Those of you looking forward to Lords of Shadow 2, don't forget you can pre-order the Dracula's Tomb Premium Edition now

As the anticipation builds up for February 25th 2014, which is not very far off from now, keep in mind for those who want to pre-order your copy, you also have the option for the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Dracula's Tomb Premium Edition. That's a pretty long title isn't it? The release date for it in the UK is listed for February 28th, three days after the initial launch of LOS2, and here are the sweet treats you're going to get should you decide to make this your own set next year.

• A Limited Edition Art Book (100 page hardback)

• Four Exclusive 10cm Figurines designed by Neil Googe (includes Dracula, Zokek, Victor Belmont and The Lieutenant)

• A red plated Steelbook

• A copy of the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 game itself

• A huge collectors edition Dracula's Tomb Box

These are not an unlimited supply, and only for a limited time offer. So the time to pre-order if you want this set is now. As a pre-order bonus for LOS2, you can also get an armoured Dracula in game costume for your character. "Includes a full length, leather textured coat with new filigree designs throughout and completely redesigned central belt armour. New battle greaves and pants with adorning paraphernalia add a powerful finish. Dracula himself has a new beard to complete the look."

Orders can be made here.

Konami's top 10 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow secrets you may or may not know, so here is your trivia

The Castlevania realm has been around for over 25 years now. That's a long time to build up an army of knowledge for those of you dedicated to the series. Well let's see how far your Castlevania learning has come since then, with a trivia that Konami (or rather MercurySteam) has released which is based on Lords of Shadow. On second thought, there are a number of factors and "Vania" games this trivia is based on. Simon's Quest, Dracula's Curse, characters of the past and so on. So let's test your knowledge with a list of 10 things you may or may not know. Here it is.

1. The design of Gabriel's costume in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was based on the cover of the NES game "Simon's Quest".

2. We considered various actors for the role of Dracula including Gerard Butler and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, both of whom have played Dracula.

3. Mercury Engine 2 was designed for next gen systems and was built from scratch.

4. Almost every single enemy and character has appeared in previous Castlevania games.

5. The work of Guillermo Del Toro has been a big influence on the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow       series.

6. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 uses a combination of orchestral and electronic music. This was done to highlight the past and present aspects of the game.

7. Zobek is an amalgamation of the Dark Priest Shaf and Death from earlier Castlevania games.

8. In Dracula Curse for the NES, if players completed the game as Trevor Belmont, during the end cut scene Trevor married Sypha Belnades. In Mirror of Fate Trevor is married to Sypha Belnades.

9. Hideo Kojima played the character of Chupacabras in the Japanese version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

10. Hoko Kuwashima, Carmilla's Japanese voice actress, also voiced Shanoa in Order of Ecclesia.

The Mercury Engine 2 was designed for next generation systems eh? You know what that could mean don't you? You just might see a version of Lords of Shadow 2 launched for PS4 and Xbox One. Perhaps. The Castlevania Collection is currently out in stores, while Mirror of Fate HD is also available with it and on Playstation Network and Xbox Live. A PC version of MOF has been considered by MercurySteam, something I would like to see myself.

Konami wants your input for future videos to answer questions about Lords of Shadow 2 and its components

We have about 3 and a half months left to go before we can grab a final copy of the long awaited Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 game. While we are waiting though, there are still a number of questions left to be answered. While the latest diary video below that explains the role and character behind Gabriel Belmont and his quest as Lord Dracula, you might want to know a few other things. Not to worry, says Konami, (or rather MercurySteam) as they have asked you the fan for your input on future videos. Ask and ye shall receive. Just submit your questions via Twitter @KonamiEU and a lady by the name of Su-Yina Farmer will answer your questions in place of Dave Cox.

That's what it says in the new video, and some people have been getting this wrong. It's not @Konami on Twitter, it's @KonamiEU, where Su-Yina Farmer will be taking questions from fans about what they want to see in the next video trailer. She is the European Communities Manager and will take your questions for consideration. More about Dracula? More about Alucard or the games environment and game play mechanics? Go for it. Let's get all the details we can before the official launch of Lords of Shadow 2 next February 25th.

