Genuinely, I would not have stopped playing this if it dropped on smartphones in 2014 - the game would have dominated my high school.
Releasing in 2021 and making waves in 2022 seems odd; what sets Vampire Survivors apart from other titles in the genre? Not much, certainly not enough to garner all the praise. Considering the developer's history of working on gambling machines, it stands to reason that hundreds of thousands of people suffering from gaming-related addiction would serve as a tantalizing demographic for a game designed to be a condensed dopamine rush. Kudos for that, I suppose? Otherwise, it lacks any sense of longevity or impact outside of going for all achievements, which is not necessarily a difficult task. But for 30 minutes, the player is guaranteed to feel unstoppable, given they explore the vast array of weapons and secondary item combinations at their leisure. Players have a veritable smorgasbord of gameplay options: 40+ characters, each with unique stats and passives; over 100 weapons, items, and upgrades; and 15 stages that offer unique challenges with unlockable modes to enhance each subsequent run.
Upon start-up, players should not expect as nearly as impressive of a catalog. However, possibilities expand exponentially after 2 hours of consistent play and unlocking. Unarguably, an overabundance of content gets packed into an affordable price point, a primary incentive for purchasing. But be aware: a lower cost for copious content does not guarantee a substantial experience. After unlocking certain weapons and characters, and quickly discovering the overpowered item combinations, there will be very little reason to deviate from the winning formula that will surely bring in mountains of gold and jewels, accompanied by the absolutely-non-manipulatory fanfare and graphics (slot machines? Never heard of them). Any reason to deviate significantly is often born of boredom with the typical runs, i.e. a desire to experiment with specific weapon combinations or to follow the steps to an online guide that tells you how to unlock whatever super special achievement/secret that feeds the dopamine, pardon, gameplay loop.
Whether or not the game is a worthwhile use of a player's time is subjective; regardless, they will have a blast - a socially engineered blast, but one nonetheless. So if the sole desire of the player is to have a quick bout of mind-numbing fun, then this game will provide in overabundance. There was effort poured into the title, no doubt. Sprites invoke images of Castlevania and retro horror films, music loops are pleasant and fitting, and an enemy bestiary and item collection sure to satisfy any completionist. Efforts worthy of acknowledgment and praise, but to reiterate: these seemingly innocuous inclusions tend to prey on addiction-prone brains, so there is room for debate on the developer's motivations. One can see the desire to exploit the low price and rewarding gameplay to make a hefty profit, yet, there exists a budding hope for more, showcased by the recent DLC.
The Legend of Moonspell expansion is intriguing: dichotomously, it ensures a sale from those playing the main game on a service such as Game Pass but offers a distinct enough deviation from the core design to hint at the developer's growth as a designer. Instead of endless hallways or fields, the map has a legitimate structure, with area-specific enemies appearing if the player ventures into the various zones. A Japanese aesthetic permeates throughout the expansion, with the Moonspell yokai-fighting family serving as the Eastern counter to the European-inspired Belpaese family of vampire hunters. Weapons and enemies take inspiration from Japanese culture and supernatural mythos, along with traditional folk-sounding tracks befitting the feudal setting. How long this flicker spark of creativity lasts depends on the type of community the developer supposedly desires to create.
Outlooks appear bleak: fan reception to Moonspell was less than favorable - addicts tend to get grumpy when their feel-good mechanism deviates too drastically, even if that deviation was a breath of artistic air. Besides Babi-Onna and the Mirage Robe, the character and weapon justifying-ly deserve any hatred players send their way. Even more disheartening, a recent free update saw the inclusion of a new map inspiringly titled Bat Country, a return to the regularly scheduled slot-machine routine. Although, the map itself features what seem to be homages to Sonic the Hedgehog bonus levels, so at least there's that.
One would be remiss to pass on the opportunity to experience a genuinely fun game at least once. Potential future players: purchasing the game and any DLC is your prerogative; personally, there appears to be little reason to do so. Hopefully, the developer will continue to grow and cultivate a substantial entry into the roguelike, shoot 'em-up genre that defies the predatory, casino/mobile-like undercurrents suppressing the artistic potential. An unexpected spot offers some encouragement: the Ars Gouda. Reading some of the descriptions in the bestiary (specifically the one about the Minotaurs), it would seem someone involved has a silly and passionate side. And as it is known: silliness and passion are core components in creating memorable gaming experiences.
