Developer: From Software
Genre: Action/RPG
Available For: Playstation 3, Xbox 360 & PC
Release Date: March, 2014
Like a sinister alchemist brewing a vicious and highly addictive recipe, the developing team at From Software have progressively honed their modus operandi with each iteration of the Souls’ series. 2008’s Demon Souls became an instant cult hit with its old school RPG mechanics and unforgiving spikes in difficulty. The game’s success warranted a sequel; a spiritual successor entitled Dark Souls that was received with unanimous approval and proved that its predecessor wasn’t just a flash-in-the-pan moment.
Fans may have been apprehensive back in January whenever the game’s director Tomohiro Shibuya expressed his desire to make the forthcoming sequel more accessible. Fear not, however, as during the E3 presentation for Dark Souls 2, even the studio’s playtester struggled to defeat the demo’s boss – a terrifying monstrosity known as the Mirror Knight.
The studio has also expressed their desire to implement a non-linear feel to the sequel, and have stated that Dark Souls 2 will place a greater emphasis on exploration and gamer freedom – a slight complaint levelled at the original. Allowing players to explore the sinister world at their own pace and, crucially, in their own narrative direction will absolutely shake up the formula – and in turn place a greater significance on seeking help from your friends the internet.
If the gameplay demos are anything to go by, Dark Souls 2 will still retain the Souls’ series reputation as Stockholm syndrome 101 and, quite frankly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hype-O-Meter: 9/10
[h2]8) Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2[/h2]
Developer: MercurySteam
Genre: Third Person Action/Adventure
Available For: Playstation 3, Xbox 360 & PC
Release Date: Q4, 2013
MercurySteam struck gold with their valiant reboot of the Castlevania franchise in 2010. Entitled Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the game was released during a turbulent time for the studio, but their devotion to the project paid off in dividends and Lords of Shadow went on to become the most commercially successful iteration in the age-old series. Not only that, it proved that there was a dormant demand for Castlevania franchise just waiting to be awoken.
While the purists were slightly apathetic to the new direction, Lords of Shadow still reinvigorated the franchise from the brink and Konami – acting as the game’s publisher – have duly encouraged the team at MercurySteam to continue to mine the now-prosperous IP. And so, we have Lords of Shadow 2, the studio’s third and final game that acts as a direct continuation of its predecessor’s plotline. Following an introductory prologue, players will take control of Gabriel in the 21st century, after he wakens to find Satan on the cusp of ruling Earth.
What’s reassuring for fans of MercurySteam’s three-tiered story – an arc which includes the 2013 3DS game, too – is that Lords of Shadows 2’s narrative ending is a true closure to the studio’s take on the franchise. An absolute full stop is a rarity for the industry and it’s a comforting sign of the team’s confidence with their production.
What’s more, MercurySteam have also promised that Lord of Shadows 2 will contain a campaign that is far longer than the original; which was no half-measure itself, and is poised to take place within a darkly gothic yet modernised 3D metropolis – a first for the Castlevania series. Though the studio have held true to the franchise’s aesthetic and retained the familiar mix of puzzles and platforming, MercurySteam have invariably stamped their own mark on the franchise, and if you haven’t checked the original out yet, then be sure to do so before Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 lands later this year.
Hype-O-Meter: 7/10
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