Hack and slash is at the core of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. Players will come across plenty of dangerous enemies in the world of Borgovia, and a variety of skills and abilities will be available to the player in order to defeat the powerful supernatural beings Van Helsing will encounter. A mixture of light and heavy melee attacks, magic potions and attacks and projectile and firearms attacks will all come into play at some point during the journey, and RPG elements are very prevalent in the title as well. Players will need to defeat countless enemies, gaining experience points and gold with each enemy slain, in order to level up to strengthen Van Helsing and attain new skills and powers. The new moves can then be used in combat whether as passive or activated abilities depending on the type of move unlocked. Van Helsing can also equip plenty of different types of weapons, armor and other helpful items that will assist the player in combat, and customizing a character to different fighting styles is one of the most rewarding experiences and biggest draws to The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing features an interesting powerups system that allows the player to combine various skills for unique effects. Up to three modifiers can be equipped to a single character, and these special skills will charge with Rage points gained from defeated enemies. When the modifiers are completely charged, their effects will become active, and they can be combined with other maneuvers for even more powerful attacks. Other customization options are included in the game such as outfitting the follower with unique gear as well for added benefits. Each player will also be given their own hideout sometimes referred to as a hunter's lair that can be equipped with all types of defensive traps to protect the house at all times or trophies gained through completing specific quests and challenges throughout the game. The player can also create special items with learned skills in Alchemy while there is some down time. There is already so much to do in the world of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, and the full release of the game should only increase the amount of time we want to spend in Borgovia.
Our initial impressions on The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing are positive. exploring the expansive fantasy setting is a blast, especially when you invite friends along for the journey. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing supports up to four players in cooperative play, and though the game is only in open beta form at the moment, it already seems to have a numerous and loyal fanbase that should keep the game fun after its full release. The game itself ran smoothly on our PC in its current form, and The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is an impressive looking game with sprites that pop nicely against the scenery and make magic spells look nice as well. Your typical fantasy and horror sounds accompany a soundtrack that sets the tone depending on the setting on situation. We were left with nothing but positive thoughts after our time with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, and we think this is a game you'll want to pick up when it is released in May 2013!
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is now available for preorder and is scheduled to release for Xbox LIVE Arcade, PC & Mac in late May 2013. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is not yet rated. For more information or to preorder a copy of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, check out the official NeocoreGames website.
Game Features:
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Neocore Games
Platforms: Xbox LIVE Arcade & PC
Release Date: May 2013