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The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II - All News

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Tuesday - July 21, 2015
Friday - May 01, 2015
Sunday - February 22, 2015
Thursday - September 25, 2014
Sunday - August 10, 2014
Friday - July 25, 2014
Saturday - July 12, 2014
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Tuesday - June 10, 2014
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Box Art

Tuesday - July 21, 2015

Van Helsing II - In latest Humble Jumble Bundle

by Icefire, 22:32

Those who have been wanting to give Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II a try, now is your chance. It is in the latest Humble Jumbo Bundle if you pledge more than $4.12 (as of this writing). In the bundle is Outland SE, Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes, & Mercenary Kings to pay what you want. If you pledge at the $4.12 level, you will also receive Endless Space:Emperor Edition, & The Stanley Parable, with more games "coming soon". There is also an $18 pledge level which nets you early access to Space Engineers.

Friday - May 01, 2015

Van Helsing II - Retrospective @ NeoCore Games

by Couchpotato, 05:40

NeoCore Games has a new blog update taking a look back at Van Helsing II.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II starts out intense. We’re still recovering from the big battle with Fulmigati, but events start to unfold immediately. Chaos, civil war, politics start to tear Borgovia apart.

My character seems a little bit lost in all this, a little bit weak maybe, but there’s no time to contemplate: the action is immediate. There’s so much going on, you barely have a minute to rest. But when you do, you’ll get to the best part of the series: the dialogue between Van Helsing and Katarina. Always a delight.

Much more is going on in the department of skills and perks, new possibilities are obvious since the beginning. Quests after quests, and going through the numerous new powerful items continues to be fun even after the first game.

The goal is now to reach Level 60 with my character, but it’s still a few hours away for my hero, Abe Jr. So much to do, so little time.

Sunday - February 22, 2015

Van Helsing II - New Multiplayer Mode

by Couchpotato, 04:32

Neocore Games released a new multiplayer mode called Touchdown in a new update on Steam this week for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II.


Get ready for some serious and intense physical activity in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II – we have released a new endgame multiplayer mode!

Introducing Touchdown: a fun, team-based PvP game mode, released right now with the update 1.3.0.

Invite your friends to battle against each other in teams of two to four. Your goal is to get the Gift Box in the middle of the map, then carry it to the exit point. The player who gets the Box turns into a Domovoy with no abilities, so your only choice is to run other than throwing away the Gift… or committing suicide, killing everyone in your vicinity.

Thursday - September 25, 2014

Van Helsing II - Complete Pack Now Available

by Couchpotato, 08:09

Well we all know this was going to be released so lets gets on with the news. It seems Neocore Games is now offering a Van Helsing II: Complete Pack on Steam.

Van Helsing II: Complete Pack Now Available on Steam

New Van Helsing II: Pigasus DLC also debuts today

Budapest, Hungary – September 24, 2014 – Autumn just arrived at our doorsteps and with it the best time has come to lock ourselves into our rooms and play games. Gear up your hero, slay monsters, protect the innocent, quarrel with your charming companion, who happens to be a ghost , by the way... You can do it all in the Van Helsing II: Complete Pack which is now available on Steam for $19.99 for both Windows and Mac, also including the official soundtrack of the game.

Van Helsing II: Complete Pack includes The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

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.

Van Helsing II: Ink Hunt DLC

Discover four new areas and the secrets they hide: the Sanctuary, the Island of Bones, the Inkheart Mines and the Crystal Bastion.
 
NEW!
Van Helsing II: Pigasus DLC

Unlocks the Pigasus: you can summon a new creature by spending Essence and you can purchase powerful items in your Lair from the Pigasus.

About Van Helsing II: Pigasus DLC

What is this strange creature? A pig who can fly? A flying machine that looks like a pig? It doesn’t matter, really: the Pigasus is the true wonder of weird science, created to explore the depths of the murky Otherworld (better known as the Ink) – and retrieve information from the world beyond, not to mention the large amounts of extremely rare artifacts. Spend some precious Essence, summon this strange creature to your Lair… and buy some rare new items from the Pigasus! Available on Steam for $2.99.

About the series

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is an action-RPG trilogy that pits players in fierce battles against familiar supernatural foes and also enables players to partake in tower-defense mini-games to ward off evil that attempt to overrun the base by way of force. Free Demo of the first game in the series is available on Steam.

Sunday - August 10, 2014

Van Helsing II - Content Overload

by Couchpotato, 07:48

Gamebanshee has posted a new Content Overload update this time for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. So if you need help with the game give it a read.

We can't cover Neocore Games' original The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing by way of a full subsite without doing the same for the sequel, right? So we've done just that by putting together another dedicated subsite that spans a vast amount of content for the action RPG, including a fully annotated walkthrough, a searchable equipment database, detailed location information, a table of all trophies for your desk, lists of all Occult Hunter, Thaumaturge, Mystic Warrior, Arcane Mechanic, and Katarina skills, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

Friday - July 25, 2014

Van Helsing II - Giantwoods Blog Update

by Couchpotato, 14:54

NeocoreGames latest blog update for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II shares some information , and images about the Giant Woods.

Giantwoods

How is the summer weather over there? It’s HOT in Hungary so I thought I’d show you something COLD from Van Helsing II.

“The Giantwoods covers a colossal plateau of the Thunderhead Mountains. It’s a dangerous place and it has a nasty reputation as the last hiding place for the Borgovian giant tribes who have been banished from their ancestral lands by the greedy mining corporations seeking for rare minerals and the hunting parties who capture these behemoths to turn them into living machines in the factories below.”

Saturday - July 12, 2014

Van Helsing II - Interview @ Pure News

by Couchpotato, 06:16

Pure News also conducted another interview this week with Neocore Games about their released ARPG game The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II .

Pure News Question : Have you planned ever since the beginning of the development of the first game a trilogy?

Neocore Games Answer: That’s right, we planned to create a trilogy from the start. We realized quite early in the development that the core idea and the background world could easily grow into something much bigger. After we released the first game, the ideas just kept coming, and they didn’t stop at the second episode, so we still have plenty of material to build into the last part of the trilogy.

Pure News Question : The previous Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, was an Action RPG with a complex system in terms of skill trees could you tell us what have you improved to be more new comer friendly?

Neocore Games Answer: In Van Helsing II we created two different starter character set-ups for each of the three classes. Players who don’t want to create a custom character and distribute the available skill points right at the beginning can start the game with one of the preset characters easily. We also redesigned the skill trees a bit to make it easier to manage.

There are tons of skills in the game you can use and many of them have the three modifiers called the PowerUps, so it might look complicated at first but it isn’t. We wanted to leave ground for players’ imagination and ARPG skills to create very different skill combos that work perfectly in the game.

Pure News Question :  What can we expect in the future from NeocoreGames?

Neocore Games Answer: Well, first of all, the third Van Helsing game of course and maybe we can also surprise you with another project in between :) After that, I guess we’ll see.

Wednesday - July 02, 2014

Van Helsing II - Two More Reviews

by Couchpotato, 04:21

I managed to roundup two more reviews for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2.

