I don't even know why I liked this game, but it was a nice time at my life when I played it so made me happy
super underrated! brilliant artstyle, music, and story. you’ll never guess where this one goes.
i've yet to see a game's cinematic direction achieve anything even remotely similar in quality to this one's aside from maybe RDR2. every cutscene will have you tensely at the edge of your seat, employing an incredibly effective use of long takes and music to shock you to your core and truly immerse yourself in the game's story and world.
the worldbuilding and map design is also absolutely spectacular, with lots of hidden nooks and secrets that house interesting sights and lore. in conjunction with the top tier NPC writing for all side character's and their individual quests and narratives i'd argue that this is one of the most immersive story games of all time, with an incredible atmosphere to seal the deal.
the combat is quite good as well. it's simple, yet fun and maintains a constant challenge while also being incredibly rewarding. there are a multitude of different upgrades and abilities to seamlessly use and enhance your combat experience and the game doesn't force you to use any one of them if you don't want to.
thematically the game is also very memorable. with very profound quotes and an absurd amount of moments that elicit feelings of despair or hope. all of it is directly tied to your actions in game, and the meaning of the story changes with the different endings you get.
i'm shocked to see this has an average of 2.9. this is legitimately one of my favorite games of all time.
i've yet to see a game's cinematic direction achieve anything even remotely similar in quality to this one's aside from maybe RDR2. every cutscene will have you tensely at the edge of your seat, employing an incredibly effective use of long takes and music to shock you to your core and truly immerse yourself in the game's story and world.
the worldbuilding and map design is also absolutely spectacular, with lots of hidden nooks and secrets that house interesting sights and lore. in conjunction with the top tier NPC writing for all side character's and their individual quests and narratives i'd argue that this is one of the most immersive story games of all time, with an incredible atmosphere to seal the deal.
the combat is quite good as well. it's simple, yet fun and maintains a constant challenge while also being incredibly rewarding. there are a multitude of different upgrades and abilities to seamlessly use and enhance your combat experience and the game doesn't force you to use any one of them if you don't want to.
thematically the game is also very memorable. with very profound quotes and an absurd amount of moments that elicit feelings of despair or hope. all of it is directly tied to your actions in game, and the meaning of the story changes with the different endings you get.
i'm shocked to see this has an average of 2.9. this is legitimately one of my favorite games of all time.
I kinda jumped into this without really knowing much about it, after remembering I got it as a freebie from EGS a while back. Had no idea it was a story-heavy soulslike, basically.
I really enjoy this game's combat. Despite its jank, its a really solid take on soulslike combat. Better than the usual for me, definitely better than something like Mortal Shell. The combat focuses more on using vampiric skills and the like. While there's definitely some jank, and the enemy variety isn't too great, it feels satisfying. The main bosses in particular I really liked. I played on Hard without embracing (euphemism for "biting their neck and sucking up all the sweet sweet blood", biggest source of exp in Hard) anyone, so I was constantly underleveled, being lv25 at the end when enemies were 30-35. This makes a huge difference in this game. I also liked that it actually felt like choices mattered, as most main quests end up putting important NPCs' fates in our hands, and their lives directly correlate to how "healthy" the multiple districts are.
On the story side of things, I thought the main quests were great and I really did enjoy the writing and the crazy alternate history shit the game pulls. It was definitely engaging and the main reason to play the game, carried also by fantastic voice acting (specially from Reid).
Sidequests fared worse though. Sidequests almost always felt inconclusive. If I found out that someone was a murdered, I couldn't do anything about it other than tell them they're a cunt. Well, that or embrace them, but embracing people gives you a worse ending and I was determined to get the best ending. Though honestly, with how much a fucking asshole so many of the side characters are, I was compelled to kill them just because they deserve it, not because I want the exp. But yeah, imagine finding out someone is literally a murdering asshole and all you can do is talk about it with them and then nothing happens to them the rest of the game. This really ruined most side quests, they just default back to the status quo as if you never did them unless you take matters into your own hands. Honestly, the game was better when I finished them all up and just focused on the main story.
