One of the best things to come out of the demo of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 isn’t actually inside the game itself. Diving in the options reveals a game element, where it’s possible to turn off Quick Time Events, noted as QTEs.
This week, publisher Konami released a short, 20-minute demo for the upcoming release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. In it, the dark side of Belmont, now turned into Dracula, fights off an oncoming army of knights in his medieval dwelling.
As cool as that sounds though, some of its game elements could prove to be an annoyance for some. For instance, biting opponents and draining their life blood, requires timing the exact moment of 2 circles aligning with each other.
More aggravating still, some of these QTEs will be thrown around in the platform sections of the game. While trying to leap over gaps or evade attacks, these pesky circles may spontaneously pop up as well, which can be tricky to time properly.
In the Game Options, present in the pause menu of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, it’s possible to deactivate the use of these QTEs. Still, purists may want to leave it on, as removing the design also means that any of its challenges go away.
For biting, this results in an automatic success. For platform cutscenes, the obstacle simply is removed. So, you won’t ever fall down a hole or get squished.
Further aspects in the demo include climbing a giant boss, in vein of Shadow of the Colossus. Action is directed in full 3D, with fast combat that resembles God of War’s use of spiraling melee weapons.
Taking further notes from games like DmC, Belmont can make use of two different weapons. With the Void Sword, Dracula can regain health, while the Chaos Arms rend through enemy defenses.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will be available for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in North America on February 25, 2014 and on February 28, 2014 in Europe.