Twinfinite - 4/5

Despite its flaws, the strong points of Van Helsing 2 outshine it’s unfulfilled features or balance issues. A gothic action RPG jeweled with easter eggs and playful banter, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 is a gripping experience bursting at the seems with personality.

Media Stinger - 3.5/5

Overall, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is an improvement over the original in all respects; however, it does still carry some disadvantages versus other titles in the category. For its price and amount of content it still delivers a better than average ARPG experience with a decent amount of replayability and lots of monster-smashing fun

Tuesday - June 17, 2014

Van Helsing II - New Patch & DevDiary

by Couchpotato, 05:05

Neocore Games has a new DevDiary that talks about  Co-op Progression.

With the recent patch, we made a modification so that the quest progress gets saved for the client side as well in co-op mode. Therefore, you need to have at least the same progress level as your friend in order to be able to connect to him.

Since we had a lot of feedback about the multiplayer progression, we were kind of forced to make this change. However, the game simply can’t guess where you were in a random server, you could’ve played on 5 different servers with totally different progress, which one’s progress should be yours? But to be able to copy the progress, you have to progress to at least the same level as the host is, because you would miss out content – and we do not want that! :)

I understand that for now it’s quite irritating that you can’t continue the story, but it is for the greater good! Or at least for your good. You will like this change when you don’t have to replay the game to be able to play neverending story, or scenario together.

However, we will implement a console command soon that will allow players to copy progression to one save from another, which will help if you do not want to play everything over again with your friend. Until then, my advice is to switch roles, the player with the lower progress should host the game, and you will be able faceroll until your current progress with your high level characters, then you can continue with the original world, or the newly created one.

They also released a new patch on Steam.

Major changes include:

Fixed bugs:

- You can now store gold in your stash.
- Character validation now correctly calculates the ability points from the glory level.
- The game no longer saves the spells affecting the hero, and the cooldowns between map changes.
- Fixed the overly aggressive Doomsday Automatons( if you died during the fight, they went away, and attacked the resistance soldiers )
- Quests in "Hidden" state no longer visible in the journal.
- FixQuest 2 for the stoneheads on the giantwoods.
- Enchanting is no longer available for inappropriate item types. This also means that now you can only change the appearance of items to those of the same subtype.
- Healing done by Katarina no longer counts towards the St.Helsing achievement.
- Fixed a crash with the Tempest and Fulgurous Discharge skill.
- You can now reroll enchantments on level 61 items.
- Entropy Discipline no longer reduces crowd control resistance for boss monsters.
- Monsters no longer reflect damage done by damage over time skills.
- Items' level requirement is now capped to 60.
- Fixed some bugs with the Displacement Aura
- Canister Shell now properly damages sigils, and other objects.
- Items no longer sorted by rarity at the Gambler
- Soul Rend can no longer be casted when a time stopping ability is active.

Scenario:

- Fixed the endless boss spawn bug.
- Fixed some of the special conditions.
- Fixed a bug what caused the victory level bonuses not apply correctly.
- Bonuses from Victory Level and Special Conditions are now in the properly considered as a positive effect.
- Elite groups no longer spawn outside the map in Purge and Clue Hunt scenario mode.
- A bunch of smaller bugs
- Plagued scenario special condition no longer affects the healing done by potions.

Balance:

- Increased the mana cost of the Explosive Scattershot.
- Increased the damage of the Glacier Blast.
- Epic and set items are now significantly stronger.
- Scenario monster levels were adjusted.
- From now on, luck gives only 1 gold find chance per point.

Multiplayer:

- Client can now cast world skills properly.
- Fixed a crash during the map change.
- Fixed a bug which made the game stuck at the "connected" state, if you've been disconnected once during the loading screen.

New Features:
- New DLC: Ink hunt!
- The progress is now saved in multiplayer sessions.
- Godlike items are now available!
- Over 150 new end game items!

Saturday - June 14, 2014

Van Helsing II - Ink Hunt DLC Released

by Couchpotato, 05:35

NeocoreGames released the first DLC for Van Helsing II called Ink Hunt. You can purchase it on Steam for $4.99, and here is the released trailer.

The civil war is barely over in Borgovia and Van Helsing has a new problem to solve. When a strange ethereal gate opens in his secret underground maze, he must enter the realms beyond the veil of the world to find out what is happening and hunt down those who are responsible for this new threat...

The Ink Hunt DLC contains four unique maps with a strong central storyline.

Important note: You need to complete the Van Helsing II campaign with a Veteran character in order to be able to play this DLC.

Friday - June 13, 2014

Van Helsing II - Review @ Gaming Nexus

by Couchpotato, 05:13

Gaming Nexus has a new review of Neocore Games recently released ARPG game The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, and awarded the game with a score of 8/10.

I have to say that I was really surprised when playing this game. I didn't know much about the first game or Van Helsing for that matter, but the game does a great job of putting you into the role of the character without having to know all the backstory. The quests are fun, the action is great, and there is so much depth to leveling up that it will keep you playing the game over and over to get just one more level. Yes, leveling up can be a grind, but the grind is good. That is one thing that I believe makes a great RPG: when grinding for levels doesn't feel like a chore. Those who are fans of these types of games will find lots of fun in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. I know I did.

Tuesday - June 10, 2014

Van Helsing II - Review @ GameBanshee

by Couchpotato, 06:18

GameBanshee's Steven Carter has posted another review for everyone to read this time for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. Here is his final verdict.

Van Helsing II, like its predecessor, is a lot of fun to play.  It doesn't travel far away from any action RPG standards, but it's consistently amusing, and it has enough variety that it never overstays its welcome.  The campaign takes about 20 hours to complete, and if you repeat it on veteran and then play some of the level 60 content (where you can earn glory points and continue to improve your character), then that's 40+ hours of content right there, without even getting into multiplayer, where you can play co-op or pvp.  And all of that only costs $15.  So if you like action RPGs, and especially if you enjoyed the first Van Helsing, then there isn't any reason not to try out Van Helsing II, although you might want to wait for a major patch to come out first.

Friday - June 06, 2014

Van Helsing II - A Thank You From the Devs

by Couchpotato, 03:52

NeocoreGames latest blog update is a thank you from the developer to all the fans of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, and mentions some the games DLC items.

A Thank You From the Devs

Dear fellow hunters, thank you!

Last week we released The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. The Release Friday was crazy and amazing. We truly appreciate all your support and feedback, all of your kind words mean a lot to us.

In today’s Casual Friday I’ll show you some item from one of the supporter packs. Everyone who pre-ordered the Legendary Pack on our store will receive all theexclusive mini-pets, a Legendary Helmet Skin for each class and a Collector’s Editionof the game (Boxed version of the final game, a Borgovian map, an Autographed Art, Limited Van Helsing Mousepad, and a Soundtrack CD in a fancy leather case).

Saturday - May 31, 2014

Van Helsing II - Review Roundup #3

by Couchpotato, 07:02

Here is the third round of reviews for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. I only managed to find three this time, but never the less here they are.

