14 DAY TRIAL // The latest issue of Game Informer has some juicy new info for fans of the Castlevania franchise. The digital magazine details some of the abilities Dracula will possess in the upcoming installment.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 allows players to play as Dracula for the first time in the series, uncovering the shocking secrets behind the “Lords of Shadow” saga.
Dracula is once again resurrected, weakened and hungering, and has to reacquire his powers and make a pact with Death in order to defeat the Devil and earn his eternal rest.
According to the magazine, the series will benefit from a new addition in the form of stealth sections. Publisher Konami reasoned that Dracula begins Lords of Shadow 2 without all his powers, thus being forced to take a more reserved approach.
Mist Form allows the protagonist to dodge enemy attacks, circumvent certain barrier points and phase through enemies.
Seal of Alastor temporarily unlocks all skills for all of Dracula's weapons, and Stolas' Clock allows him to slow his enemies and also gain an experience points boost with each attack.
Dracula has no bat form this time around, instead being able to summon bats to distract and ensnare his enemies.
He also benefits from Dragon Form, details of which are unfortunately lacking, and is able to control enemies through Charming them.
Mercury Steam, the Spanish developer that revived the Castlevania franchise, has also given Dracula the ability to use his blood to summon projectile daggers and a blood whip.
Fans of the series have expressed their worries about the stealth sections, fearing they may prove anticlimactic from a game lore perspective.
Be it as it may, the battle between good and evil will come to a close, and Dracula will face his nemesis Satan, hopefully in a confrontation that will be a display of grandeur worthy of the series' culmination.
The game will be released on February 27, 2014, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms.