Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is an action-adventure game, the sequel to the 2010 game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and part of the Castlevania franchise. The game was developed by MercurySteam and published by Konami. It was released late February 2014 in both North America and Europe and in March 2014 in Australia. Lords of Shadow 2 was released on September 4, 2014, in Japan. A downloadable chapter has also been released in March from the same year. The story is set in both medieval and modern worlds and follows a weakened Dracula on a quest to defeat his former enemy, Satan. Gameplay takes place after the original Lords of Shadow but this time through an open world. The player controls Dracula who uses multiple powers and weapons to achieve his goals. Lords of Shadow 2 received mixed opinions from critics, while it was praised for its combat and visuals, the narrative and forced stealth gameplay were criticized. Gameplay As in the previous game, the player controls Gabriel Belmont, now known as Dracula. During the game's opening sequence the player is able to control Dracula while he still possesses all his powers as well as all of his weapons. Dracula's main weapon is his Shadow Whip, a weapon that is comparable to the Combat Cross from the original Lords of Shadow. Replacing the magic system from the previous game are the Void Sword and the Chaos Claws. The Void Sword can replenish Dracula's health when used while the Chaos Claws can be used to break through enemy defenses and deliver powerful attacks. Other new abilities include shapeshifting into a rat to hide from enemies or travel through vents, turning into an intangible mist to pass through bars or fly/glide to higher platforms, possessing enemies for a few seconds to pass through secure doors, and drinking the blood of an enemy to replenish some health. The story mode in Lords of Shadow 2 has been stated to be far longer than the previous one. The game is mainly an open world, allowing the player to choose what route to take. Lords of Shadow 2 features a movable camera, something that was not available in its predecessor. Plot The game starts out with a recap of Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate, detailing Gabriel Belmont's (Robert Carlyle) transformation into Dracula and his encounters with his son, Trevor (Richard Madden), whom he