RPGamer - 3.5/5

Those who enjoyed the first game will find much more of the same enjoyment in the second, and those angling for some more loot-based dungeoneering a bit fresher in terms of setting and story should find much to like here as well. There's a slight disappointment that little was done in the core game to try and enhance things, and the overall scope isn't going to compete in the stay-ability stakes with games like Diablo and Torchlight.

Dealspwn - 8/10

The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II is a quality dungeon crawler offering solid action, hours of fun and an anarchic upbeat personality. Here's hoping that the third game turns the trilogy into a single superior RPG and underdog success story.

Gamespot - 8/10

Van Helsing II is coarsely granular. Some of its pieces don't work as well as they should, but much of that falls by the wayside when you're in the thick of things. It is stellar in spite of a few big missteps and the fact that, with the exception of the world itself, none of the experience feels cohesive.

Thursday - May 29, 2014

Van Helsing II - Review Roundup #2

by Couchpotato, 02:41

I managed to roundup a few more reviews for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. The game gets more positive reviews that point out some its various faults.

NoobFeed - No Score

It’s another solid Action Role Playing Game from Neocore and fans of the first game should definitely come back for a second helping of monster hunting. Newcomers shouldn’t be put off either. While it is a sequel, it’s not the most complex story to pick up and enjoy without having played through the first game.

Super Clash Gaming - 7.5/10

With the multiplayer lacking players and fighting mechanics that seemed a little too slow to match the speed of enemy onslaughts, but a very deep skill system and beautiful world, I was left liking and disliking the game. I recommend it for dungeon crawler and Van Helsing fans, but not if your impatient.

COG - 87/100

Neocore hasn’t strayed too far from what made the first game so amazing, but it has managed to add a layer of refinement by improving the some of the game mechanics, UI and visuals. While the tower defense mode did grow a bit tiresome at times, I had a lot of fun playing and the newly added features are a welcome change. I was not left disappointed by my return to Borgovia.

StrategyInformer -  9/10

After playing Van Helsing II, Neocore games have another problem on their hands after this - not that they held stuff back, but that they gave it their all. This feels like a complete experience, one that is a natural and smart evolution of the first game's mechanics. The fact that it has incredible value with a very modest price tag only helps that fact. How they improve on this is something I'm excited to see.

Impulse Gamer -  4.5/5

In short, the dialogue was witty, amusing, and full of fun references.  The graphics were beautiful and had a fitting art style that added to the game.  And the story was interesting and made me want to play more.  It is clear that the developers put their entire heart in this game and wanted to make something fun.

Saturday - May 24, 2014

Van Helsing II - Review Roundup

by Couchpotato, 06:51

I managed to find three new reviews for Neocore Games recently released ARPG game The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2. 

IncGamers - 6/10

Van Helsing 2 is a near-complete title that NeoCore are clearly racing to finish in time for release day. It’ll end up a better game than the first, but will almost certainly retain some deadline-crunch bugs until a couple of patches are out of the way.

Canadian Online Gamers - 87/100

Neocore hasn’t strayed too far from what made the first game so amazing, but it has managed to add a layer of refinement by improving the some of the game mechanics, UI and visuals. While the tower defense mode did grow a bit tiresome at times, I had a lot of fun playing and the newly added features are a welcome change. I was not left disappointed by my return to Borgovia

Softpedia -  9/10

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 may not be as polished as other heavy-hitters in the genre when it comes to production value and the streamlining of its systems, but it has a lot of soul and it's not afraid to show it.

Friday - May 23, 2014

Van Helsing II - Now Available on Steam

by Couchpotato, 05:50

As NeocoreGames promised yesterday The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is now available on Steam for $14.99.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is Out Now

Finally, the wait is over! Exactly a year after the release of the first game, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is officially out today.

Fellow Hunters, we are at war! 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.

You know the drill Hunters, if you haven't already, it's time to get your hands on a copy of Van Helsing II !

Let's go over the Key Features once more!

  • Three playable classes – Players can now 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 the perfect hideout for players 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, players have the opportunity to defend their Hunter’s 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 leaders of the Borgovian Resistance, players now 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 – Enables players to dynamically modify their skills by activating Power Ups in the heat of the battle. Power Ups consume the player's Rage that they accumulate by slaying the most dangeroues foes in Borgovia.
  • Unique companion system – Lady Katarina, a ghost with snappy wit, comes to the support of Van Helsing with her own set of abilities, behaviors, and skill trees.
  • Runecrafting – Besides forging, enchanting and infusing items with essences, players now have another option to alter items to their liking. Artifacts can be taken apart, shattered into magical fragments. The process generates a basic shard, and then the enchantments also dissolve into separate fragments. Fragments can 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 that players find during their adventures, claim as theirs, enhance its abilities and summon it into combat or send away to the Ink to hunt for treasure.
  • Hall of Trophies - Players can decorate their 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 – Allowing players to test their skills against each other via the PVP mode (8 players) or join their forces and complete the story in the co-operative campaign (4 players)

 

Thursday - May 22, 2014

Van Helsing II - Released Tomorrow

by Couchpotato, 06:49

NeocoreGames reminds everyone with a short video their ARPG game The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II be be released tomorrow

The countdown is on! With only one day away from Van Helsing II we're marking each day with a list of its own. Today's menu: games that will be released tomorrow.

 Is there even such a thing as a Top 1 list? Well, now there is!

#1 - The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II.

That's right folks, we're releasing the game tomorrow!Still in need of a copy? Get one at Steam or our Store!

Tuesday - May 20, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Press2Reset

by Couchpotato, 05:48

If you want to read another preview based on the Beta version of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II then head on over to Press2Reset.

One of the more unique aspects of the first Van Helsing was an interesting tower defense mini game that was woven into the gameplay. There was only one level and eight types of traps, but it was an unexpected and well-executed departure from the standard gameplay. This feature is making a return in the sequel and will be even more prominent with twice as many traps and seven different levels.

The environments are also being given a dynamic upgrade. Levels will feature weather as well as destructible elements to help keep the experiences varied across playthroughs. For example, in the very first level of the game you are given the option to destroy a bridge as a way to stop evil forces from streaming into the city. Of course the option has a downside, but this the type of non-linear gameplay that Van Helsing II is bringing to the table.

Throw in a complex story, three multiplayer modes, runecrafting, trophies and more of the easter eggs and humor that made the original so entertaining and you can see how Van Helsing II is shaping up to be the super-sized sequel a fan can love. Bigger is not always better, but in this case it seems like Neocore is focused on preserving what made the first game great and just giving you more of it.

Saturday - May 17, 2014

Van Helsing II - Dev Blog Updates

by Couchpotato, 08:49

NeocoreGames has posted a variety of new updates on the development Blog for Van Helsing II. I will list then below with a short description of each one.

Tower Defense in Van Helsing II

Next week you can finally put your hands on Van Helsing II but first let me tease you a bit more with traps and stuff from the Tower Defense part of the game.

