Hippo is a personal CRM built for Apple platforms. Keep notes, events, and to-dos for the friends, family, and colleagues you care about — all stored on your device. No account. No cloud server. No Contacts permission required.
Hippo is a personal CRM for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A personal CRM helps you keep track of the people in your life the way a sales CRM helps a salesperson track leads — but focused on the relationships that actually matter to you. Friends, family, mentors, colleagues, the people you want to stay close to.
Unlike most personal CRMs, Hippo stores everything on your device. There’s no account to sign up for, no server holding your contacts, and access to your iOS Contacts list is never required (it’s optional, and granted contacts still stay on-device). Optional sync runs through your own private iCloud Drive — never through Hippo.
Hippo is built for people who want to be more attentive without trading their privacy for the privilege.
Make notes, keep track of events and store to-dos for all your contacts.
So next time you meet, a quick glance at the person's profile in Hippo is all you need to remember the details.
Being attentive doesn’t have to be a challenge anymore.
Hippo is your personal reminder.
Use notes to quickly jot down things you learned about your contacts. Like names of kids, new jobs, a promotion, holiday plans, or gift ideas.
Create events for face to face meetings or important life events.
Get reminded when the event is happening so you can ask about it.
Remember the questions you want to ask the next time you meet.
Hippo is the personal CRM that doesn’t want your data.
Monica is a powerful open-source personal CRM, but it’s web-based and requires either a paid hosted plan or self-hosting your own server. Monica’s recent v5 update has shifted the product toward life journaling and modular vaults. If you want a focused personal CRM that runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with no setup, Hippo is the closer fit.
Dex is a strong choice if your relationships are heavily LinkedIn-driven and you want cross-platform sync via a Dex account. Hippo runs natively on Apple platforms (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) and is built around on-device privacy — your contact data never leaves your device unless you choose to sync via iCloud.
Clay enriches your contacts with public data from across the web. Hippo intentionally doesn’t do this. If you want enrichment, Clay is the right tool. If you want your data to stay local and untouched, Hippo is.
Hippo offers a one-time lifetime purchase option (uncommon in the category) and is the only one that works without ever requesting your iOS Contacts list.
Hi 👋, I’m Roel
I have been struggling with my memory all the time, at work and at home. I used to forget children’s names, someone's job, birthdays, anniversaries and other important life events. At work I couldn’t remember when or how a decision was made.
This made me insecure and unhappy. That is why I built Hippo.
With the Hippo app, I can remember all the important things about the persons I care for. A quick note usually does the job. It is simple and effective … and has changed my life! Hippo has helped me to become a better friend, partner and colleague.
Hippo is free to try for 1 month. After the trial, it’s $14.99 per year or $29.99 as a one-time lifetime purchase.
To view the pricing in your currency, see Hippo in the App Store.
Free to try for one month.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition is the definitive PC release of the 2010 dark fantasy action-adventure title that rebooted the iconic franchise. Developed by MercurySteam with assistance from Hideo Kojima, this edition brings the console epic to PC with enhanced technical performance and all previously released story expansions. The Story: A Quest for Redemption
Set in "the end of days" (specifically 1047), the world is isolated from the heavens by the malevolent Lords of Shadow. You play as Gabriel Belmont, a holy knight of the Brotherhood of Light.
The Motivation: Gabriel seeks revenge for the brutal murder of his wife, Marie, and hopes a mysterious mask can bring her back from the dead.
The Journey: Players travel through gothic ruins, frozen wastelands, and dark forests to defeat the three factions of the Lords of Shadow. Ultimate Edition Contents
This version includes the original base game plus two significant story expansions:
Reverie: Gabriel returns to the castle to aid the vampire queen’s handmaiden, Laura, in containing an ancient evil.
Resurrection: A direct follow-up to Reverie that concludes Gabriel's journey as he faces a powerful demon known as "The Forgotten One".
