The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,959 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Game Cover
A safe and by-the-numbers approach to the Action RPG formula, Van Helsing's unique setting and witty writing eclipse a few poor design choices.
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In "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing," play as the famous monster-hunter in a gothic-noir world filled with weird science and supernatural foes. Engage in humorous dialogue and exploration while customizing your character's skills and abilities, and control your ghostly companion Lady Katarina for diverse combat options. This unique action RPG offers a refreshing take on the classic Van Helsing tale.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,959 reviews
story352 positive mentions
stability81 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with humorous dialogue between Van Helsing and his ghost companion, Katarina.
  • Solid gameplay mechanics with a variety of skills and character builds.
  • Visually appealing environments and good voice acting.
  • Frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay.
  • Unbalanced difficulty, especially with overwhelming enemy hordes.
  • Limited replayability due to a short main campaign and lack of character variety without DLC.
  • story905 mentions

    The story of "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut" is generally described as engaging yet somewhat simplistic, often following familiar action RPG tropes. Players appreciate the humor and character interactions, particularly between Van Helsing and his ghost companion, Katarina, which add charm to the narrative. While the main storyline is relatively short and linear, it is complemented by a variety of side quests and a gothic atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre despite some criticisms regarding its depth and execution.

    • “The storyline is both intriguing and entertaining, weaving through a world filled with memorable characters and unexpected twists.”
    • “The story, the choices, the skill trees, the characters, and the dialogue are all really well designed.”
    • “The engaging storyline, rich lore, and well-developed characters add depth to the overall experience.”
    • “It has a myriad of technical problems; there is a story, but it's just made-up garbage so they can say it has a story. It's not a very convincing story that made me want to pay any attention; gameplay is the only thing that can hold this up, but it doesn't.”
    • “The story is simplistic like in other similar games, so kill the bad guy, save the world, but here the story is always present when you play.”
    • “The only letdown is the story and the way it is told.”
  • gameplay509 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing" is characterized by its classic ARPG mechanics reminiscent of titles like Diablo and Torchlight, featuring smooth and responsive combat, a variety of skills, and a unique essence and rage system. However, many players find the mechanics to be overly simplistic or convoluted, leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of depth, particularly in higher difficulty levels. While the game offers engaging visuals and a humorous narrative, technical issues and balance problems detract from the overall experience, making it a mixed bag for fans of the genre.

    • “The gameplay mechanics are incredibly smooth, feeling responsive and engaging.”
    • “Its unique setting, engaging gameplay, and well-crafted storytelling make it a highly enjoyable and immersive experience.”
    • “Fantastic and satisfying gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is boring and repetitive, the same as the quests and missions.”
    • “Monotonous gameplay (you always kite), similar enemies and not very many useful skills (some skills are simply not viable).”
    • “The core mechanics of the game are very lacking.”
  • graphics369 mentions

    The graphics of "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing" receive generally positive feedback, with many players appreciating the game's unique art style and atmospheric visuals that effectively capture its gothic and steampunk themes. While some reviews note that the graphics may feel dated compared to modern titles, they are often described as above average for the genre, with detailed environments and character designs that enhance the overall experience. However, a few players mention technical issues and optimization problems that can detract from the visual enjoyment.

    • “The art style is fantastic, and the character design is both creative and intriguing, perfectly capturing the essence of the game’s theme.”
    • “The graphics are very good, and the gameplay is quite simple (although not as much as it could be).”
    • “The graphics and the plot seem nice, no problem with those.”
    • “Couple this with the dated graphics and the game feels cheap.”
    • “The animations and graphics make this game look like it's from 2008.”
    • “The whole game felt cheap to me, the graphics are cheap and is really not easy on the eyes.”
  • humor213 mentions

    The humor in "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing" is a standout feature, characterized by witty banter and dark, sarcastic dialogue, particularly between the protagonist and his ghost companion, Katarina. Players appreciate the game's clever references and light-hearted moments that contrast with its gothic horror setting, making for an entertaining experience. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, many agree it adds charm and personality to the gameplay, enhancing the overall enjoyment.

