When it comes to Diablo style action RPGs, I am a massive fan. The style of gameplay that has you slaying tons of enemies on screen at once as you gain loot and explore the world is great either solo or in multiplayer. One series that has captured all of this along with a great style and story is The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. In the past two titles we have been introduced to an interesting blend of classic monster slaying meeting steam punk experimentation. But with the last game ending on such a cliff hanger, Van Helsing III is on the horizon and we got the chance to play some of it before the release.

The preview demo we had of the game featured two new classes. The Elementalist who specialises in casting magnificent spells derived of the elements to vanquish foes and the Protector who wields a shield into combat and can block almost anything that comes his way whilst swinging blades and emitting auras. Both of these classes played really well and in their own unique style. The Elementalist for example is very much a long range unit who will go down easily if you allow him to be swarmed by monsters. Luckily he has many crowd control abilities to utilise when at the correct range that can stop them from even touching you in the first place. The Protector however was very different from other classes in the series. This shield wielding heavily armoured hunter has to micro-manage defence with offence as he can block anything that comes his way. Failure to utilise this could result in a very punishing and quick death, so you must stay on your toes.

One aspect of the series that has carried across very well is the difficulty. There are, as usual, many difficulty settings when creating your character. But regardless of which you choose the game will not be holding your hand like in other titles. It will punish you for not utilising space and your abilities appropriately, which I found very rewarding. The struggle of fighting regular enemies is just as tough as duelling bosses which makes the game constantly put you on edge. Upon beating the foes that stand in front of you, there is a perfect opportunity to pat yourself on the back and reminisce on the awesome fight you just survived. The demo was particularly hard simply due to using classes that I had never played before. This was challenging but it was the perfect way to introduce the new classes and how the excel in certain situations. Multiplayer with these together will definitely be something to witness on launch.

There are a few worries I do have about the classes before the games release. They looked and played very similar to the Crusader and Magician in Diablo III. Art style aside, they play extremely similar to one another. So if you are going into the game as a player of Diablo III, you may already know two of the classes at your disposal. With that in mind however, there are unique differences between them. These mostly come from their skills which suit the Van Helsing world and aren’t as dark or brooding as the abilities seen in the Diablo series. It is a bit of a double edged sword as some players will love the classes regardless and others will find them too similar to deem credible.

As for the rest of the game, it is played out very much with the idea “If it aint broke don’t fix it”. This works to the benefit of the series as the classic motifs that returning players love are not changed. Katarina is still hilarious with her banter, the enemy designs look great and play out very stylishly and the loot drops are as constant as you can imagine. There is enough old and new here to satisfy the gamers retuning whilst also giving enough to give new players a chance to enter the series for the first time. If you are worried that you are going to be out of touch with the story, there is a very straight forward recollection of Van Helsing I & II with a starting narration. Although this is great, I would heavily recommend playing through the first two games to get you prepared for the third, especially since they are very well priced and give you a lot of content.

With The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III on the horizon, I cannot wait to claim it for my steam library. The new classes, although they do seem similar to Diablo at first, do stand out in time with their varying skill sets and armours. The world is as magical, relentless and savage as the previous titles with more enemies and different designs to keep you enthralled throughout. A great taster to the sequel  of one truly incredible series.

What do you think of Van Helsing III? Are you ready to fight monsters with the world’s greatest hunter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.