Game Information
Key Features
Gameplay Features
Visual and Audio Features
Ultimate Edition Exclusive Content
System Requirements
Controller Support
The Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition on PC offers a rich, immersive gaming experience, with a dark and gothic atmosphere, engaging gameplay, and a deep storyline.
Released in August 2013, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition
is the complete PC version of the series' 2010 reboot. It follows Gabriel Belmont, a knight of the Brotherhood of Light, on a quest for vengeance against the "Lords of Shadow" to save the world and his murdered wife. Ultimate Edition Content
This edition includes the base game plus two story-driven DLC expansions: Castlevania Lords Of Shadow Ultimate Edition PC Game
Reverie DLC: Gabriel returns to the vampire castle to assist a recently slain queen's handmaiden.
Resurrection DLC: Directly continues the main plot, leading toward the game's ultimate twist and Gabriel's final fate. PC Technical Improvements
The Ultimate Edition was optimized for PC hardware to provide a superior visual experience compared to the original console releases:
Performance: Supports a smooth 60 frames per second (on recommended specs) and full 1080p HD graphics.
Visual Fidelity: Features improved textures, increased draw distances, and anti-aliasing to enhance the gothic art direction.
Integration: Includes Steam Cloud saving, Steam Achievements, and Big Picture Mode support for gamepad play.
Steam Deck: The game is officially Steam Deck Verified, meaning it is fully functional on the handheld with legible text and good performance. Gameplay Mechanics
Combat: Centered on the Combat Cross, a multi-function whip that players can upgrade with new combos.
Magic Systems: Features Light Magic (for health recovery upon hits) and Shadow Magic (for increased damage).
Exploration & Puzzles: Combines platforming—climbing sheer walls and rappelling down cliffs—with "brain-draining" environmental puzzles.
Titan Battles: Includes epic encounters against behemoth-sized enemies that require specific climbing and timing strategies.
Fixed Camera: Like earlier 3D titles, it uses a fixed camera system to create cinematic views, though some players find it restrictive during combat. System Requirements Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition on Steam
Redeeming the Dark: An Analysis of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition
For decades, the Castlevania franchise was defined by two distinct identities: the linear, whip-cracking action of the classic NES entries, and the deep, exploration-heavy "Metroidvania" style of the Game Boy Advance and DS era. When Konami and MercurySteam released Castlevania: Lords of Shadow in 2010, it was a radical departure—a gritty, cinematic reimagining that traded gothic pixel art for hyper-realistic 3D visuals. The Ultimate Edition, released for PC in 2013, serves as the definitive way to experience this ambitious reboot. It not only compiles the full saga of Gabriel Belmont’s tragic fall but also stands as a testament to the "hack-and-slash" genre's potential for narrative depth.
The primary draw of the Ultimate Edition is the visual upgrade. While the original console release was impressive, the PC version unlocks the full potential of the game’s art direction. Running at high frame rates and resolutions, the game is breathtaking. The environments range from the verdant, misty forests of the Werewolves to the stark, frozen wastelands of the Necromancers. The character models, particularly the stoic Gabriel Belmont and the manipulative Zobek, showcase a level of texture detail that elevates the cinematic storytelling. In a genre often criticized for repetitive corridors, Lords of Shadow offers a tour de force of varied landscapes that feels like a dark fairy tale realized in high fidelity.
Gameplay-wise, Lords of Shadow borrows heavily from the God of War template, focusing on combo-heavy combat using the Combat Cross—a weapon that functions as a whip, a club, and a grappling hook. However, Castlevania distinguishes itself through weight and rhythm. The combat feels heavier and more deliberate than its Greek mythology counterparts. The inclusion of light and shadow magic adds a tactical layer; players must absorb neutral elements to fuel either healing (light) or devastating damage (shadow). This forces the player to balance aggression with resource management. The Ultimate Edition also includes the "Reverie" and "Resurrection" DLC chapters, which are not merely optional add-ons but essential narrative bridges that lead directly into the game's shocking cliffhanger, adding significant value to the package.