    • “The witty banter between Van Helsing and his companion, Lady Katarina, adds a delightful touch of humor that contrasts nicely with the darker elements of the narrative.”
    • “A really fun dungeon crawler with a truly fantastic sense of humor and really great writing.”
    • “The game has plenty of humorous lines between the two main characters, and many references to movies or other games.”
    • “However, the punchline is a little bit unfunny some of the time for me.”
  • music154 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the gameplay. However, some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over extended play sessions, and while the quality is good, the limited number of tracks may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its immersive qualities.

    • “The music is absolutely amazing.”
    • “The soundtrack is great and it fits perfectly with the dark foggy streets full of strange creatures hiding in the shadows.”
    • “The music helps weave the heroic tale of Van Helsing.”
    • “Good quality sound effects, but there are too few ambient sounds to play without music.”
    • “Music is probably the weakest part; it's not terrible, but it's all a bit dreary and gets repetitive.”
    • “The music is almost non-existent, and the ambient sounds are your basic birds chirping, etc. The lack of sounds also adds to the dull atmosphere, inevitably putting you to sleep.”
  • atmosphere104 mentions

    The atmosphere of "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing" is widely praised for its rich, gothic-steampunk aesthetic, complemented by engaging visuals, a fitting soundtrack, and immersive sound design. Players appreciate the game's unique setting, character interactions, and the blend of humor with darker themes, creating a captivating experience. However, some critiques mention technical flaws and a lack of compelling gameplay mechanics that may detract from the overall atmospheric enjoyment.

    • “The game's soundtrack and sound effects complement the atmosphere, providing a fitting backdrop for the action.”
    • “Beautiful atmosphere with an interesting setting.”
    • “The atmosphere is rich, the dialogue is witty, and the mechanics are solid.”
    • “No moody and creepy atmospheres or jump scares.”
    • “The music is almost non-existent, and the ambient sounds are your basic birds chirping, etc. The lack of sounds also adds to the dull atmosphere, inevitably putting you to sleep. These are some of the worst voices and voice acting in a video game, or any form of entertainment for that matter, that I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing!”
    • “This game feels unfinished and lacks some atmosphere.”
  • replayability87 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its high potential due to multiple character classes, difficulty levels, and side quests, while others criticize its linear progression and lack of significant changes in subsequent playthroughs. Many reviews highlight that while the game can be enjoyable for a few runs, it ultimately lacks depth and variety, leading to a consensus that replay value is moderate to low. Overall, the presence of DLC and different character builds offers some replay incentive, but many players feel it falls short of providing a truly engaging replay experience.

    • “The replayability factor is high, with various difficulty levels and side quests that encourage exploration.”
    • “Fantastic game, high replayability, witty dialogue, and the first ARPG that I could comfortably play with a gamepad.”
    • “The game is rather short but bodes well for replay value.”
    • “However, the potential for replayability may be limited for some players due to the game's linear progression and relatively linear story.”
    • “Overall this game really has no replay value and I can't really say I would recommend buying it because it's just another Diablo-style clone.”
    • “Honestly my only gripe was the somewhat forced linear progression of some areas and a lack of mob respawning mechanics or procedurally generated side quests dungeons to create a deeper, more replayable experience for even a single character.”
  • stability85 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which often lead to freezing and game-breaking issues, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players report improvements after patches, many still find the experience frustratingly unstable, with frequent crashes and unresponsive gameplay. Overall, the stability of the game is a significant concern, detracting from its otherwise enjoyable elements.

    • “Runs great on lower-end computers (I have a laptop with a 4710 i7, 8GB RAM, and an 840M graphics card).”
    • “I wish they were longer, but for the price of less than one full game and everything, how can you go wrong? It is a very well-made game that runs great with little to no problems and has great graphics. I suggest you purchase a copy. Cheers!”
    • “Runs great, good graphics, decent story.”
    • “There's also some really annoying bugs, like trying to send your AI to shops to sell off loot - when playing on controller - freezes the game and I have to alt+F4 to reload the game.”
    • “Very buggy, my friend and I had several game-breaking bugs.”
    • “This game is full of bugs and glitches, for example on the second main map, where a boss fight is supposed to happen to unlock the second portal of that map, the game freezes the bosses and does not allow you to hurt them when clearly it was meant to be a fight.”
  • grinding56 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the need to constantly farm for loot and experience. While some find enjoyment in the grind, particularly for those who appreciate ARPG mechanics, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a chore that detracts from the gameplay experience, especially as the game progresses. Players note that the combat can become monotonous, leading to a sense of resignation rather than excitement during encounters.

