The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

{{Infobox video game

| image = File:Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing cover.jpg

| publisher= NeocoreGames

| engine=

| released= {{Unbulleted list|Microsoft Windows, OS X|22 May 2013|Xbox One|1 December 2015|Playstation 4|1 March 2017}}

| genre= Action role-playing

| modes= Single-player, multiplayer

| platforms= Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4

}}

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is an action role-playing video game developed and published by NeocoreGames.{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/09/new-van-helsing-game-announced |title=IGN - New Van Helsing Game Announced |date=9 May 2012 |access-date=1 December 2012}} It was released on 22 May 2013. Based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the game focuses on the trials of young Van Helsing, son of the legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing from the book. The game is set in a gothic-noir 19th-century Eastern Europe{{cite web |url=http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/46-basic-info-and-feature-list.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119065906/http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/46-basic-info-and-feature-list.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 November 2012 |title=Developer Blog - Basic info and feature list |access-date=1 December 2012 }} and contains "intentionally anachronistic humor and gadgetry". A sequel, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II, was released on 22 May 2014. A second sequel, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III, was released on 22 May 2015.

Gameplay

Plot

The game is based on Bram Stoker's tale of Count Dracula, similar to how the developer's earlier role-playing game King Arthur was based on the tale of King Arthur. The game is not set strictly in the same fictional universe as Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, but rather a similar one in a twisted 19th century Europe with "monsters, magic and weird technology".{{cite web |url=http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/31-who-is-van-helsing-anyway.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129185649/http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/31-who-is-van-helsing-anyway.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 January 2013 |title=Developer Blog - Who is Van Helsing, anyway? |access-date=1 December 2012 }} The game takes place in Borgova, the gothic-noir capital of the fictional kingdom of Borgovia.{{cite web |url=http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/50-the-gothic-noir-metropolis-of-borgova.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130010504/http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/50-the-gothic-noir-metropolis-of-borgova.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 January 2013 |title=Developer Blog - The gothic-noir metropolis of Borgova |access-date=1 December 2012 }} The city is vast, bolstered by anachronistic science, but also filled with evil creatures that this science has created. The game's protagonist is the son of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter from the novel, and it is his job to continue in his father's footsteps and exterminate the monsters from the city.

Development and release

File:The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing character vote.jpg

On 9 May 2012, the Hungarian independent development studio NeocoreGames announced an entry of their new project, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. The title was developed for the PC and the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade platform.{{cite web |url=http://pressreleases.triplepointpr.com/2012/05/09/action-rpg-adventure-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-announced-for-pc-and-xbla/ |title=TriplePoint Newsroom - The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Announced for PC and XBLA |date=9 May 2012 |access-date=1 December 2012}} The developers also announced at Gamescom 2012 that the game is planned to be part of a trilogy.{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/gamescom/a402397/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-to-be-a-trilogy/ |work=Digital Spy| title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing to be a trilogy | date=29 August 2012 | first=Matthew | last=Reynolds |access-date=8 September 2019}}

In October 2012, after receiving feedback from the gamer community that the depiction of the young Van Helsing appeared "too young and inexperienced", NeocoreGames held a vote to decide which of three possible versions of the main character would be used in the game: The Mysterious Stranger, The Chevalier, or The Veteran.{{cite web |url=http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/40-voting-started-new-hero-needed-for-those-incredible-adventures.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031080039/http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/40-voting-started-new-hero-needed-for-those-incredible-adventures.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 October 2012 |title=Developer Blog - Voting started |access-date=1 December 2012 }} Receiving 72% of the vote, The Mysterious Stranger depiction was chosen to be used for the young Van Helsing.{{cite web |url=http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/43-voting-is-closed-we-have-our-new-protagonist.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116011805/http://devblog.neocoregames.com/van-helsing/43-voting-is-closed-we-have-our-new-protagonist.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 November 2012 |title=Developer Blog - Voting is closed |access-date=1 December 2012 }}

A remastered version including the sequels was released as one big game on 6 November 2015, titled The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut. On 1 December 2015, the game was released as part of the Games with Gold benefit, for the Xbox One.{{cite web|url=http://www.neocoregames.com/2015/11/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-on-xbox-one-the-faq/|title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing on Xbox One|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204042105/http://www.neocoregames.com/2015/11/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-on-xbox-one-the-faq/|archive-date=4 December 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=29 November 2015}}

Reception

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing for PC Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=11 May 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing for Xbox One Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=11 May 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-extended/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4 |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Extended Edition for PlayStation 4 Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=11 May 2020}}

