IGN - 6.5/10
Lords of Shadow 2 may have gained an open world, but a poor story, uninteresting enemies, and a bland cast of characters came with it. Combat might be improved, but forced stealth sections cause nothing but dismay and frustration. The end result is something that doesn’t come near the level of overall quality found in the original Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.
Gamespot - 7/10
if you have the patience to get through the rough start, you'll discover a much better game waiting for you on the other side.
Kotaku - NO
Lords of Shadow 2 squanders a great premise - playing as the King of vampires in a modern day city - with mediocre execution
Eurogamer - 5/10
Sharpening the disappointment is the fact that the team at MercurySteam has already made a good game, and perhaps had an opportunity here to make a great one. The first Lords of Shadow was a sweet surprise. The follow-up is a hostage to a story it tells badly, and a prisoner within a dull urban maze that refuses to become a characterful exploratory playground. To live on but to be diminished - that's the fate of the vampire in Castlevania's lore. Sadly, it's a bit of an epitaph for this well-meaning but bloated game as a whole.
Edge - 4/10
Lords Of Shadow 2 is clunky, ugly and deeply misguided. It’s a game that sees the lord of the damned as a vehicle for rat-powered linear stealth, and that takes a future-Gothic London setting and then sets the action in tower blocks and sewers. MercurySteam says this will be the final game in the Lords Of Shadow saga, and on the evidence of this cluttered, bloated and forgettable mess, it’s just as well.
Gamesradar - 3/5 stars
Lacking the focus, clarity and coherence of its precursor, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 fails to satisfy as a sequel or as a game in its own right, delivering muddled game design and little narrative resolution.
Polygon - 5/10
this conclusion to MercurySteam's run on Castlevania is a far cry from the exciting potential suggested by the first game's cliffhanger ending. Lords of Shadow 2 fosters brief reminders of what made the first game special, but its novel premise is squandered on boring environments, terrible set piece moments and all-but-outright refusal to deliver on the over-the-top narrative that drew me in to begin with.
Metro UK - 4/10
A badly misjudged sequel that not only fails to fix the flaws of the original but manages to add a whole coffin full of new ones.
EGM - 7/10
Lords of Shadow 2 runs into a classic sequel problem. By trying to do more and fix the few issues of the first game, MercurySteam actually does less and creates more problems. Despite this, they’ve still crafted a competent tale with solid core gameplay that should entertain longtime Castlevania fans, even if it’s not quite everything they’d hoped for.
Game Informer - 6/10
This shambling monstrosity is composed of chunks from other, better games. Rather than blend them together into something new like its predecessor attempted, this one just feels like a patchwork mess.
Machinima - 7/10
Very few studios have the opportunity to close out a trilogy, and while this should lead to a stronger sense of finality, in the case of Lords of Shadow 2 and its ending—which is ultimately satisfying in the grand scheme of this trilogy reboot—is blemished with a journey that fluctuates from satisfying to unremarkable. In all, it was a good ride when appreciated as a collection, but since this is the Lords of Shadow we’ll come back to most often, it’ll be difficult to remember the experience that way
NOWGamer - 4/10
With little in the way of originality or excitement, the only thing Lords Of Shadow 2 will deliver is crushing disappointment.
PC Gamer - 44/100
A miserable blend of flawed game mechanics that's a giant leap backwards from its predecessor.
Joystiq - 4/5 stars
Like Dracula himself, his latest adventure is imperfect – its listless, poorly presented evils sometimes warring against its better, more exciting nature. I won't spoil Dracula's fate, but as for the fate of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, the better half wins out.
Gametrailers - 8.3/10
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 could easily be a better game if some things were simply removed. Still, despite the unnecessary stealth sequences and other roadblocks, it truly does get better over the course of its 15 to 20 hours. It isn't a perfect modernization of all we love about Castlevania, but it certainly feels like a proper part of the bloodline. Diverse, connected environments, creepy characters, and fantastic boss designs speak to a journey that resonates stronger than the plot itself.