In Van Helsing II you'll find an improved Tower Defense where you can easily build various traps with devious upgrades that will defend your Lair, your home against hordes of enemies. Oh and you can do this on seven different Tower-defense maps!

Top 9 Cute Characters of the Van Helsing Universe

The countdown is on! With only 9 days away from Van Helsing II we're marking each day with a list of its own. Today's menu: characters.

Van Helsing II Multiplayer Mass Test

A communal hunting event is coming up, and we need your help!

Top 8 Pop-Cultural References of the Van Helsing Universe

The countdown is on! With only 8 days away from Van Helsing II we're marking each day with a list of its own. Today's menu: references.

Top 7 RPGs We Love to Cheat on Van Helsing With

The countdown is on! With only 7 days away from Van Helsing II we're marking each day with a list of its own. Today's menu: other RPGs.

Top 6 Weapons of Van Helsing II

The countdown is on! With only 6 days away from Van Helsing II we're marking each day with a list of its own. Today's menu: weapons.

That's all for now I expect there will be more updates this week.

Monday - May 12, 2014

Van Helsing II - Looking at the Trailer

by Myrthos, 12:35

Rock Paper Shotgun took a look at the trailer of The INcredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II, and found it worthwhile to write something about it.

The latest trailer for The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II plays out like an advertisement for a monster hunting seminar. An encouraging pitchman takes budding slayers through their development options, suggesting that some might want to try out a spot of thaumaturgy while ensuring that their pet chimera is cleverly utilised and well-fed. The benefits of companionship are outlined, as are new crafting and enchantment systems. Dedicated Drac-dusters may be slightly irked when the host recommends they abandon their solitary lifestyles in order to brush up on their people skills so that they can command and train armies – the world’s at war now and the stakes are higher than ever.

Friday - May 09, 2014

Van Helsing II - New Interview & Video

by Couchpotato, 06:10

NeocoreGames posted a new trailer for Van Helsing II about the games features.

Watch what new features are brought by Van Helsing II!

Pre-order Van Helsing II here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/272470 or at http://neocoregames.com/store (Beta access is only available from our store)

Van Helsing II releases on May 22 2014!

DevBlog: http://www.devblog.neocoregames.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VanHelsingThe...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanHelsingGame
Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/VanHelsing/

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is a real-time Action RPG filled with fierce and demonic battles, memorable characters, and a refreshingly unique story loosely based on Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula.

I also found a new interview from eariler this week from IncGamers.

After arriving in Budapest during their Spring Festival, we met up with the very happy NeocoreGames team and some characterful journalists before playing an updated beta build of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2. It’s been a while since our previous Van Helsing 2 QA, but whether you’re new to the series or not, there’s plenty for Van Helsing fans to sink their teeth into.

Thursday - May 08, 2014

Van Helsing II - Sneak Peek of The Journal

by Couchpotato, 05:48

NeocoreGames has posted a new developer blog post with a preview of the new updated journal for the second installment of Van Helsing.

Sneak peek at Van Helsing's Journal

"A long time ago the vampire lords ruled this place. Now they are hunted down by the scientific nightmares..."

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II has a new shiny and clever journal. Take a look at it.

Monday - April 28, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview Roundup

by Couchpotato, 04:49

Here are two more previews based on the beta version of Van Helsing II.

Canadian Online Gamers

All in all the game has never looked better with an incredible level of attention to detail in nearly every department from sound to graphics to gameplay to the writing. There’s a lot for gamers to be excited about. Still though, to keep things in perspective, this is only one part of a much bigger whole so whether or not this level of quality stands the test of a full playthrough is yet to be seen. I’m hopeful of course because what I’ve seen so far is of such a high quality.

Gaming Nexus

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II brought back many of my great memories from the original game, while still feeling as the developers described a "true sequel." I'm especially excited to continue the ever-exciting journey of Van Helsing and Lady Katarina. What impressed me the most was the developer's commitment to selling the game for the same price as the original, but with even more content and a more polished gameplay experience. It was evident from walking through the offices at Neocore Games and speaking with the various staff members that The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is a labor of love and ultimately they want to deliver a product that includes all of the original game's best elements, yet expands the series in new and exciting paths.

Friday - April 25, 2014

Van Helsing II - New Game UI

by Couchpotato, 05:11

NeocoreGames has posted a new developer blog post about a new UI for Van Helsing II.

Today, exactly one month before the release of our beloved game, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II we introduce you to the new UI.

If you play the beta of Van Helsing II you’re already familiar with the new UI, which is something we improved in the second game based on your feedback.

The new UI has two skill sets of eight skills with power ups. It’s bigger, shinier and makes you more powerful than ever.

You have more options and they are more manageable now.

Tuesday - April 22, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview @ RPGFan

by Couchpotato, 05:35

RPGFan has new preview of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II based on the released early Beta you can purchase on Steam if you pre-order the game.

NeocoreGames seeks to please its fans by keeping everything they loved about the first game — the absurdly high enemy count, the bombastic attacks, the quirky, humorous story, the tension between magic and science, and plenty of loot — and making it all bigger and better. The full version of Van Helsing II ought to be a familiar, yet more potent experience than the first for fans of the series. Newcomers might want to go back and visit the first game or simply skip to its sequel. If you've exhausted Diablo III and Torchlight or seek something a little less sanitized and commercial than some of the big hack 'n' slash titles, you might want to seek out The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II upon release.

Friday - April 18, 2014

Van Helsing II - Pre-Purchase Now on Steam

by Couchpotato, 01:05

Steam announces you can now pre-purchase The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, and get a small discount of 10% off for $13.49.

Pre-Purchase Now - The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is Now Available for Pre-Purchase on Steam and is 10% off!*

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.

Thursday - April 10, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Gizorama

by Couchpotato, 04:18

Gizorama has posted a new preview of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II.

Overall, the beta is just a taste of the game that will be released towards the end of May. The game obviously feels, looks, sounds and plays very much like the first game due to the nature of the development being more like an episodic game. The addition of the DLC classes is a plus, and the new features that weren’t available in beta look to make The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II a must buy for fans of the first.

Friday - April 04, 2014

Van Helsing II - Delayed to May

by Couchpotato, 08:06

Neocore Games announced that their upcoming ARPG The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is being delayed to May 22, 2014.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Delayed due to Monster Invasion

Slightly delayed, but no need to worry - all that extra time will be spent polishing the game. The new release date is set to May 22, 2014.

So, what happened to the April release date of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II? Well, we could blame the supernatural or the bad Vrikolak meat in the fridge, but the truth is, we want to release a superb game as polished as possible on release and that will take a little longer than we thought. We want to make sure the sequel is superior to the first game in every aspect and it keeps you nailed to your chairs all the way to the end with its engaging new story. Now the new date will also mark the anniversary of the first game’s release. So be ready to hunt down the new swarm of monstrosities when the game hits Steam on May 22, 2014.

All of you are reaping souls right now anyway, aren’t you?

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is available for pre-order on PC. To pre-purchase the game, head to neocoregames.com/store and choose from the various supporter packages in various price ranges.