Patrick Hancock of Destructoid gave the game a 5.5 out of 10, writing, "A forgetful story, performance issues, and an unexplained tower defense element hold Van Helsing back from living up to its true potential, and what’s left meanders the line between standard and boring."{{cite web |last=Hancock |first=Patrick |date=June 5, 2013 |url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing/ |title=Review: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing |website=Destructoid |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Christian Donlan of Eurogamer found the genre to be a good fit for the franchise and wrote, "Van Helsing isn't a polished game, or even a particularly thoughtful one for most of its campaign, but it has scrappy charm and schlocky character, and it benefits from leaning on one of those design templates that is ultimately really, really difficult to screw up too badly."{{cite web |last=Donlan |first=Christian |date=June 28, 2013 |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-review |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing review |website=Eurogamer |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} GameSpot liked the clever writing, atmospheric setting, and combat mechanics, while deeming the clumsy interface and sparse number of multiplayer matches as minor hindrances.{{cite web |author=GameSpot Staff|date=October 5, 2013 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-review/1900-6409054/ |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Review |website=GameSpot |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Nathan Grayson of IGN noted that while Van Helsing was lacking in innovation, depth, and substantial multiplayer, it was a "solid game."{{cite web |last=Grayson |first=Nathan |date=June 7, 2013 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/07/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-review |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Review |website=IGN |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Polygon's Philip Kollar said that while the game's setting and folklore-heavy background had potential, the repetitive content and lack of innovation hindered its quality.{{cite web |last=Kollar |first=Philip |date=June 19, 2013 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/19/4446198/incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing review: vampire money |website=Polygon |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} John Cal McCormick of Push Square disliked the uninteresting battle system and narrative and praised the lighthearted tone for helping the game stand out from other titles in the same genre.{{cite web |last=Cal McCormick |first=John |date=March 6, 2017 |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/the_incredible_adventures_of_van_helsing |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Extended Edition Review (PS4) |website=Push Square |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} RPGamer found the writing, characters, exploration, and combat to be enjoyable and disliked the reused content and subpar difficulty modes.{{cite web |last=Fuller |first=Alex |date=June 3, 2013 |url=https://rpgamer.com/review/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-review/ |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Review |website=RPGamer |accessdate=May 21, 2022}}

= ''The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II'' =

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-ii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II for PC Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=May 21, 2022}}

Patrick Hancock of Destructoid gave the sequel an 8 out of 10, calling it "...a much better showing than the original", while noting that it improved and innovated on every concept the original game introduced.{{cite web |last=Hancock |first=Patrick |date=June 30, 2014 |url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-ii/ |title=Review: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II |website=Destructoid |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Daniel Starkey of GameSpot praised the title's worldbuilding, dense environments, and rewarding combat while criticizing the slow intro and cluttered narrative.{{cite web |last=Starkey |first=Daniel |date=May 28, 2014 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-2-review/1900-6415777/ |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 Review |website=GameSpot |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} IGN's Leif Johnson called Van Helsing II "...a considerable improvement over its predecessor" and noted that though balance issues and multiplayer bugs remained, the game's variety in tower defense scenarios and classes made up for it.{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Leif |date=May 30, 2014 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/05/30/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-ii-review |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Review |website=IGN |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Push Square's John Cal McCormick wrote that while the game improved in many ways over its predecessor, it failed in many others, as seen in its uninteresting combat and story.{{cite web |last=Marlow |first=Brandom |date=August 23, 2017 |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/the_incredible_adventures_of_van_helsing_ii |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Review (PS4) |website=Push Square |accessdate=May 21, 2022}}

= ''The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III'' =

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-iii/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III for PC Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=May 21, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-iii/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III for Xbox One Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=May 21, 2022}}

Destructoid's Patrick Hancock called the title a "copy-paste job" and wrote that Van Helsing III did not innovate upon the second game's mechanics.{{cite web |last=Hancock |first=Patrick |date=June 30, 2014 |url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-iii/ |title=Review: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III |website=Destructoid |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Jeb Haught of GameRevolution commended the game's level design, class variety, and customization options while taking issue with the reduced level cap, neutered steampunk aesthetic, and overly streamlined gameplay segments.{{cite web |last=Haught |first=Jeb |date=May 29, 2015 |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/68025-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-iii-review#/slide/1 |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III Review |website=GameRevolution |accessdate=May 21, 2022}} Daniel Starkey of GameSpot praised the character interactions, action, and pacing, and stated that the recycled assets, lack of content, and technical stability was disappointing.{{cite web |last=Starkey |first=Daniel |date=June 3, 2015 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-3-review/1900-6416161/ |title=The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 3 Review |website=GameSpot |accessdate=May 21, 2022}}

References

{{cite news|title=Monstrous: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing|url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/07/04/monstrous-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing/|first=John|last=Walker|date=4 July 2012|work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=15 December 2012}}

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20121114065533/http://devblog.neocoregames.com/ Developer blog]

Category:2013 video games

Category:2010s horror video games

Category:Action role-playing video games

Category:Fantasy video games

Category:MacOS games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:PlayStation 4 games

Category:Role-playing video games

Category:Video games based on Dracula

Category:Video games developed in Hungary

Category:Windows games

Category:Xbox 360 games

Category:Xbox 360 Live Arcade games

Category:Xbox One games

Category:Steampunk video games

Category:NeocoreGames games