The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III Impressions

The opening scene in this third and final installment of NeocoreGames’ The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing trilogy quickly sets the tone of the game in an eerie but familiar 19th century European city, a la Penny Dreadful (the wonderful series on Showtime). Van Helsing and his ghost/specter companion Lady Katarina are traversing the city of Borgovia in an attempt to figure out its secrets and put an end to its most dangerous monster yet - which just so happens to be none other than Van Helsing's arch nemesis. The sequence explains the events of the previous game and works adequately as a primer for those that are playing this series for the first time.

The final game will feature a total of 6 classes at launch (Bounty Hunter, Protector, Elementalist Umbralist, Phlogistoneer and Constructor), but this Preview Build only gave the option to play as a Protector or Elementalist. Much of my time in VH3’s world was spent as a Protector mainly because the Elementalist proved to be a bit squishy unless I kept him at a distance during these early levels.

When creating a new character in this preview build I spotted a button that offers a character import - currently unavailable, but of note and something that leaves me curious as to how it'll function in the full version.

The Protector class is beefier and thus properly equipped to withstand my desire to run up and start slashing away at a group of enemies. I found myself giggling every time I used the Smite skill to rush in and knock down a group of baddies in my path. Using AoE skills (Spike Swing) would leave my character open and more vulnerable to enemy attacks, while the main attack (Smashing Blow) is fairly strong.

Keeping the main attack button pressed releases an automated combo which does significant single mob damage. Rather than being primarily defensive, the blocking skill in the game added a nice bonus to damage if timed correctly.

Like many other action RPGs, levels come via experience points from completing quests or slashing your way through hordes of monsters. Ability points are gained through level progression, and are often awarded when completing quests. The ability points can be used to unlock and upgrade the many active and passive skills offered to your character and spirit pal, Katarina.

Each skill can be upgraded multiple times to enhance its potency. Cool-down timers or mana regulate active skills. Each active skill has 3 buffs that once activated will deplete your rage, which is gained by defeating monsters. Not only do you have the option to customize Katarina’s set of skills but also her play-style (Defend, Assist, Weakest, Vulnerable), her appearance, and you have the choice of tasking her to collect all of your loot.

The UI layout changes whether playing with keyboard/mouse or a gamepad. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the preview build has gamepad support (I was quick to jump on that!).

Equipping armor and weapons on your character, as well as Katarina, is done via a very familiar-looking wheel, segmented by the armor/weapon slots - a system with positive similarities, it has to be said, to Diablo 3's console version.

The keyboard/mouse layout meanwhile is pretty traditional with the active skills, health, mana, and rage bars centered along the bottom of your screen.  Additional menus, including your character sheet, skills, journal, and more, pop-up when clicking the corresponding icons located on the lower right of the screen.

This preview build marked my first encounter with the Van Helsing series, my nearest recent basis for comparison being Diablo 3. As a newcomer I was pleased the storyline didn’t require me to have knowledge of the previous games, while the gameplay feels familiar - easy to pick up and jump into with a very minimal learning curve. The dialogue is witty and cheekily features some fun pop-culture references, my favorite being a dig at Wesley Snipes’ Blade.  

As a fan of Diablo 3 my short time with this title's preview build was enjoyable - and at a $14.99 price point, it appears it'll be a solid value as well as good fun. I'm looking forward to fully exploring this action RPG come its release later this month.