About the series

The first game in the trilogy, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, currently available worldwide via Steam on Windows PC and Mac OS X, is an action-RPG that pits players in fierce battles against familiar supernatural foes and also enables players to partake in a tower-defense mini-game within Van Helsing’s upgradable Lair to ward off evil that attempt to overrun the base by way of force. Free Demo is available on Steam.

Monday - March 31, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview Roundup

by Couchpotato, 05:40

I managed to roundup three more previews for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2. As usual I will post a link with a short description of the preview.

6aming

After spending a little time tramping around the dark corners of Van Helsing’s world, I can honestly say I’m looking forward to the full game. Here, I think, is an action RPG that will hold my attention by simply not being a dungeon-crawler, and reveling in its own mythos. Although the closed beta was very closed indeed, I can’t wait to see more of the game and start my own journey in the boots of the deadly Van Helsing.

Whether you’re a newbie to the genre or not, there’s a lot to like here. Plus, if you’re an old-hand at the Van Helsing games, you can import your old character and continue their story, which is a nice touch.

Noobfeed

This is very much a direct sequel to the first game, with a return of the young Van Helsing (son of the famous vampire hunter of the same name from Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula) and  witty ghost companion Katarina. At first glance you might struggle to spot any sign of change from last year’s release, but some subtle UI tweaks make keeping up with the different skills and abilities a little easier during battle.

Just Push Start

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.

Friday - March 28, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Game Revolution

by Couchpotato, 05:00

Game Revolution has a new preview of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II based on the early build available to all users who pre-order the game.

The visuals of Van Helsing II aren’t as impressive, but they do a good job of successfully placing me in its gothic, steampunk world. The combat looks slick, too, though playing as a class that has magic abilities is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the melee class, who I found would often get lost amongst the hordes upon hordes of enemies, with only the floating hit points above their heads serving as an indication that my guy was actually in the middle of them, desperately clawing his way out.

The final cinematic of the level depicted a huge, mechanical spider leading an onslaught of new enemies, though I didn’t actually get to face it before my comrades informed me that we were retreating, and the level ended. If that is the kind of colossal enemy that players will be fighting in the final build, though, then consider me excited.

Walking away from the preview of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, I find myself reasonably excited for this game that would’ve completely slipped under my radar otherwise. If you’re a fan of action RPGs, then keep a close on this one: It might just surprise you. It will launch on April 17 for $15 on PC and Mac via Steam.

Monday - March 24, 2014

Van Helsing II - Recorded LiveStream

by Couchpotato, 04:44

NeoCore Games hosted a new Twitch.TV live stream a few days ago for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. They posted the recorded version for those who missed it.

We were livestreaming yesterday! Action from 20:35

Saturday - March 22, 2014

Van Helsing II - Video Preview Roundup

by Couchpotato, 05:06

Here are two more video peviews for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. This first video is from Saving Content that talks about the closed Beta version.

The second video preview is from Push Start also had the cance to play the Beta, and decided to share their impresion of the game.

Thursday - March 20, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview @ IncGamers

by Couchpotato, 03:42

IncGamers is the next site to play the beta version of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2. Don't forget you can now pre-order the game this week also.

Though my experience with a pre-built character was better than my first, imported, attempt, it’s really too early to judge The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 on either of them. This beta build feels like quite an early pass, and is too small to include any of the promised new mechanics like Runecrafting or the Chimera pet. Multiplayer was missing too, so there was no chance to see if the co-op has improved from the rather inconsistent affair it was in the first game. With an April release date on the horizon, it’s a bit concerning to see so many items which don’t seem to be written or balanced yet (though, again, this may be a build from a much earlier development date.) The most positive aspect I can report is that the tone of the quests and dialogue is intact.

Sunday - March 16, 2014

Van Helsing II - Impression @ Analog Addiction

by Couchpotato, 04:40

Analog Addiction shares their impression of the recently released Van Helsing II beta.

These days, the gaming industry is in no shortage of ARPGs (action role-playing games). Ever since Blizzard had brought us the first installment in the Diablo series, this particular genre has been on a constant rise. That said, if an entry in the ARPG department doesn’t bring something new to the table, the general thought is that it’s simply “just another Diablo clone.

Well, as it was the case with the first one, I’m glad to say that – while The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II isn’t a reinvention of the genre – it is quite fun on its own. I’ve recently experienced its closed Beta, so below you’ll find some of my thoughts.

First of all, the closed Beta focuses on a small portion of the game, namely the siege of General Harker on the Factory District of the Borgova town. Naturally, your objectives are to defend it by repelling waves of enemies, giving orders to your soldiers, and even making some decisions here and there.

Friday - March 14, 2014

Van Helsing II - Teaseday #7, Bedlam Behemoth

by Couchpotato, 05:25

Neocore Games introduces us to the Bedlam Behemoth in Van Helsing II on the games blog.Now be sure to visit the link for artwork, and a new video.

Bedlam Behemoth

When the Borgovian mad scientists captured the first untamed giants in the wilderness of the Thunderhead Mountains and turned them into living industrial machines to slave away in their factories, they forgot something very important: what could happen if such a colossal creature goes raving mad from these vile treatments?

Wednesday - March 12, 2014

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Rock Paper Shotgun

by Myrthos, 14:36

There is a hands-on session of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II at Rock Paper Shotgun, which amongst others mentiones terrible writing and great combat.

The writing was as abysmal as the first game. Your spectral chum still interrupts with sarcastic remarks that never hit home, and the chatter from quest givers is over-long and overly-worthy. Then made infinity worse by horrible non-jokes, like being asked to “save Private Bryan”. See, because it rhymes with that film, so it’s a joke. Oh, and “arrow to the knee” jokes have been verboten for a good two years already – there is no excuse.

But the writing doesn’t matter much. What matters is the combat, and once I’d re-sorted my sock drawers and remembered where I kept the pens, it became plenty of fun once more. Balancing mana-based and general attacks, with potion guzzling and firing off specials, as well as remembering to use Ghostie’s abilities too, all adds up to pleasingly busy fighting. Combined with the need to think about the order in which you take on mobs, and working out how to get behind shielded enemies to quickly polish them off before the bigguns got to you… it does the job well.

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Gaming Trend

by Couchpotato, 04:19

Gaming Trend had the chance to play an early build of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, and shared their opinion in a new Hands-on preview.

As you can see, Van Helsing is charged with pushing back undead creatures that have burst forth from Ink Gates and nearby generators. General Harker has deployed mortars that drop enemies directly inside your defenses.  Enlisting help from the citizenry, we see some of the new non-linear functions in the game where players are asked to make tactical decisions and tackle side missions to bolster their chances of successfully defending the town.  You can also see that you will have significantly more skills at your disposal to do so.  Pushing the number from roughly 35 to over 200, Van Helsing II’s skill tree enables a staggering level of character customization.  Even Katarina, your corporeal companion has tripled the number of skills available to her. Throw in nearly quadruple the number of power-ups that you can attach to those skills and you can see that Neocore isn’t just throwing us a new story.

