Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is a direct follow-up to the surprise 2010 hit. The events in that game, though, have significantly changed the lead character's abilities, and developer MercurySteam has detailed a few of the changes coming to this sequel. Spoilers for the first game follow.

OXM reports that now that Gabriel has been turned, his powers are fueled by blood. He can then use the blood to fuel his Void (Light) or Chaos (Dark) magic. You'll earn blood more by filling the Focus gauge. That means you'll have to pull out some stylish melee moves to keep your magic filled, and the "mastery" system rewards you for mixing up your combos.

The main weapon has been replaced by a blood whip, while he's also been given a Void Sword and Chaos Claws for light and heavy attacks, respectively. Gabriel can also transform into mist, control mortal enemies, and "disappear into the night."

Finally, game director Enric Alvarez again reaffirmed that the studio has no plans to continue the series after this one. "We've told the story we want to tell," he said. "There's nothing worse than someone who's said everything they need to say, then carries on talking."