The other big gripe with this game, besides the sidequests, is that it just honestly runs like fucking ass. The game does look great, but not to the extent where it should chug and stutter this damn bad.
Still giving it a 4/5 because I just did enjoy it that much despite those two huge flaws.
Oh yeah, lastly, shoutout to the OST. A lot of the time it kinda falls into the background and I don't notice it much, but the West End theme alone is 100/10 so it evens out.
I really enjoy this game's combat. Despite its jank, its a really solid take on soulslike combat. Better than the usual for me, definitely better than something like Mortal Shell. The combat focuses more on using vampiric skills and the like. While there's definitely some jank, and the enemy variety isn't too great, it feels satisfying. The main bosses in particular I really liked. I played on Hard without embracing (euphemism for "biting their neck and sucking up all the sweet sweet blood", biggest source of exp in Hard) anyone, so I was constantly underleveled, being lv25 at the end when enemies were 30-35. This makes a huge difference in this game. I also liked that it actually felt like choices mattered, as most main quests end up putting important NPCs' fates in our hands, and their lives directly correlate to how "healthy" the multiple districts are.
On the story side of things, I thought the main quests were great and I really did enjoy the writing and the crazy alternate history shit the game pulls. It was definitely engaging and the main reason to play the game, carried also by fantastic voice acting (specially from Reid).
Sidequests fared worse though. Sidequests almost always felt inconclusive. If I found out that someone was a murdered, I couldn't do anything about it other than tell them they're a cunt. Well, that or embrace them, but embracing people gives you a worse ending and I was determined to get the best ending. Though honestly, with how much a fucking asshole so many of the side characters are, I was compelled to kill them just because they deserve it, not because I want the exp. But yeah, imagine finding out someone is literally a murdering asshole and all you can do is talk about it with them and then nothing happens to them the rest of the game. This really ruined most side quests, they just default back to the status quo as if you never did them unless you take matters into your own hands. Honestly, the game was better when I finished them all up and just focused on the main story.
The other big gripe with this game, besides the sidequests, is that it just honestly runs like fucking ass. The game does look great, but not to the extent where it should chug and stutter this damn bad.
Still giving it a 4/5 because I just did enjoy it that much despite those two huge flaws.
Oh yeah, lastly, shoutout to the OST. A lot of the time it kinda falls into the background and I don't notice it much, but the West End theme alone is 100/10 so it evens out.
Oozes with atmosphere and promise, with its setting and premise. Ultimately falls flat on its fangs when you realize just how little your choices actually matter, and with a very rushed finale.
I wanted to like it more than I did. The concept and aesthetic was awesome. However, the combat was always so unfun to participate in. It was tough to keep track of the various stories. Further, much of the dialogue was just boring and uninteresting. Nothing about it caught me in the end.
morbius but good (average souls like still enjoyable)
This review contains spoilers
Vampyr is a game that is incredibly close to being really really good and just falls short. Conceptually I love it, intricate characters and quests whose health and survival is tied into how well off each district is, while also giving you the option of killing them to become more powerful. It's great and honestly I like how that system works but there are a lot of aspects where the game's rough edges get in the way.
In a similar vein to Dark Souls the combat should be purely skill based, you really shouldn't ever need to kill NPCs for upgrades assuming you're good enough. But this isn't really the case, you can absolutely beat the game without killing NPCs (I didn't kill any on my playthrough) but the combat is really clunky and as you run into harder bosses and enemies you often are killed from jank rather than mistakes. I can't count the amount of times I got hit by an enemy even after clearly dodging far out of the way. It really left something to be desired, and I think if there's ever a sequel, combat is the number one thing that needs to be worked on.
The atmosphere and setting is really where this game shines, as death and chaos consume London, with you barely holding everything together. There's never a moment when it feels like everything is okay or safe, every zone is constantly on the verge of plague and mass death.
The story and side quests often add to this but they end up being more of a mixed bag. At points the writing is brilliant and at points it's incredibly lacking.