Tuesday - March 11, 2014

Van Helsing II - Release Date & Pre-Orders

by Couchpotato, 05:00

Neocore Games sent a new press release with information on the release date for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. They also share a new trailer, and new chart.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Gets Release Date, Pre-Orders, Feature Comparison, New Trailer and Screenshots

Pre-order the game and start playing the closed beta today; game launches April 17th, new trailer and screenshots available

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – March 10, 2014
– We are happy to announce that the adventure finally continues and the sequel to Neocore Games' steampunk action-RPG The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is now available for pre-order on PC. To pre-purchase the game, head to neocoregames.com/store and choose from the various supporter packages in various price ranges. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is set to release on Windows® PC and Mac, April 17th for $14.99 on Steam.

As a bonus for all pre-purchases of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, early adopters will receive instant access to the closed Beta.

Watch some action-packed scenes from The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II:

Click to see the video!

Is the game worth playing if you have not played the first one? Definitely. Will it just do everything the first game did? It has so much more! Check out this comparison table.

Friday - March 07, 2014

Van Helsing II - Teaseday #6, A Look Back

by Couchpotato, 05:28

Neocore Games posts some early artwork for Van Helsing II in the next Teaseday post.

Today's post is so nostalgic that it's even black&white.

As we get closer to the release date it's nice to take a look back at some early concept arts of the environment and show you our first idea of the woods.

Friday - February 28, 2014

Van Helsing II - About Runecrafting

by Myrthos, 15:40

In a press release for The Incredible Adventures of Van helsing II, some more info is given on the runecrafting system of the game.

Part 2 - Introducing the Runecrafting System

In this series we are examining each of the announced features from The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II in great detail. Last time we introduced Van Helsing’s personal beast, the Chimera, and now we are slipping into a previously uncharted HC-gamer territory by showing you the complex system of Runecrafting.

Watch as a developer takes you into the world of crafting runes and magical items:

Read a little Developer Q&A to get more familiar
with the Runecrafting System

What is Runecrafting?

An additional in-game crafting method that supplements the already existing Forging option. Through this process players can create many different kinds of items, even ones that did not exist before.

Why do we need an additional crafting method?

Because difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor strengthens the body (Seneca for Hunters Vol.1.)? But seriously, we wanted to keep crafting viable throughout the endgame content, something that keeps the most dedicated gamers busy.

Could you tell us something about the basics of the crafting?

The system will use fragments. You gain fragments when you take apart an item, which is for free, by the way. The rarity of the item and its additional features determine the exact number of fragments you'll get. The fragments you get this way will be stored on a separate tab.

Is that it? I collect fragments and get cool stuff?

Dream on, friend. There are two basic types of fragments for each item: a base fragment (the quality depends on the rarity) and an enchantment fragment (based on the items enchantment, the very thing that gave it power: the nice + properties we all like so much). You will need to collect 10 pieces of each type of Fragment, in order to turn them into either an Enchantment or a Master Rune.

Can I turn Fragments into Runes for free?

No, it’s a material world, and you’re a material Hunter who made a ton of gold hacking and slashing. Time to put that gold to use.

This sounds awfully complicated. How will I not get lost ingame?

There will be a user-friendly interface with short tooltips that detail the process step to step.

Ok, I have the Runes. What’s next?

You grab an item and place a Master Rune on the lucky thing. The Master Rune will unlock the available enchantment slots. You can also unlock additional slots for critical hits, increased essence capacity and other useful features. There is more to that, of course, much more, but for now this might give you the basic idea. The crafting system is very exact and will turn your items into something unique.

Can I use the same Runes for additional effects?

Naturally. If you don’t want to test your luck, you can use the same type of runes to max out the enchantment bonus (i.e. critical hit).

I’m not cut out for this. Is this whole Runecrafting mandatory?

Of course not! It's all optional. The system is available for those who complete a particular quest, and later there will be a specific character - a certain mechano-magician dwarf - who will let you access these options. But we hope you will give it a shot, because it’s worth it.

Also watch us next week on 6th March at 11 AM PST streaming The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II for the very first time on Twitch.

Thursday - February 27, 2014

Van Helsing II - The Making of Prisoner Seven

by Couchpotato, 04:23

Neocore Games has another update for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II that gives us a look at "The Making of Prisoner Seven."

Time-lapse video of the making of the first official picture of Prisoner Seven, the first man behind the mask

Wednesday - February 26, 2014

Van Helsing II - Teaseday #5 The Choppers

by Couchpotato, 04:21

Neocore Games shares a glimpse at another enemy in Van Helsing II called the Chopper, and has information that more teaser, and trailers are on the way.

Dear fellow hunters. on today's Teaseday you deserve more than one monster. As spring gets closer you can expect more and more big news, teasers, trailers and details about The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. It's coming and it's going to be epic.

Meet the Chopper Family.

 Choppers are the among the most terrifying soldiers in General Harker's army: even their comrades keep their distance from them, and not just to avoid the sharp killing mechanism fused to their bones. Imagine that you must serve with someone who recently emerged from a mad scientist's laboratory, twisted and mutilated until he became a living weapon, seething with rage... In short, a creature with serious anger issues and also a chainsaw attached to his arm.

Friday - February 21, 2014

Van Helsing II - The Men Behind the Masks

by Couchpotato, 05:01

Neocore Games sent us information for Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II about
the men behind the masks. If you're curious here is the press release.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II - The Men Behind the Masks

Part 1 - The mysterious Prisoner Seven

Spring is slowly creeping upon us, and the mysterious release date for the upcoming The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is getting closer. We have teased you already with the game's features, plenty of weapon concepts and even with a journey to the land of Borgovia in the previous weeks but now it's time for a real treat. In this series we will introduce you to a few key characters from The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, well, at least to those who have their faces covered. After all, every decent hero hides his face. It’s time to enter the dark side of Borgova and the forbidden wilderness, but beware because this time:

You are not the only one behind a mask.

So you thought that one mysterious stranger would be enough for a city like Borgova? Well, you were mistaken. Van Helsing, fabled monster-hunter and current leader of the Resistance has now a new ally, and he has to accept that he is not the only one wearing a mask around here.

There is a faceless man with magical powers hunting the streets of Borgova, helping the battle against the armies of Weird Science. But what is he exactly? Monster or victim? The former test subject of the mad professors, or “Prisoner Seven”, as the Resistance fighters call him, is a secret in himself, but Van Helsing needs his help before his new arch-enemy, the powerful General Harker destroys everything he was fighting for…

About the series

The first game in the trilogy, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, currently available worldwide via Steam on Windows PC and Mac OS X, is an action-RPG that pits players in fierce battles against familiar supernatural foes and also enables players to partake in a tower-defense mini-game within Van Helsing’s upgradable Lair to ward off evil that attempt to overrun the base by way of force. Free Demo is available on Steam.

Thursday - February 13, 2014

Van Helsing II - Interview @ Digital Times

by Couchpotato, 04:43

The  Digital Times interviews Lead Writer Viktor Juhasz to talk about the release date of Van Helsing II, and how the game is different from the first game.

