johncrystal00: U should never update windows unless u know for a fact it will benefit u. Live and learn. I know I did with vista.

blackmarketlimb: I may have stumbled onto something.

Like the OP, I'm on a fully updated Windows 8.1 machine with a GTX 670. Bought Blood 2 on the sale and thought it would run hunky dory. Boy, was I wrong. Crashes and FPS issues galore.

Out of sheer desperation, once I booted the game, I checked the graphics options in game. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary so when I exited the menu, I clicked New Game and saw that there was no longer terrible FPS dips in the starting train cutscene. The gameplay was super smooth as well.

The big caveat to this method is that your HUD and crosshair vanishes and I've found no way to bring it back. But I think if someone could figure out a way to resurrect them, that this has the potential to become a legit workaround.