For example one quest focused heavily on a drunk, whose past is something that he seems to be trying his best to forget. As you talk with him and explore all of his dialogue you learn that he's an anarchist who has become a pacifist, wanting to achieve his goals through non-violence. Eventually you'll be sent on quest to visit a memorial in the city and when returning you realize that the reason he's a pacifist is because he accidentally killed several people with a car bomb. Completely innocent people who weren't supposed to be there but were killed because of his actions. This quest is does such an excellent job of giving so much depth to this character, showing how his past actions have shaped and changed his world view. It's genuinely fantastic.
Unfortunately not all the writing is like this. In another area, there's a character whose protesting against a millionaire who's central to the story and controls the district. If you talk to the protester about him, at one point you're character brings up his philanthropy and how this is undoubtedly a good thing. There are quite a few counter arguments against this you would expect a character like her to bring up but instead her response is essentially "I guess you're right". You would think someone protesting would have a good enough grasp on politics to counter this but no, the conversation ends and you're left with a feeling that the writers really just didn't know what they were talking about.
I think that's the problem with a lot of the writing, sometimes it's truly great and interesting and full of a depth and richness that I would expect from the best RPGs. But sometimes it's clear that the writing just isn't as smart as it thinks it is and it leads to underwhelming and uninteresting plot points that feel like they needed a lot more time to flesh out.
This game is certainly fun at points, and probably worth picking up on sale but it mostly just makes me interested on possibly getting a sequel that has better combat and better writing.
In a similar vein to Dark Souls the combat should be purely skill based, you really shouldn't ever need to kill NPCs for upgrades assuming you're good enough. But this isn't really the case, you can absolutely beat the game without killing NPCs (I didn't kill any on my playthrough) but the combat is really clunky and as you run into harder bosses and enemies you often are killed from jank rather than mistakes. I can't count the amount of times I got hit by an enemy even after clearly dodging far out of the way. It really left something to be desired, and I think if there's ever a sequel, combat is the number one thing that needs to be worked on.
The atmosphere and setting is really where this game shines, as death and chaos consume London, with you barely holding everything together. There's never a moment when it feels like everything is okay or safe, every zone is constantly on the verge of plague and mass death.
The story and side quests often add to this but they end up being more of a mixed bag. At points the writing is brilliant and at points it's incredibly lacking.
For example one quest focused heavily on a drunk, whose past is something that he seems to be trying his best to forget. As you talk with him and explore all of his dialogue you learn that he's an anarchist who has become a pacifist, wanting to achieve his goals through non-violence. Eventually you'll be sent on quest to visit a memorial in the city and when returning you realize that the reason he's a pacifist is because he accidentally killed several people with a car bomb. Completely innocent people who weren't supposed to be there but were killed because of his actions. This quest is does such an excellent job of giving so much depth to this character, showing how his past actions have shaped and changed his world view. It's genuinely fantastic.
Unfortunately not all the writing is like this. In another area, there's a character whose protesting against a millionaire who's central to the story and controls the district. If you talk to the protester about him, at one point you're character brings up his philanthropy and how this is undoubtedly a good thing. There are quite a few counter arguments against this you would expect a character like her to bring up but instead her response is essentially "I guess you're right". You would think someone protesting would have a good enough grasp on politics to counter this but no, the conversation ends and you're left with a feeling that the writers really just didn't know what they were talking about.
I think that's the problem with a lot of the writing, sometimes it's truly great and interesting and full of a depth and richness that I would expect from the best RPGs. But sometimes it's clear that the writing just isn't as smart as it thinks it is and it leads to underwhelming and uninteresting plot points that feel like they needed a lot more time to flesh out.
This game is certainly fun at points, and probably worth picking up on sale but it mostly just makes me interested on possibly getting a sequel that has better combat and better writing.
okay so hear me out-
it's not like... the best game, but i played it during christmas break, so cozy vibes, and also it made me fall down a rabbit hole of gay fanfiction because i thought the straight romance was so fucking out of place i needed something to fix it and yeah
that's not related to the game and it shouldn't make me give it that high of a score which it doesn't deserve but i just did it, so argue with the wall.
