It's been a while since we've heard much of anything regarding Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, but now, the first developer diary for the game has surfaced, cluing us in on a few new details.
The Castlevania series is almost as synonymous with the name "Belmont" as it is with the name "Dracula." Save for a few twists and turns here and there, it's traditionally been a whip wielding member of the clan to put the vampire Prince of Darkness back in his coffin for generations, both in the game and the real world. Gamers as a whole are more than familiar with Gabriel, Simon, Trevor, Christopher, and countless other Belmonts who've picked up the Vampire Killer over the milennia. But what about Drac himself?
With Dracula set to finally star in his own Castlevania title after close to 30 years, the game's first developer diary has Dave Cox and Enric Alvarez cluing us in on the iconic vampire's role in the Lords of Shadow sequel.
The pair discuss their decision to use the world's most famous vampire as its central figure, and the benefits it brings to the series. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 marks the first appearance as a playable main character of the iconic character within the series' universe, and the pair also detail the design choices they faced, how they addressed the look and feel of the character, and the effect he has on a story for a game that concludes the series. Dave and Enric also reveal what voice actor Robert Carlyle brought to the character, and what their favorite Dracula movies are.
Check out the video below.
Going from earlier footage, it also seems as though Dracula has abandoned his trademark whip for a more traditional sword, which makes sense. A vampire that wields the Combat Cross does seem a little out of character.
According to Cox, this game will end the short but sweet Shadow saga. With the sequel, Konami and company are "looking to provide series fans yet another nail biter, complete with Dracula's resurrection and the Belmont clan's desire for his final destruction."
For those who didn't play the first game, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was a reboot for the franchise that saw Gabriel, patriarch of the Belmont clan, ultimately become what the Belmonts come to fight against for centuries, the vampire Dracula.
Not much else is known about the story so far. But since the recent trailer seems to acknowledge the first game's ending, let's assume that Zobek has indeed warned "Gabriel" that the acolytes of Satan are preparing for his return and that the two of them must the demon lord before he can take revenge on both of them. Zobek has promised Dracula that he can free him of his immortality if he helps him.
It seems as though Konami is using the handheld Mirror of Fate to fill in what happened in the interim.
Now, admittedly, the video is a bit short on answers. If there's something you're still aching to know, worry not. Konami is calling for fans to submit questions for future videos via its social media channels. These will be answered by Dave and Enric in the months running up to the game's release.
