It's tempting to open this review by saying 'this game sucks' but it actually didn't so I won't.
Vampyr is Don't Nod's post-Life is Strange project that takes a decidedly different approach gameplay-wise while still keeping their trademark decisions-and-consequences narrative framework. Although I acknowledge that the limitations and norms that are consistent across vampire literature—no sunlight, burned by crosses, etc.—make them thematically interesting, I've never personally been a fan.
Despite that, though, I cannot deny that Vampyr is a well-told tale with some interesting takes on vampire mythos, complimented by truly stellar voice-acting work across the board (in particular from Anthony Howell as the lead).
Jonathan Reid has just woken up in the backstreets of London as a newly-born vampire with a fresh thirst for blood. As the Spanish Flu rips through the city and indeed the world at large, he must now grapple with his work as a doctor and his new life as a vampire to find a solution that benefits both of his worlds.
The narrative then takes the form of a detective mystery of sorts as you visit the boroughs of London and assist its various denizens in this crisis. Of course, along the way, you will be expected to make decisions and take actions that will decide the fate of both London and vampirekind. It's familiar territory for fans of Life is Strange and much like it, your choices have tangible, visible effects on the world around you that decide the outcome of both the main quest and side quests.
It's enthralling stuff, and the scope and size of the game feel reasonable along with it, although it could definitely do with a fast travel system. When you're cleaning up side quests or even travelling between boroughs in the back half of the game, it can become tedious running between them, especially when you keep running into enemies.
Speaking of which, combat is maybe the most controversial aspect of Vampyr's gameplay. Generally, the consensus surrounding Vampyr's combat is that it's a mixed bag, and I can see why that's the case. For the most part, I found it decent. It does its job well enough with some appropriate skills and a few different options for dealing with enemies; however, I'd say it's somewhat in abundance. It can be tiring to get caught by a cheap hit from an enemy that takes a few seconds to recover and react to and given that there's at least 3 enemies (with one strong enemy type) around literally every corner, the combat can seem as though it's overstaying its welcome the more you play Vampyr.
Some of the time, it's as though Vampyr's combat is there mostly to fill a quota or pad out playtime rather than an exciting detour from the core dialogue and investigation-focused gameplay. It's decent enough but it does serve to trip the game up when it's getting where it needs to go in the narrative.
Regardless, Vampyr is a good AA B-game adventure with a good narrative, a great soundtrack, excellent voice acting, and decent characters across the board. In the age of AAA games that take several years to produce, it'd be great to see other studios tackle smaller, focused titles with tangible passion behind it such as this one.
7/10
Vampyr is Don't Nod's post-Life is Strange project that takes a decidedly different approach gameplay-wise while still keeping their trademark decisions-and-consequences narrative framework. Although I acknowledge that the limitations and norms that are consistent across vampire literature—no sunlight, burned by crosses, etc.—make them thematically interesting, I've never personally been a fan.
Despite that, though, I cannot deny that Vampyr is a well-told tale with some interesting takes on vampire mythos, complimented by truly stellar voice-acting work across the board (in particular from Anthony Howell as the lead).
Jonathan Reid has just woken up in the backstreets of London as a newly-born vampire with a fresh thirst for blood. As the Spanish Flu rips through the city and indeed the world at large, he must now grapple with his work as a doctor and his new life as a vampire to find a solution that benefits both of his worlds.
The narrative then takes the form of a detective mystery of sorts as you visit the boroughs of London and assist its various denizens in this crisis. Of course, along the way, you will be expected to make decisions and take actions that will decide the fate of both London and vampirekind. It's familiar territory for fans of Life is Strange and much like it, your choices have tangible, visible effects on the world around you that decide the outcome of both the main quest and side quests.
It's enthralling stuff, and the scope and size of the game feel reasonable along with it, although it could definitely do with a fast travel system. When you're cleaning up side quests or even travelling between boroughs in the back half of the game, it can become tedious running between them, especially when you keep running into enemies.
Speaking of which, combat is maybe the most controversial aspect of Vampyr's gameplay. Generally, the consensus surrounding Vampyr's combat is that it's a mixed bag, and I can see why that's the case. For the most part, I found it decent. It does its job well enough with some appropriate skills and a few different options for dealing with enemies; however, I'd say it's somewhat in abundance. It can be tiring to get caught by a cheap hit from an enemy that takes a few seconds to recover and react to and given that there's at least 3 enemies (with one strong enemy type) around literally every corner, the combat can seem as though it's overstaying its welcome the more you play Vampyr.
Some of the time, it's as though Vampyr's combat is there mostly to fill a quota or pad out playtime rather than an exciting detour from the core dialogue and investigation-focused gameplay. It's decent enough but it does serve to trip the game up when it's getting where it needs to go in the narrative.
Regardless, Vampyr is a good AA B-game adventure with a good narrative, a great soundtrack, excellent voice acting, and decent characters across the board. In the age of AAA games that take several years to produce, it'd be great to see other studios tackle smaller, focused titles with tangible passion behind it such as this one.
7/10