the concept is fun, i enjoy the characters, the lore is a bit over the top, the combat can be a bit exhausting and running around the map every night gets a bit repetitive, especially near the end. it's not for everyone but it is for me so hey
it's not like... the best game, but i played it during christmas break, so cozy vibes, and also it made me fall down a rabbit hole of gay fanfiction because i thought the straight romance was so fucking out of place i needed something to fix it and yeah
that's not related to the game and it shouldn't make me give it that high of a score which it doesn't deserve but i just did it, so argue with the wall.
the concept is fun, i enjoy the characters, the lore is a bit over the top, the combat can be a bit exhausting and running around the map every night gets a bit repetitive, especially near the end. it's not for everyone but it is for me so hey
🚫 ONLY A SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW IS AVAILABLE. READ MISC SECTION ON WHY 🚫
Vampyr puts the player at the centre of a very well written plot where many sub-plots intertwine, with the player's actions seriously affecting the narrative developments that follow. This alone is very much worthy of praise, but the game's gothic atmosphere is outstanding. Vampyr's rather long loading times and occasional unstable performance can feel frustrating at times but the game undoubtedly brings an added value to Nintendo Switch owners.
👉opencritic SUMMARY
Vampyr brings a very well executed gothic and vampirical atmosphere to the Nintendo Switch, which sits really well with the game's outstanding plot and narrative developments. The game could do much better when it comes to its long loading times and sometimes unstable performance but these are not factors that end up harming an overall experience of interesting exploration and involving plot choices.
👉 metacritic SUMMARY
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ M I S C
◻️ ⚠️ Review originally written for FNintendo (defunct website) and published on November 9th, 2019. Full review is currently unavailable. Expect restored written piece translated into English.
◻️ 🌳 Don't forget to visit my Linktree here
◻️ 🙋♂️ Also tap here to find more reviews of mine
◻️ 🎮 And touch here to discover more Nintendo Switch video games I've played
◻️ ✍️ in European Portuguese (Main body of text translated into English with A.I.)
◻️ 📜 Review Number 6
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F I N
Vampyr puts the player at the centre of a very well written plot where many sub-plots intertwine, with the player's actions seriously affecting the narrative developments that follow. This alone is very much worthy of praise, but the game's gothic atmosphere is outstanding. Vampyr's rather long loading times and occasional unstable performance can feel frustrating at times but the game undoubtedly brings an added value to Nintendo Switch owners.
👉opencritic SUMMARY
Vampyr brings a very well executed gothic and vampirical atmosphere to the Nintendo Switch, which sits really well with the game's outstanding plot and narrative developments. The game could do much better when it comes to its long loading times and sometimes unstable performance but these are not factors that end up harming an overall experience of interesting exploration and involving plot choices.
👉 metacritic SUMMARY
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ M I S C
◻️ ⚠️ Review originally written for FNintendo (defunct website) and published on November 9th, 2019. Full review is currently unavailable. Expect restored written piece translated into English.
◻️ 🌳 Don't forget to visit my Linktree here
◻️ 🙋♂️ Also tap here to find more reviews of mine
◻️ 🎮 And touch here to discover more Nintendo Switch video games I've played
◻️ ✍️ in European Portuguese (Main body of text translated into English with A.I.)
◻️ 📜 Review Number 6
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F I N
Największą przyjemnością było zrobienie dramy pedałom, a potem wyssanie ich do końca (chodzi o krew ofc)
The game crashed at a specific place every time early-ish in the game. I couldn't continue playing. It's a cool game though.
It started off great but after a few hours i realized they bottled a cool idea about playing as a vampire in 1900s London with some terrible design choices. The combat was floaty, only 1 save, no fast travel, the "open world" is just corridors and the dialogue put me to sleep.
que podre
It's an okay game overall. Too bad I didn't get to finish it because the final boss is ridiculously overpowered.
A highlight in the Dontnod Entertainment catalogue, Vampyr trades competent combat for phenomenal narrative systemics, making each life saved or each life lost impactful, no matter how minute they may seem.
