The first Lords of Shadow featured an ample amount of bloodletting, and with the sequel set to feature copious amounts of the life essence with players taking on the role of the most infamous of all bloodsuckers, of COURSE more vitriolic violence is to be expected. So, it should come as no surprise that the ESRB has saddled the game with a "M" for "Mature" rating, not unlike its older brother.
The group let out its rating summary for Konami's closer to the Gabriel Belmont story that is Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, detailing exactly what it is about the game that's oh so ooey and gooety. Feel free to check it out below, just mind the minor Marty McFly spoiler :
"Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Nudity
Rating Summary: This is an action-adventure game in which players control the vampire Dracula as he battles Satan and his minions. As players travel through time, they use a bladed whip and swords to kill human and fantasy creatures (e.g., vampires, demons, ghouls). Several enemies use machine guns against players during combat. In some sequences, players can stab creatures repeatedly, cutting off limbs or tearing enemies apart. Intense instances of violence include depictions of a demon cutting off a man's face; ghouls eating pieces of flesh; a character getting a stake driven into her head. During the course of the game, some female creatures (e.g., demons) appear topless with jiggling breasts. The word 'sh*t' appears in the dialogue."
More and more I feel like these summaries should be included on the game's cover as selling features. "Jiggling breasts" could just be the breaking point between a gamer's decision to take the game up to the counter for procurement, or setting it back on the sales "rack."
The Castlevania franchise has been around for close to 30 years now, but this will be the first time in its history that players will actually take on the role of Dracula, an icon of horror since Bram Stoker first penned the eponymous novel at the end of the 19th century. The game will also be one of the first to really show how the vamper interacts with the modern day world, instead of an obscure and distant Belmont ancestor flailing back and forth in a 2D castle.
Not much is known about the story so far, but since trailers seems to acknowledge the first game's ending, it's assumed 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, likely at the hand of one of the vampire's own ancestors. The Mirror of Fate handheld game helped fill in a few gaps here and there. The game was also ported to consoles, so you might want to give it a whirl to catch up on the storyline.
According to Cox, the game will end the short but sweet Shadow saga. With it, 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."
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will be released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC later this month, February 25.
