Van Helsing walks into Borgovia with a wide-brimmed hat, a sword, and a job to do. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing asks players to save a city from mad science, evil creatures, and the occasional vampire lord, and mostly it delivers on that promise. Mostly.
The game is a mix of hack-and-slash combat, strategy elements, and a bird-view perspective that makes Borgovia feel both vast and cramped at once. Players move through the city’s soot-stained brick districts and its savage wilderness, fighting monsters while the story follows the son of Abraham Van Helsing, the legendary vampire hunter from Bram Stoker’s novel.
Trailer, via XBOX.
Borgovia and Its Monsters
Borgovia is the gothic-noir capital of the fictional kingdom of Borgovia, and it is built around anachronistic science that twists the 19th century into something stranger. The game’s humor comes from this mismatch: mad scientists and strange machines sit alongside cobblestone streets and gas lamps. It is a city that feels alive, even when it is full of evil creatures.
The monsters themselves range from the expected vampires and werewolves to stranger creations born of Borgovia’s weird technology. Some fights are easy; others require careful positioning and timing. The variety keeps the pace from settling into a dull grind.
Combat and the Bird View
The combat is the heart of the experience, and it is where the game shows its strengths and weaknesses most clearly. Players strike down enemies with swords, guns, and spells, switching between abilities to keep momentum moving. The bird-view perspective means enemies fill the screen quickly, which can make crowd control difficult.
Boss fights stand out as the best moments. Each boss has a distinct design and a pattern that rewards observation over brute force. The game’s difficulty curve rises gradually, so the challenge stays fair rather than punishing.
The Son of Abraham Van Helsing
The protagonist is the son of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter from Bram Stoker’s novel. He is charming and confident, and he speaks often about his duty to his father’s legacy. His companion, Lady Katarina, adds personality to the journey without taking over it. Together they form a pair that feels natural rather than forced.
The story itself draws on Bram Stoker’s tale of Count Dracula, though it is not set in the same fictional universe. Instead, it exists in a twisted 19th-century Europe of monsters, magic, and weird technology. The game’s humor comes from intentional anachronisms, and the writing leans into those jokes without letting them overwhelm the horror.
The City’s Districts
Borgovia is vast, and its districts vary wildly. The soot-stained brick districts of the grim metropolis contrast with the savage wilderness in the mountains. Each area has its own look, and the game does a good job of making them feel distinct rather than interchangeable.
Exploration rewards curiosity. Side quests and hidden paths lead to extra treasure and lore, giving players a reason to wander beyond the main path. The game’s world is dense with content, even if some of it feels optional rather than essential.
Multiplayer and Co-op
Multiplayer and co-op modes let players team up to face the city’s threats together. The game supports both single-player and multiplayer sessions, and the co-op mode brings a social element to the otherwise solitary journey. Playing with friends changes the dynamic, especially during boss fights that can be overwhelming solo.
The modes are solid but not revolutionary. They offer a different way to play rather than a new reason to buy the game.
Where It Falls Short
Not everything holds up. The bird-view perspective, while fitting the game’s gothic-noir tone, can make it hard to judge distance and timing. Enemies sometimes pile on top of each other, making it hard to target individual foes.
The story’s humor occasionally overshadows the horror, and some jokes land flat rather than funny. The game’s pacing dips in the middle stretch, where side content can feel like filler rather than purposeful exploration.
Verdict on Borgovia
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing succeeds because it commits fully to its world and its premise. The combat is engaging, the setting is memorable, and the story has a charm that carries it through weaker stretches. It is not a perfect game, but it is a confident one.
The flaws are real, but they are outweighed by the ambition behind it. Borgovia is a city worth visiting, even when the journey stumbles.
Key Facts
- Developer and publisher: NeocoreGames
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Setting: Borgovia, Borgovia
- Protagonist: The son of Abraham Van Helsing
- Companion: Lady Katarina
- Genre: Action RPG, hack-and-slash, adventure
- Release date: 22 May 2013
The game is available on multiple platforms, and its history includes two sequels that followed the same pattern. The original remains the foundation of that series, and it holds up as a solid, if imperfect, entry in the genre. Borgovia is a city worth saving, and Van Helsing is the man to do it.
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