Dr. Jonathan Reid's quest to cure a deadly viral epidemic while under the influence of vampirism is a fun twist on the power fantasy; giving in to Reid's bloodlust ensures an easier jaunt through the twisted alleys and cobbled streets of London... by contrast, abstaining from Reid's indulgences turns the roving bands of vampire hunters and ghoulish fiends into insurmountable challenges (insofar as combat is just terrible enough to make tougher enemies utter bullshit mongers). Will Reid uphold the Hippocratic Oath or embrace his new un-life as a devourer of souls? The choice is yours...
In summary: competent story, engaging characters, rough combat, incredible agency. Like an elevator, Vampyr has its ups and downs, but more like an elevator to a helipad, it's mostly ups.
3.5 out of 5.
What if we kissed at the estate of William Marshal? Just kidding! Unless...?
Dr. Jonathan Reid's quest to cure a deadly viral epidemic while under the influence of vampirism is a fun twist on the power fantasy; giving in to Reid's bloodlust ensures an easier jaunt through the twisted alleys and cobbled streets of London... by contrast, abstaining from Reid's indulgences turns the roving bands of vampire hunters and ghoulish fiends into insurmountable challenges (insofar as combat is just terrible enough to make tougher enemies utter bullshit mongers). Will Reid uphold the Hippocratic Oath or embrace his new un-life as a devourer of souls? The choice is yours...
In summary: competent story, engaging characters, rough combat, incredible agency. Like an elevator, Vampyr has its ups and downs, but more like an elevator to a helipad, it's mostly ups.
3.5 out of 5.
What if we kissed at the estate of William Marshal? Just kidding! Unless...?
Diria que começa lento, gameplay um quanto curioso no começo, mas a historia desse jogo vai ter fazer acostumar com ela, e falando na historia, sem duvidas vai ter fazer ficar até o final. Jogue para apreciar
One of the worst games I've ever had the misfortune of playing. The boring story, hollow protagonist, absence of basic quality of life features, and clunky, wannabe-Souls combat make this a total slog. I'll try to finish it to get my money's worth (and trophies), but this game is misery.
So... I've been hyped for this ever since I saw the trailer back in 2018. I always wanted a good vampire game and I thought this was going to be one, even though people were already saying it was bad. And yeah, unfortunately it really isn't a very amazing game, but I don't think it's terrible either.
Bad things first: this is an RPG where the most important choices are not even choices. The story wants to go in one direction and it will MAKE YOU go, so you get things like:
- Option A: Kill
- Option B: Let it die
Which is, honestly, hilarious. Also, I think I got the bad ending in this thing, and I have no idea why. Sure, maybe is because I killed some NPCs and the game didn't want me to do that, but that was literally the ONLY WAY to get true XP for the upgrades, cause if you depend only on missions and fighting thugs on the street to get XP, you're simply not gonna finish the campaign because it will be impossible or extremely time-consuming.
And talking about the upgrades, the combat is quite frustrating. You can be on maximum level with a lot of special skills and a powerful weapon, but your stamina still sucks and you're still not strong enough for most fights. By the end you should be passing the thugs with one hit, but you're still getting beaten.
Another frustrating thing is that almost every single door in this game is locked. And the character will tell you that every time you try to open one. The game is also full of bugs. They never ruined anything for me, but were a bit inconvenient. Like, there's one where the map would just create mark points in random places, and I had to remove them manually to follow the one I actually should.
I talked about all these bad things, but I still said I don't think the game is terrible. That's because I loved the atmosphere, the music is great, and the vampire mechanics are a lot of fun, even with the frustrations. Graphics are nice and the story is cool, although it drags more than it should.
Bad things first: this is an RPG where the most important choices are not even choices. The story wants to go in one direction and it will MAKE YOU go, so you get things like:
- Option A: Kill
- Option B: Let it die
Which is, honestly, hilarious. Also, I think I got the bad ending in this thing, and I have no idea why. Sure, maybe is because I killed some NPCs and the game didn't want me to do that, but that was literally the ONLY WAY to get true XP for the upgrades, cause if you depend only on missions and fighting thugs on the street to get XP, you're simply not gonna finish the campaign because it will be impossible or extremely time-consuming.