What kinds of technical improvements are coming in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II?

We have made huge improvements on the weather system. The first time I saw the new weather system I was blown away. It was just beautiful. It adds a lot to the atmosphere and also has an impact on the gameplay as well. We have mists and rains and raging storms and wind. Apart from the fact that it looks fabulous it adds a lot to this gothic, savage atmosphere it also has an impact on casting spells and using abilities.

There are also some considerable improvements to the Ink, the other-world. There are some great improvements there. It definitely changed a lot.

How will the new weather system affect gameplay? Will there be certain tasks/quests only available under certain conditions? Can it be manipulated?

The weather is beyond players control but it has a huge impact on what players do. You have to calculate it into your gaming tactics. In snowy weather, fire spells won't be as efficient. In Borgovia you can't control weather, weather controls you.

Will characters be imported?

Yes. Absolutely. In Van Helsing 2 you start at level 30 and the cap is level 60. You can import your character, start a veteran character at lev 30 or start a new character at level 1. You will have a lot of options.

How much larger/longer will The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II be compared to the first game?

It's hard to say right now because we're also working on a third game. We don't want to just create a bigger, longer game. Van Helsing II might be a bit bigger, a bit longer, but I don't know if it'll be, say, twice the size or something.

It's going to be more complex. If someone decides to play Van Helsing II to completion and do all the side quests and find everything then he/she can spend quite a lot of time playing. And have a lot of fun. It's really up to the players.

Wednesday - February 12, 2014

Van Helsing II - Traveller's Guide To Borgovia

by Couchpotato, 04:41

Neocore Games released a new trailer for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II.

This a special announcement for all our esteemed visitors, brought to you by the Ministry of Joy and Propaganda of Borgovia. Enjoy this beautiful collection of animated photographs taken in our charmed little country. We humbly advise you to refrain from switching it off too soon though (or the Ministry Imps will come for you). Thank you very much for your kind attention! Come and visit us this year too!

Tuesday - February 11, 2014

Van Helsing II - New Concept Art

by Couchpotato, 05:23

Lightning Gaming News has has posted some new concept art for Van Helsing II.

NeocoreGames has released a new set of concept art for their action-RPG, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II . These latest pieces of concept art show off some of the weapons such as swords and sets of steampunk style rifles, one will be using to hunt down the monsters in the upcoming RPG, which revolves around a legendary monster hunter and his ethereal companion Lady Katrina.

Wednesday - February 05, 2014

Van Helsing II - Teaseday #3 - Ice Queen

by Couchpotato, 00:59

Neocore Games shares a glimpse of the Ice Queen for Van Helsing II.

It's Tuesday, time to tease you again. Let me introduce you to the Ice Queen from The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II.

Borgovian folk tales tell the story of the powerful Father Frost who once sculpted a beautiful snow doll, then gave her the breath of life: he called her his little Ice Queen.

Sunday - February 02, 2014

Van Helsing II - Concept Art @ LGN

by Couchpotato, 01:02

Lightning Gaming News has some new concept art for Van Helsing II.

Hungarian indie developers NeocoreGames have issued a large batch of images consisting of concept art illustrating the land of Borgovia wherein a large part of their action-RPG is set. The artwork serves to reflect the gothic-noir 19th century Eastern European vibe were going for, depicting a kingdom where both monsters created by weird magic and science coexist.

Thursday - January 30, 2014

Van Helsing II - Blog Updates

by Couchpotato, 01:02

Neocore has two new blog updates for Van Helsing II.

Teaseday #2 - Viaduct Junction

You know you don’t have to wait too long to put your hands on The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, right? The awesomeness will happen sometime in Spring but until then Van Helsing will tease you every Tuesday with some cool animations, art work and other stuff from the upcoming game.

In today's Teaseday we introduce you to a very special location in the game. The place where your second adventure begins. I got goosebumps looking at these pictures...

The second update is a video with a preview of the games music.

We are working hard on the new soundtracks for the Van Helsing sequel, but we are kindly sharing this early version of the main soundtrack with you.

Saturday - January 25, 2014

Van Helsing II - Spotlight #1 - The Chimera

by Couchpotato, 00:18

NeoCore Games shows off another enemy for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II called the Chimera. Here are the details.

In this series we will be examining each of the announced features from the upcoming installment in the Van Helsing series in great detail. First we are going to discuss the Beast in the Lair: the Chimera. The Chimera is a unique creature, an artificial-supernatural monster straight from the Ink, the mysterious realm beyond the cracks of the real world.

Thursday - January 23, 2014

Van Helsing II - Teaseday #1, The Scorcher

by Couchpotato, 21:11

Neocore Games shares a glimpse at one of the new enemies in Van Helsing II.

In today’s Teaseday we show you a real badass (at the same time somehow cute) monster called Scorcher.

“Scorchers are specialized soldiers in the glorious army of General Harker, the Great Commander, who will bring peace to Borgova (even if he must destroy half of the city to achieve that). Scorchers play with fire, literally: they burn through enemy lines like wildfire. For some strange reason they are always in dire need of new recruits.

Sunday - January 05, 2014

Van Helsing II - Concept Art @ LGN

by Couchpotato, 04:32

Lightning Gaming News has a few more pieces of concept art for Van Helsing II.

Some more pieces of concept artwork have emerged for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, showing some new characters developer NeocoreGames will be introducing in the upcoming action-RPG. First off, we have the cigar-smoking Vigilante Captain armed with a sword and a pistol; he looks to be a potentially ally of the titular hero, with the latter needing every bit of help he can get in his battle against monsters.

The second image is of a large dog-like creature called Cerebralus, who doesn’t look all to friendly, though who would be if their brains were encased in a glass dome; the final piece of art illustrates the gas mask-donning Decontaminator armed with a canister connected to a hose, which I am guessing will spew some sort of noxious substance.

Sunday - December 29, 2013

Van Helsing II - Weapon Artwork

by Couchpotato, 06:52

NeocoreGames has some new artwork on the Facebook page for Van Helsing II. They even have a card that wishes everyone a Happy Holidays.

Saturday - December 14, 2013

Van Helsing II - Features Unveiled

by Couchpotato, 03:13

Neocore Games has a new press release with more information about Van Helsing II.

Features Unveiled for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

Finally, the time has come when we're ready to share more details about the next episode in the Van Helsing trilogy. Ever wondered what we'll keep from the first game? What improvements will we make or what new features will be added to the sequel? Well, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is not just a collection of a dozen new maps and monsters, but a true sequel that keeps all the good bits from the first game, with a little improvement here and there and adds plenty of new features. Oh, and it's not really a feature on its own but if you enjoyed the snappy dialogues, the cheeky humor and the easter eggs of the first game, you'll be happy to hear that the sequel will bring even more of those.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II key features:

Three playable classes – In the sequel to this gothic-noir adventure, players 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 the perfect hideout for players 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, players have the opportunity to defend their Hunter’s 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 leaders of the Borgovian Resistance, players 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 – Enabling players to charge up to three skill modifiers called Power Ups on 8 active skills by way of spending Rage points collected from impressive feats.