Releasing in 2021 and making waves in 2022 seems odd; what sets Vampire Survivors apart from other titles in the genre? Not much, certainly not enough to garner all the praise. Considering the developer's history of working on gambling machines, it stands to reason that hundreds of thousands of people suffering from gaming-related addiction would serve as a tantalizing demographic for a game designed to be a condensed dopamine rush. Kudos for that, I suppose? Otherwise, it lacks any sense of longevity or impact outside of going for all achievements, which is not necessarily a difficult task. But for 30 minutes, the player is guaranteed to feel unstoppable, given they explore the vast array of weapons and secondary item combinations at their leisure. Players have a veritable smorgasbord of gameplay options: 40+ characters, each with unique stats and passives; over 100 weapons, items, and upgrades; and 15 stages that offer unique challenges with unlockable modes to enhance each subsequent run.
Upon start-up, players should not expect as nearly as impressive of a catalog. However, possibilities expand exponentially after 2 hours of consistent play and unlocking. Unarguably, an overabundance of content gets packed into an affordable price point, a primary incentive for purchasing. But be aware: a lower cost for copious content does not guarantee a substantial experience. After unlocking certain weapons and characters, and quickly discovering the overpowered item combinations, there will be very little reason to deviate from the winning formula that will surely bring in mountains of gold and jewels, accompanied by the absolutely-non-manipulatory fanfare and graphics (slot machines? Never heard of them). Any reason to deviate significantly is often born of boredom with the typical runs, i.e. a desire to experiment with specific weapon combinations or to follow the steps to an online guide that tells you how to unlock whatever super special achievement/secret that feeds the dopamine, pardon, gameplay loop.
Whether or not the game is a worthwhile use of a player's time is subjective; regardless, they will have a blast - a socially engineered blast, but one nonetheless. So if the sole desire of the player is to have a quick bout of mind-numbing fun, then this game will provide in overabundance. There was effort poured into the title, no doubt. Sprites invoke images of Castlevania and retro horror films, music loops are pleasant and fitting, and an enemy bestiary and item collection sure to satisfy any completionist. Efforts worthy of acknowledgment and praise, but to reiterate: these seemingly innocuous inclusions tend to prey on addiction-prone brains, so there is room for debate on the developer's motivations. One can see the desire to exploit the low price and rewarding gameplay to make a hefty profit, yet, there exists a budding hope for more, showcased by the recent DLC.
The Legend of Moonspell expansion is intriguing: dichotomously, it ensures a sale from those playing the main game on a service such as Game Pass but offers a distinct enough deviation from the core design to hint at the developer's growth as a designer. Instead of endless hallways or fields, the map has a legitimate structure, with area-specific enemies appearing if the player ventures into the various zones. A Japanese aesthetic permeates throughout the expansion, with the Moonspell yokai-fighting family serving as the Eastern counter to the European-inspired Belpaese family of vampire hunters. Weapons and enemies take inspiration from Japanese culture and supernatural mythos, along with traditional folk-sounding tracks befitting the feudal setting. How long this flicker spark of creativity lasts depends on the type of community the developer supposedly desires to create.
Outlooks appear bleak: fan reception to Moonspell was less than favorable - addicts tend to get grumpy when their feel-good mechanism deviates too drastically, even if that deviation was a breath of artistic air. Besides Babi-Onna and the Mirage Robe, the character and weapon justifying-ly deserve any hatred players send their way. Even more disheartening, a recent free update saw the inclusion of a new map inspiringly titled Bat Country, a return to the regularly scheduled slot-machine routine. Although, the map itself features what seem to be homages to Sonic the Hedgehog bonus levels, so at least there's that.
One would be remiss to pass on the opportunity to experience a genuinely fun game at least once. Potential future players: purchasing the game and any DLC is your prerogative; personally, there appears to be little reason to do so. Hopefully, the developer will continue to grow and cultivate a substantial entry into the roguelike, shoot 'em-up genre that defies the predatory, casino/mobile-like undercurrents suppressing the artistic potential. An unexpected spot offers some encouragement: the Ars Gouda. Reading some of the descriptions in the bestiary (specifically the one about the Minotaurs), it would seem someone involved has a silly and passionate side. And as it is known: silliness and passion are core components in creating memorable gaming experiences.