Beyond the combat, the game excels in its atmospheric storytelling. The narrative, penned by adventure game legend Dave Cox and featuring the vocal talents of Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart, is a retelling of the Belmont origin story. It deconstructs the trope of the holy hero. Gabriel is not a silent avatar but a tortured soul, grieving his murdered wife and questioning his mission. The game’s score, composed by Oscar Araujo, is bombastic and orchestral, utilizing a 120-piece choir to give the action a sense of apocalyptic grandeur. The music swells during Titan battles—fights that mimic the scale of Shadow of the Colossus—creating moments of genuine awe that rival any Hollywood blockbuster. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition is
However, the Ultimate Edition is not without its flaws, some of which are remnants of the original design. The fixed camera angles, designed to frame the action cinematically, can occasionally frustrate during platforming sections, leading to unfair deaths. Additionally, the game’s pacing suffers slightly in the middle chapters, where the focus shifts from story to repetitive enemy encounters. Yet, on PC, these issues are somewhat mitigated by the smooth performance, which makes the platforming responsive enough to be forgivable.
In conclusion, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition is a triumph of world-building and action design. It successfully revitalized a dormant franchise by taking risks with its tone and structure. While it may have initially alienated purists who preferred the 2D roots, time has been kind to the title. It is now viewed as a high-water mark for visual presentation in the action genre. For PC gamers looking for a title that offers hours of content, challenging combat, and a genuinely mature story about corruption and redemption, this Ultimate Edition remains an essential experience. It is a dark, beautiful, and ultimately tragic masterpiece that deserves to be played in its highest fidelity.
Premise: The game takes place at the end of the year 1047. You play as Gabriel Belmont, a member of the Brotherhood of Light – a sacred order of knights protecting innocent villagers from supernatural horrors. Gabriel’s beloved wife, Marie, was brutally murdered by a dark creature. Her soul is trapped in a limbo between life and death.
The Goal: To bring Marie back, Gabriel must find the pieces of the God Mask – an ancient, divine artifact said to have the power to defeat death itself. To guide him, the mysterious Zobek, the Brotherhood’s leader, tasks Gabriel with traveling through the shattered lands of a medieval Europe overrun by werewolves, vampires, necromancers, and other monsters.
The Twist (No major spoilers, but thematic): This is a tragedy. Gabriel’s journey is one of brutal sacrifice and moral compromise. The story reinterprets Castlevania lore – Zobek is not what he seems, the vampire lord Carmilla has a pivotal role, and Gabriel’s descent into darkness is the true origin story of Dracula. (The game’s ending directly sets up Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2).
Key Characters:
While no official cheats, you can:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition is the definitive PC release of the 2010 dark fantasy action-adventure. It reimagines the classic Castlevania mythology, following Gabriel Belmont, a holy knight of the Brotherhood of Light, as he battles the malevolent "Lords of Shadow" to save the world and find peace for his murdered wife’s soul. What's in the Ultimate Edition?
This version provides the complete narrative experience by bundling the original game with its two major story expansions: Reverie DLC:
Gabriel returns to the vampire queen’s castle to assist her handmaiden, bridging the gap between the main story and the finale. Resurrection DLC:
The final chapter where Gabriel faces "The Forgotten One," a powerful demon threatening to destroy mankind. Key PC Features Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Ultimate Edition Review
Released in August 2013, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition
is the definitive PC remaster of the 2010 action-adventure classic. It serves as a dark re-imagining of the franchise's mythology, following Gabriel Belmont on a quest to defeat the mysterious Lords of Shadow and save his murdered wife's soul. Ultimate Edition Features
This edition is a comprehensive package that includes the base game along with its two major story expansions:
Reverie DLC: Gabriel returns to the vampire queen's castle to assist her handmaiden across three new stages.