    • “Unlike other ARPGs, there is no grinding for better items or skills since there are no areas where enemies respawn, and you will have visited almost every part of every area once you finish the game the first time.”
    • “No grinding needed, but you can turn respawns on/off in the settings menu.”
    • “It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “The combat feels tedious, constantly clicking on one side of the screen to make distance, then back on the other side to shoot the enemies, rinse and repeat for hours on hours.”
    • “Overall, I find the game loop here to be more tedious than it is enjoyable.”
    • “The existence of decent equipment from shops and the exorbitant prices isn't a very nice design touch, as it creates shallow treadmill goals that encourage mindless grinding.”
  • optimization40 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as low frame rates, stuttering, and long load times, even on high-spec systems. While some users report smooth performance, these instances appear to be the exception rather than the rule, leading to frustration among those unable to achieve a stable experience. Additionally, the game's optimization for Mac systems is particularly poor, further limiting its accessibility.

    • “Performance-wise, it runs smooth as butter for me and I can tab out and come back later without a problem.”
    • “Graphics are still high for this classic but feel like they are not quite well optimized for late-gen GPUs.”
    • “Good gameplay, mechanics, graphics, performance.”
    • “Game is extremely unoptimized (runs like shit) and the music quality is cool, but each tune seems to be only five seconds long and constantly looping, which becomes unbearable after a while.”
    • “Is really badly optimized.. I'm far above recommended specs, and the game gets below 20fps often.. skimming through the discussions, there's dozens of people asking for help with the same issue.. it really pisses me off that I have to turn off all the decent settings to play this game, which isn't really great looking to begin with..”
    • “Even if you tinker with the settings to get fps up, the game still suffers from annoying stuttering and screen tearing.”
  • character development20 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the depth and variety of upgrade options for both the player and their companion, while others find it shallow and lacking in narrative depth. The character designs are generally well-received, contributing to the game's unique atmosphere, but some reviewers feel that the focus on itemization and crafting detracts from potential improvements in combat mechanics and storytelling. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience with engaging character interactions, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of its development systems.

    • “The game has a unique gothic atmosphere, a well-designed character development system, dynamic combat, a storyline with decisions to make, and some tower defense elements.”
    • “Character development is twofold; both you and your companion can be upgraded through leveling up and adding not only ability points for stats but skill points for skills, which opens up the play style for all three classes to your own interpretation quite well.”
    • “Very nice and fun, with a really awesome character development system that reminds me of The Witcher.”
    • “It doesn't have a story and character development except that you are a monster hunter and a mad scientist is trying to destroy the town and you have to save it!”
    • “If instead of extensive character development, the loot system and crafting had been devoted to improving combat mechanics and creating a more decent plot, Van Helsing could be a really good game.”
    • “Long story short, I found this game boring; it does not give much freedom with character development as I would like, and the combat was dry.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as less intense compared to titles like Diablo 2 and Path of Exile, appealing to players seeking a more accessible experience. While some find the emotional engagement lacking due to its less hardcore nature, others appreciate the balance of challenge and enjoyment, suggesting that difficulty can enhance emotional investment in gameplay.

    • “It wasn't so easy to make some quests, but that is all the point - a hard game means an emotional game.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy has drawn criticism, particularly regarding the misleading promotion of free upgrades for loyal fans, as many users report being ineligible for the promised benefits and facing full-price charges for improved versions of the game.

    • “If this is the case for you, don't bother clicking on the in-game advertisement for the free title for loyal fans.”
    • “Maybe I'm missing something, but despite their advertising that owners of all three games, which I have, can get the final cut (basically the trilogy with a few extras) for free, I was told I was not eligible to download it. So if I want this improved version, I'm going to have to pay full price for it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

Buy The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

Play time

17hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
13hMain story
33hCompletionist
6-27hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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