Van Helsing: Final Cut is a hack-and-slash RPG title which has seen many different versions over a few short years. This game is the final, fully polished product that came from this cycle.
Van Helsing: Final Cut and Massive Content
Since this is the culmination of multiple games it has a huge number of characters and many different mission types. Here are just a few:
- Classic story mode details the final adventure of Van Helsing’s descendent and Katarina
- Adventure mode is similar to the bounty mode in Diablo 3, where you fight enemies in the order you choose (for additional loot)
- Tower Defense missions are where you use towers and abilities to defend an area
- Resistance missions are a marked departure from the normal game where you send teams out on dangerous assignments
As you can see the game really does have an incredible amount of content.
Even your companion has an incredible amount of flexibility.
Deep Skill Trees for Players and Companions
Each skill has power-ups and combo attacks across a massive tree. At the same time your companion has an equally deep set of bonuses. On top of this you have your normal attribute points so each character is incredibly flexible.
Dozens of enemies complicate your adventure but the controls are always tight.
Solid Controls for Van Helsing: Final Cut
With games like this control is always important. We tested it with both a controller and keyboard. Both worked extremely well with the game.
Extensive Character Customization in Van Helsing: Final Cut
While your appearance mostly stays the same your in-game capabilities change drastically. Even your ghost companion Katarina has a huge skill tree with branching paths.
This may be the best system we’ve seen for item crafting.
Item crafting is also really excellent in this game. In fact it has the most flexible system we’ve seen in a game. If you find a “favorite” item you can continue adding slots to it constantly by using “essences”.
Monster vs Monster Appeal
What sets this apart from many other games in the genre is that the characters are not in some vacuum of hate. Enemies actually hate and attack each other. This allows you to use certain mobs strategically to eliminate others.
Many of the level designs are quite interesting. Each “Ink” map has a chaotic feel to it.
Modes Make the Game
Perhaps the biggest selling point for the game is the sheer amount of content contained within.
Are you ready to do tons of “damaeg”? Well then you’re ready to play the Phlogistoneer. You may not be ready for spell check though.
Van Helsing: Final Cut Loses a Point for Polish
Spelling errors are also a big part of this game. We wouldn’t say anything but some of them are just, egregious.
We aren’t just nitpicking here; many of the spelling errors are ridiculous. Unless they meant to spell the damage as “elyctric”; in that case we have another problem.
In fact the entire game feels rather unpolished in many sections. It feels more like a Torchlight or Diablo mod than a full game at times. It just seems like the developers didn’t care.
Each skill tree is quite large with extensive branching paths.
Interesting Story Sequences
While polishing the gameplay they also worked on their 2D art for Van Helsing: Final Cut. While that section was never bad it’s at an especially beautiful level right now.
Co-op worked very well for us when we tested it.
Cooperative Play Shines in Van Helsing: Final Cut
As with any hack-and-slash cooperative play is extremely important. Many abilities have excellent synergy and it’s easy to get a game together. Everything about this sector is competently done.
Final Verdict 4/5 – Great – Huge amounts of content pair up well with smooth gameplay to create a great hack-and-slash title. Even the story mode is fairly interesting throughout, wrapping up the Van Helsing tale. Unfortunately some very simple spelling mistakes keep the game from being absolutely polished. We certainly enjoyed the game and it is definitely worth picking up during the Autumn Sale for $22.49.