Resurrection DLC: Directly follows the base game's ending, concluding Gabriel's tragic arc. PC Improvements over Consoles
The PC version is widely considered the superior way to experience the game due to several technical upgrades: Key Features
The Definitive Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition on PC
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition remains one of the most ambitious reimaginings in gaming history. Developed by MercurySteam and overseen by the legendary Hideo Kojima, this title successfully transitioned the classic 2D "Metroidvania" roots into a sprawling, cinematic 3D action-adventure. For PC players, the Ultimate Edition serves as the complete package, offering enhanced visuals and integrated story expansions that round out Gabriel Belmont’s tragic journey. A Dark Reimagining of the Belmont Legend
Set at the "End of Days," the world is besieged by the Lords of Shadow, dark entities that have severed the Earth's alliance with the Heavens. You play as Gabriel Belmont, a member of the Brotherhood of Light, who seeks a way to resurrect his murdered wife, Marie.
The narrative is a significant departure from the campier gothic horror of earlier titles. It is a somber, character-driven epic narrated by the veteran actor Patrick Stewart (Zobek). The story explores themes of faith, loss, and the thin line between hero and monster, culminating in one of the most famous post-credits twists in gaming history. Gameplay: Precision Combat and Epic Scales
At its core, Lords of Shadow is a high-octane action game that rewards skill and timing.
The Combat Cross: Gabriel’s primary weapon, a retractable whip-chain, allows for versatile crowd control and devastating single-target combos.
Light and Shadow Magic: The game introduces a dual-magic system. Light Magic heals Gabriel upon landing hits, while Shadow Magic boosts his offensive power. Balancing these two meters is essential for surviving the game’s later stages.
Colossal Boss Battles: Taking cues from Shadow of the Colossus, the game features "Titans"—screen-filling behemoths that Gabriel must scale and dismantle in multi-stage encounters.
Platforming and Puzzles: Between combat beats, players must navigate lush environments using the whip as a grappling hook and solve environmental puzzles that offer a breather from the intense action. What Makes the "Ultimate Edition" Special?
The PC version, dubbed the Ultimate Edition, is widely considered the superior way to experience the game. It includes:
Reverie and Resurrection DLC: These two expansions are woven directly into the main story, filling the narrative gap between the game’s finale and the shocking epilogue.
60 FPS Performance: Unlike the original console releases which often struggled with frame rates, the PC version runs at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second (and higher), making the timing-based combat feel significantly more responsive.
Enhanced Graphics: With support for higher resolutions (including 4K), improved anti-aliasing, and better shadow mapping, the game’s art direction—from snow-capped mountains to decaying gothic castles—shines with incredible detail. Why You Should Play It Today
Even years after its release, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition stands as a masterclass in atmosphere. Its soundtrack, composed by Oscar Araujo, provides a sweeping, orchestral backdrop that rivals big-budget Hollywood films. While it may lack the non-linear exploration of Symphony of the Night, it replaces it with a focused, emotional, and visually stunning odyssey.
Whether you are a die-hard Castlevania fan or a newcomer looking for a deep action-adventure, this PC edition offers over 20 hours of high-quality content that redefined what a Belmont's quest could look like in the modern era.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | OS | Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 | Windows 7 / 10 | | CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 (2.2GHz) / AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ (2.8GHz) | Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 (2.66GHz) / AMD Phenom II X4 970 (3.5GHz) | | RAM | 1 GB (XP) / 2 GB (Vista/7) | 4 GB | | GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB / ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 / AMD Radeon HD 6850 | | DirectX | Version 9.0c | Version 9.0c | | Storage | 15 GB available space | 15 GB available space | | Sound | DirectX 9.0c compatible | DirectX 9.0c compatible |
Note: Runs well on modern integrated graphics (e.g., Intel Iris Xe, AMD Vega) at 720p/medium settings.
The Ultimate Edition was not a simple port; it was optimized for high-end hardware.
The keyword here is "Ultimate." Many console-to-PC ports are slapped together with minimal effort. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition is not one of them. Released on August 27, 2013, this version was rebuilt specifically for Windows-based systems. Here is what you get that console owners did not.
© 2026 IconicNetwork — All rights reserved.