Unique companion system – 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.

Fragmentation system – Besides forging, enchanting and infusing items with essences, players now have another option to alter items to their liking. Artifacts can be taken apart, shattered into magical fragments. The process generates a basic shard, and then the enchantments also dissolve into separate fragments. Fragments can 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 that players will find during their adventures, claim as theirs, enhance its abilities and summon it into combat or send away to the Ink to hunt for treasure.

Hall of Trophies - Players can decorate their 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 – Allowing players to test their skills against each other via the PVP mode (8 players) or join their forces and complete the story in the co-operative campaign (4 players).

The first game in the trilogy, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, currently available worldwide via Steam on Windows PC and Mac OS X, is a one-of-a-kind action-RPG that pits players in fierce battles against familiar supernatural foes and also enables players to partake in a tower-defense mini-game within Van Helsing’s upgradable Lair to ward off evil that attempt to overrun the base by way of force. Free Demo available on Steam.

Tuesday - December 10, 2013

Van Helsing II - Interview @ Analog Addiction

by Couchpotato, 00:20

Analog Addiction has a new inteview for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II with Julia Inzsol the PR Manager at NeocoreGames.

Analog Addiction: Firstly, will The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II be a direct sequel?

NeocoreGames: Absolutely! Van Helsing II is the second part of an unfolding saga. It could be enjoyed independently, although it’s still part of an overarching plot. Actually we begin shortly after the events of the first game: after defeating the mad scientist, Van Helsing finds himself a new role in addition to being a hunter: he has become the reluctant leader of the Resistance, defending the Lair against the war-machines of General Harker, the former military commander of Borgova who considers our young hero a rebel and a threat to the city and wants to put an end to the solitary monster-hunting. Van Helsing will have to pull his socks up if he wants to defeat him.

Analog Addiction: How big (in terms of length, but also in the scope of its maps) is Van Helsing II going to be, when compared to the original game?

NeocoreGames: Van Helsing II is going to be similar in length to the first part, which was about 12-20 hours depending on the player. In the sequel we have a more complex story with tons of side quests and although I can’t tell you exactly how many maps you will find in the game yet I can assure you it’s going to be awesome.

Analog Addiction: Will the game be more open-world this time around, or will it be divided into sections, much like the original?

NeocoreGames: The second game is divided into maps just like the original. Within the maps you can go wherever you want and thanks to the side-quests it’s up to you where do you want to start the monster hunting on each map. Our tower defense mini-game will also make a return in the sequel and it’s going to be a more integral part of the game, yet it will be optional. But you should definitely give it a try if you enjoy placing traps and watching as monsters struggle with your epic defense, but you can do your usual killing stuff too in the meantime if you want.

Wednesday - October 02, 2013

Van Helsing II - Interview @ IncGamers

by Couchpotato, 01:06

IncGamers interviews Viktor and Orsolya from Neocore Games to discuss The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II.

IncGamers – David Reid: In The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II you’ve previously mentioned a darker and more deeper story with a new carnival area, could you expand upon this if more details have now been fleshed out?

Viktor: The first adventure already introduced some parts of Old Borgova, and this time we are going to venture deeper into the ancient downtown, where everything is more traditional and more… well, gothic. One of this forgotten corners is the dark carnival, a hideout for some strange creatures, and it ties the story straight into the mystical past of Borgovia that we had only mentioned briefly in the first game, the true story of the vampire lords who ruled the land for centuries… and their secrets.

IG: In the story you can currently make choices, will these affect the game’s ending?

Viktor: One of our goals is to achieve that all the choices you make during the game will add up eventually and even if they don’t affect the ending, they will have an impact on the big events.

IG: Has the original Van Helsing’s personality changed since his last adventure? Is he more reserved in what he says for example or loves having his witty banter with Lady Katarina?

Viktor: Van Helsing finished his first great adventure with a classic showdown when he defeated the evil, mad scientist. But as now we pick up where we left off, for him it’s time to face the consequences. What happens after the fall of the villain? There is a vacuum to be filled, obviously. The gothic metropolis of weird science is on the brink of destruction and chaos rules the streets. Van Helsing is a hunter, but now has to take care of other people too, as a reluctant leader of the Resistance, which is a new role for him and he’s struggling with it. There are some power players in Borgova who don’t regard him as a liberator. So he has changed a bit, yes. On the other hand, he is still the mysterious stranger, the hunter behind the mask we know from the first game.

Friday - September 20, 2013

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Thunderbolt

by Couchpotato, 01:06

Thunderbolt has posted a preview of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II from Pax Prime 2013.

There’s an emerging market for the Diablo lite. It’s a niche for this specific grind and loot driven experience. Small Hungary developer Neocore Games are there to meet the need. Following the relative success of the budget-priced The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing earlier this year, they’ve shown up with a timely follow up, the second in what’s planned to be a three part series. We took in a demo and talked with the studio’s PR Manager.

She talked about how the studio have found their demographic. Early response has exceeded expectations and there was a healthy showing of interest in their follow-up at this year’s PAX. The first game’s only the start of this chaptered development and what we’ve played of the second feels true, exactly what the first delivered, and more of it.

Sunday - September 08, 2013

Van Helsing II - Gameplay Video & Spin-off Game

by Couchpotato, 00:44

RPGamer has a new video with gameplay from Pax Prime for Van Helsing II.

Neocore Games is already hard at work on the second installment of the Van Helsing trilogy. Orsolya shows us some of the upcoming changes and watches us wander around the wilderness committing random acts of slaughter.

They also have another video based on a spinoff tower defence game.

Deathtrap is Neocore Games' upcoming tower defense spin-off from their Van Helsing series. Orsolya helps us organize werewolves, rocket towers, and lots of ice traps to defend our keep.

Saturday - September 07, 2013

Van Helsing II - Preview @ Polygon

by Couchpotato, 00:31

Polygon has a new preview for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2. The main point of the article is about the games multiple classes.

Van Helsing 2 is a direct sequel to The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, which was released earlier this year. Players take control of the legendary monster hunter as they fend off beasts with the help of a ghostly companion, Lady Katarina. The game will include the Hunter class — the sword and pistol-heavy skills players of the first game are familiar with — as well as the Thaumaturge or Arcane Mechanic class.

The Thaumaturge is the game's mage-like class and gives players the power of destructive spells. The Arcane Mechanic is built around more technical abilities. In addition to flamethrowers, bombs and artillery, the class can also summon mechanical spiders.

Van Helsing 2 will also feature class-based loot for players to pick up. Although a few items will be available cross-class, some weapons and armor will only work with specific character types.

Information about

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II

Developer: Neocore

SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Technofantasy
Genre: Hack & Slash
Combat: Real-time
Play-time: 10-20 hours
Voice-acting: Full

Regions & platforms
Internet
· Homepage
· Platform: PC
· Released: 2014-05-22
· Publisher: Unknown