And talking about the upgrades, the combat is quite frustrating. You can be on maximum level with a lot of special skills and a powerful weapon, but your stamina still sucks and you're still not strong enough for most fights. By the end you should be passing the thugs with one hit, but you're still getting beaten.
Another frustrating thing is that almost every single door in this game is locked. And the character will tell you that every time you try to open one. The game is also full of bugs. They never ruined anything for me, but were a bit inconvenient. Like, there's one where the map would just create mark points in random places, and I had to remove them manually to follow the one I actually should.
I talked about all these bad things, but I still said I don't think the game is terrible. That's because I loved the atmosphere, the music is great, and the vampire mechanics are a lot of fun, even with the frustrations. Graphics are nice and the story is cool, although it drags more than it should.
It never felt like this game took off from the starting line, not a single reveal surprised me. They took a chance with this game and honestly it's probably there best attempt yet.
Ho avuto un'esperienza bellissima alla prima partita, giocata molto ruolisticamente (ho voluto fare la pacifist run, ma ad un certo punto i cittadini si sono rivoltati contro di me e allora per vendetta li ho mangiati tutti). Il gioco me l'ha fatta pagare cara e mi ha attaccato sul personale nel finale. Tuttavia, livellare è molto faticoso e ti ritrovi sottolivellato per praticamente tutto il gioco (se non uccidi qualcuno).
Did not have fun with this one. Probably would've preferred a more linear adventure, although even that I'm not sure about.
interesting story but a headache to play
I like the presentation and the ideas behind Vampyr more than anything, if you can take some meh gameplay it has some cool visuals and what I assume is an interesting narrative. I couldn't, so I dropped it
pretty underrated in my opinion
This is a game I really wished I could have finished and enjoyed.
I recieved it for free after seeing a few videos on it previously and throughly enjoy the setting and fantasy this game takes place in and expand on and the story it is trying to tell.
Whilst I enjoy this and the RPG elements, the biggest let down in this game is unfortuntely the combat. Most of the time, the lock on feature does not work or is quite buggy and the melee just does not feel satisfying. Coming across an enemy gives a feeling of dread and unwant to participate in the fight which I hope improves later on as powers level up more, but I unfortunately cannot stick with it long enough to find out.
I recieved it for free after seeing a few videos on it previously and throughly enjoy the setting and fantasy this game takes place in and expand on and the story it is trying to tell.
Whilst I enjoy this and the RPG elements, the biggest let down in this game is unfortuntely the combat. Most of the time, the lock on feature does not work or is quite buggy and the melee just does not feel satisfying. Coming across an enemy gives a feeling of dread and unwant to participate in the fight which I hope improves later on as powers level up more, but I unfortunately cannot stick with it long enough to find out.
Horror RPG's are a really underutilized genre, and this one was a lot of fun. The idea that citizens of London are resource to use for XP if you harvested them, but also would close off side quests and harm the status of the city (making it more dangerous and more expensive) was interesting and fun to manage. I also liked the Vampiric skill tree, and the blood (mana) mechanics. My only complaint is this game is incredibly chatty, if you couldn't skip dialogue by pressing a key I would have quit that game. Otherwise, highly recommended.
i watched my sister play this. it was boring and she hated it
Great concept, utterly forgettable
Points for ambition. This game is jank city and the combat is bullshit, but I think it's so interesting despite its flaws.
I wanted to give this game more time because I could see a lot of potential, but I was in the middle of chapter 2, having mindless conversations with other characters when I realized that it was going to be either having boring conversations, or having some of the worst combat I've ever seen in a videogame. I've seen better combat in other games, and I've seen better dialogue in other games.
It's a shame really, because I see where they were going with this, but the game is a chore, it's just not fun to play. It has interesting ideas and mechanics, but I'm sure glad I got this in PS Plus, cause I can abandon it without feeling much guilt.
2 stars, for the potential and ideas, and for that killer soundtrack.
It's a shame really, because I see where they were going with this, but the game is a chore, it's just not fun to play. It has interesting ideas and mechanics, but I'm sure glad I got this in PS Plus, cause I can abandon it without feeling much guilt.
2 stars, for the potential and ideas, and for that killer soundtrack.