 

Su @ParodiSu If you have any questions about Dracula, after watching our #CVLOS2 Dev Diary bit.ly/1cXJhCw tweet them to me on this account :) 07 Nov

Producer Dave Cox and Enric Alvarez reveal the making of Lord Dracula and how he is different from past versions in a new video

Dracula, a name you've heard over and over until you were deaf in your ear. That's something producer Dave Cox and Enric Alvarez wanted to have different for their character in Lords of Shadow 2. Gabriel Belmont, who plays the role of Lord Dracula has many a different twist with his plot as opposed to what you've seen in films and other games. His tale is a dark and sad one, based on the fact that even though he is pure evil, his only desire is to put an end to his unholy existence. Tired of living, tired of having to thrive on the blood of others, he is on a quest to put a stop to it.

In the latest interview video below with Cox and Alvarez, they discuss the many differences in what they wanted for their version of Dracula, comparing it to films and other games of the past that. Some of which actually did give some inspiration. As this is the first time in Castlevania history, they wanted to give him unique abilities when it came to weapons, the way he moves, talks, acts, pretty much everything. The video lasts 5 minutes and should give you some good insight as to the story line and character behind their version of Dracula. It isn't just simple blood sucking, it's pretty deep both ways with Lords of Shadow 2.

Two special editons of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will be launched along side the original release

Since Lords of Shadow 2 will be the very last Castlevania game ever made by the fine folks at MercurySteam, why not go out with a bang? Well, that is exactly what they intend to do, as they will be launching two separate special editions of LOS2, along side the original release next February. Here is the scoop on both. The first set will be called the "Dracula's Tomb Premium Edition" set, and will feature four different mini figures made by Neil Googe, the artist famous for his work in Judge Dredd. An A4 hardback art book and steel bookcase accompany this, all placed within a tomb case. That's quite the catch. But wait, there is something of a catch.

Only 30,000 of these special edition sets will be made, and only available in Europe. If you live in the U.S. or elsewhere, you might end up going overseas to land one of these puppies. On the other hand, there is also another set you can get, which is a Dracula style themed steelbook version which will be sold at Zavvi. You might have better luck in that department. If you hurry up and pre order, you'll also get a Dark Dracula costume, Dracula suit, or you could get the Relic Rune pack, giving you more for your inventory. That depends of course on where you purchase your pre order. So much cool stuff to jump through hoops for, I feel like its Metal Gear Rising Revengeance all over again. How about you take a close up look at some of these nice toys below?

A new trailer has emerged for Lords of Shadow 2 called "Dracula's Vengeance" which digs up some more beef on the storyline

With the upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 version of the Lords of Shadow Ultimate collection looming over our heads, Konami has saw fit to release another nice trailer to the mix. This time it is called the "Vengeance" trailer. Why is that? The storyline of LOS2 has quite a bit to do with it. Gabriel Belmont is now a vampire, and as a vampire he is out to take vengeance on those who stand in his way. A bit more on the plot of Alucard is also told in this new 2 minute trailer. Pc owners and Cloud Steam subscribers can play the demo to LOS2, with PS3 and Xbox 360 owners being able to do the same in just a few days from now.

As you might already know, this is the third storyline to be told in the LOS saga. On top of that, it is also the last Castlevania game based on this story to ever be told again. Dave Cox announced a while back that this is the end of the Lords of Shadow era. We'll take what we can get, and we can't seem to get enough. With the success of the first LOS game, it's no wonder this one is the most eagerly awaited Castlevania game to date. Lords of Shadow 2 is set to launch February of next year on both Playstation 3 Xbox 360 formats.

No next generation release for Xbox One or PS4 is planned, but a PC release looks like it will certainly happen. Take a good look at the latest "Vengeance" trailer below and tell me what you think about it in the comment section below. Cheers.

Amazon cuts its price for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition digital download to half of what it was before

It had just been released recently, and already the digital download for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition has been cut in half at Amazon now. If you were waiting for a significant price drop in the new re-release of this mega hit, then may this post find you, and find you well. What once was $29.99, is now only a small $14.99. For getting Lords of Shadow, plus all of the downloadable content packs, which include the Reverie, and Resurrection add on expansions, not to mention the HD version of Mirror of Fate, AND the demo to Lords of Shadow 2, what more could any Castlevania fan want?

Your purchase is secure too, as after you buy this download, should anything happen to your copy of it, such as a hard drive crash or whatever, then you can still download it again from Amazon's official game library. It's nice to see our money being backed up, even by those who don't practice backing up. If that makes any sense. If you're still wondering if you should add this Castlevania hit to your already Dracula fortified arsenal, this is as likely as good as it's going to get. With the holidays approaching, this could make a splendid and "cheap on your wallet" gift this year. You just can't put it under your tree, just in your computer since it's a digital download.

Below is 40 minutes of footage to give you some insight in the new compilation release.