IG: Any expert type tips to share with players who are having a hard time on the highest difficulty, playing hardcore?
O: First and most important thing on the higher difficulty levels is to utilize the power of your Rage. You need to learn when to use it and how to spend it effectively against the hordes or a single boss. You also need to keep an eye on your Resistances, the elemental resistance is crucial and the physical resistance is also very important. Don’t forget to heal yourself from various different sources: besides the potions you can use the Arcane Healing trick, the Hidden Reserve aura, which will heal you after the Rage points you spend and Katarina’s Withering Kiss skill, which will heal Van Helsing after the damage caused by Katarina. You can also decrease the amount of damage done to your HP by the Mystic Shield trick or Katarina’s Spirit Guardian skill.
You should also keep moving all the time, do not ever stop. You shouldn’t risk being surrounded by a pack of monsters, always leave some space to run away if necessary. Even with a melee character you shouldn’t stay in one place. A lot of attacks can be easily dodged if you’re on the move.
IG: I’ll bare that in mind when I look at my poor Van Helsing with epic gear who risked all by attracting mobs whilst standing on a bomb… RIP. Can you tell us more about the free DLC Scenario Mode?
O: The Scenario DLC allows players to fight 30+ level monsters even after completing the campaign to gain better loot at to further develop their characters. First, it started with two available levels and in the meantime we expanded it, now including a new system of rewards for killing monsters and two new scenarios within the Croakwood and the Rookery. The new reward system allows players to gain Glory points for killing monsters, which then can be spent on various bonuses that affect all in-game characters a player has created.
My hardcore character with cool shiny gear, lesson learned, don’t taunt mobs whilst standing on bombs.
IG: The risk of hardcore or not?
O: For me, it’s rather not. I prefer being able to rise from the dead :).
IG: That probably should have been my first choice as well. I’ll miss that guy.
And now, a couple of questions about The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II…
IG: With the sequel’s background setting currently in Borgova, could you share any info on any new places?
V: We are going to enter the darker corners of Borgova, where chaos rules the streets. We are planning to show you some grim industrial complexes, strange laboratories and the really ancient downtown streets. We are going to send Van Helsing into the wilderness again to explore those majestic heights. And we will visit the deadliest carnival of the world as well, among many other places.
IG: The carnival sounds interesting. Will there be more traps if the lair feature is still in the sequel?
O: Oh, yes. The tower-defense mini-game feature will get a major overhaul in the sequel. In the first game we didn’t really manage to integrate it into the core gameplay correctly, nor could we find its right balance. We realized this now, based on the feedback we got, so we reevaluated its current role as a mini-game adding only a little variation and we managed to find its right place now, or at least we think we did and many great ideas were just born in this regard. Ready for a few surprises? We certainly hope you are :).
IG: Is The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II going to have the same level of witty humour or will everything have an even more darker and grim feel cmopared to the original?
V: The sequel has certainly darker undertones, since the threats are more serious and the challenge is much higher, but we are going to keep the trademark witty humour as well.
Now more Van Helsingier than ever.
IG: Sounds good. Will there be any other companions to accompany Van Helsing?
O: To tell the truth we are not planning to add more companions. The game builds heavily on their characters and the special relationship between Van Helsing and Katarina, so she will accompany us on our adventure all over the trilogy. Katarina is unique and one of her kind. But we have a lot of plans regarding her character already.
IG: Any new concepts and experiments such as skills and weapons for example that your team are thinking about?
O: The DLCs that we’re planning now and the following parts of the game will bring major changes to the class system and the weapons/gear choices too, but let’s not spoil everything now. And not just in this regard do we have surprises for our community but we plan to add many other new and interesting elements to the sequel as well.
IG: I love the two-headed cow so how about a four-headed walking talking bovine, a chicken-god or something?
V: Great ideas! Although we are thinking about something more… frog-like, if I can say so, but I can’t tell you any more at the moment…
IG: Lastly, anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Beware: You might never know who the real monsters are!
(laughs)
Orsolya, Victor, thank you very much for taking the time to answer any questions. We look forward to more development from NeocoreGames in future, especially on The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II. You can find out more info about both titles on Neocore’s site.
Check out Peter’s review for the IncGamers verdict on the game, and take a look at our Van Helsing giveaway for the chance to win a copy of your very own.
