The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Preview
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A new preview for the action-RPG sequel The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is available on RPGFan, and it's based on some hands-on time with the title's first chapter. Here's a snippet:
If you've played Van Helsing I, you know the structure and gameplay of Van Helsing II, and if you haven't, yet are familiar with Diablo or similar hack 'n' slash RPGs, you also know what to expect. This is a click-to-move, click-to-attack, kill-and-loot action RPG, albeit with a bit more story and fluff than the typical hack 'n' slash game. Van Helsing II is bigger and better than the first game. It feels more put together, with better pacing and more variety, more compelling conflicts, and an overall greater density of content. That's not to say there isn't more work to be done before release (proofreading, balancing, and so on), but it's apparent even in beta that this is an improved Van Helsing.
Neocore has focused on tightening instead of inventing, but there was one completely new feature shown in chapter one: management of the resistance forces. Van Helsing commands a (very) small army, and the player gets to decide what to do with it. The player can send captains and troops on missions undertaken off screen in real time, all of which I believe are optional. The player selects an appropriate captain to lead the mission, assigns the necessary number of troops, dispatches them, and then waits for results. Each captain has detailed strengths and weaknesses, and mission briefings only hint at which captain might be best suited for the task, so strategy is required. Captains level up, items modify mission parameters, and troops can be hired, killed, and healed. It's a fun and well developed mechanic that makes Van Helsing II more than just another hack 'n' slash RPG.
