any niggling issues (not that there are many).

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Agreed. Game does't even feel indie. Feels like a solid AAA game.

Eh. The first one was done well enough, but I got bored about halfway through the game. Just wasn't enough variety and the combat wasn't dynamic enough.

Still interested in checking this one out though to see if they've improved upon it.

 

[Sinatar]

The first one had the advantage of Diablo 3 being a pile of dogshit at the time. Now that people feel Diablo 3 is 'fixed' (it really isn't) and with POE out there, VH2 has a lot sterner competition.

 

[Mugaaz]

I'm playing it now and its more of the same. Which is good, but the new features are all pretty meh. PoE, D3, and Marvel have all gotten a lot better some VH1, but VH2 hasn't really improved all that much oh VH1. That said, it's 15 dollars and I sure as hell got 15 bux of entertainment out of it.

 

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

There is a lot of the game that is brought over from the first game. Depending on your view of the first game, that is good or bad (I think it's great).

Basically, Van Helsing 2 is Van Helsing 1 done a hell of a lot better.

I finished VH2 in about 3 sittings (~15 hours) which is nearly impossible for me on my schedule.

I highly recommend it if you like isometric RPGs.

And a special bonus, it has an optional tower defense mini-game that is better than most standalone tower defense games. I would pay another $15 just for a proper version of that with a couple dozen more levels.

Should I just skip the first Van Helsing? I'm interested in the new game but still wanted to play the first one. Any reason not to?

 

[Gbraga]

Played the first one when it came out and really liked it, but I still didn't play with the DLC classes, so I'm not getting this one right now. Will definitely buy it in the near future, though.

 

[Dolor]

Should I just skip the first Van Helsing? I'm interested in the new game but still wanted to play the first one. Any reason not to?

If it were me, I liked both so much that I'd play the first one first. It's probably cheaper (even the complete version), and the story is a continuation (not hard to get up to speed in 2 though), but you can carry your character over from the first game which I think was definitely worth it for me.

I've thought of starting a new character and would likely want to start playing them in VH1 just to carry it over to VH2.

That being said, if you are worried you'll get bored or isometric RPGs only kind of interest you, I would start with VH2 as it's objectively a better game.

 

[Deputy Dangle]

Had no idea the first game was looked upon so fondly. I've been interested in this little series they've got going on, but never looked up much about them. I'll have to pick up the original and this sequel down the road.

 

[Dolor]

Had no idea the first game was looked upon so fondly. I've been interested in this little series they've got going on, but never looked up much about them. I'll have to pick up the original and this sequel down the road.

I think the first game had its fair share of issues on launch. The gameplay was limited to a single class (albeit one with quite a varied set of abilities to choose from), and there appeared to be a fair number of bugs at launch as well. From what I can tell, the later people have gotten into the series, the better their first impression has been.

I bought it shortly after the complete edition was released and have been a pretty big fan ever since.

 

[Dolor]

Good article about the developers of this game and the game's evolution at PCGamesN:

article

 

[Gvaz]

Loved the first game so much I bought the second. Lets do this!

 

[Jtrizzy]

Can't decide if I want to play one first or just skip to two.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

I got a coupon on Steam for 50% off, which I suppose is from owning the first game. I'd say it's worth full price.

 

[Dolor]

Loved the first game so much I bought the second. Lets do this!

You are in for a treat.

Can't decide if I want to play one first or just skip to two.

If you like the genre, start with the first. If you are unsure of how much you will like it, just skip to the second. They are both great, but the second is better than the first.

I got a coupon on Steam for 50% off, which I suppose is from owning the first game. I'd say it's worth full price.

Agreed.

 

[Blade25]

FYI game is on sale 66% off total 5.09 (6.79 with 3 DLC included) for the next 29 hours!

For the people that have played it can you comment on how the multiplayer is like? Also what else does the game offer after beaten the campaign?

 

[Card Boy]

Game is 66% off again on Steam. $6.79 for the Complete Pack. Amazing series and well worth it.