Vampyr (video game)
Vampyr | |
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Single-player |
Vampyr is an
While some
The developers researched the setting by travelling to London and consulting history books and documentaries. The visuals were made with fictional and factual reference points in mind. Olivier Deriviere composed the original score and infused it with industrial music. The game was met with mixed reviews from critics, who praised the primary game mechanic, setting, character development, and voice acting, but criticised the combat, overall narrative, technical problems, aspects of the choice-based system, and animations. The game surpassed one million copies sold within ten months.
Gameplay
Vampyr is an
It is possible to finish the game without killing citizens,[2] which best preserves Reid's cover as a doctor,[13] but leaves him nearly incapable of levelling up.[14] Killing no one unlocks one of four endings.[15] He can turn people into vampires,[16] and is only able to enter a house with an invitation.[17] Locals each have their different backgrounds, relationships, and routines. If killed, they impart their last thought.[18] The "Mesmerise" ability controls the behaviour of weaker targets, like coercing them into revealing information,[19] or guiding them to less conspicuous areas so as to feed without combat.[9] With crafted medicine, Reid can heal the injured and sick, who if eaten,[7][16] will yield more experience points as a result;[5] the rate of their affliction can be viewed using vampire senses,[20] which also detect blood.[21] Each of the four districts has a score based on the average health of its citizens.[22][23] Reid navigates London using a waypoint,[21] and collectible documents are scattered around the city.[24]
Reid can wield improvised
Plot
Doctor Jonathan Reid, returning to London from the
After the room of patient Harriet Jones is found covered in blood and Hampton disappears, Jonathan tracks him down for questioning. Hampton insists he did not murder Jones and directs him to an underground haven for corrupted vampires known as Skals, where it is revealed that Jones faked her death. Jonathan later discovers a corpse in the street bearing his mother's brooch. He pursues the perpetrator towards the cemetery in Whitechapel and finds his sister Mary with their mother Emelyne, realising Mary was turned into a vampire the night he fed on her. Mary is intent on killing him to rid herself of his voice, but dies trying. Jonathan vows to uncover what is behind the Skal epidemic, which he learns has been mistaken for the Spanish flu.
Lady Ashbury invites Jonathan to the
The ending then differs on the amount of civilians that were embraced, with Jonathan's eyes either gradually changing to red with or remaining human: If Jonathan embraced less than five civilians, Jonathan will succeed in talking Ashbury out of killing herself and vows to find a cure for the blood of hate, with the two either traveling across the world and visiting America or locking themselves up in Ashbury's Estate with Old Bridget standing guard for them. Myrddin will be proud of Jonathan and either wish him peace or luck on his new quest. If Jonathan embraced between five and nine civilians or more than ten, Ashbury will incinerate herself; if Jonathan embraced less than ten civilians, he will declare his love for her and will never get over Ashbury's death, but otherwise won't be affected by her death and will become a monster with no sympathy for humanity that kills indiscriminately. Myrddin will then express pity towards Jonathan for having lost his way or disapproval over his fallen champion.
Development
Development began with a team of sixty people, later expanded to around eighty, many of whom worked on
Adhering to either Reid's
Release
The game was officially announced at
In May 2018, Dontnod confirmed that Vampyr would not be using
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | (PC) 72/100[60] (PS4) 70/100[61] (XONE) 70/100[62] (NS) 69/100[63] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Destructoid | 6/10[64] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8/10[65] |
GameRevolution | [66] |
GameSpot | 7/10[67] |
GamesRadar+ | [68] |
IGN | 7/10[69] |
PC Gamer (US) | 68/100[70] |
VideoGamer.com | 7/10[71] |
Vampyr received "mixed or average reviews", according to review aggregator
Conversely, Mersereau scolded the overall narrative for its "threadbare" contribution. He called the combat "a low-grade Witcher knockoff", complaining about its lack of precision and "sloppy" mechanics. Lengthy loading screens and constant hangs were also cited as a source of annoyance.[64] Schaefer lambasted the animations for being "a little wonky" and the unpolished nature of the game.[65] To Utley, Vampyr failed to impress, in particular its character development and impact of choice. He also had technical problems (low resolution, "choppy" performance, and lengthy loading times).[66] Already frustrated with the combat, Clark said frame rate drops and frequent loading screens worsened the experience. He found that the narrative became weaker in the final chapters.[67] Hurley viewed the combat as "functional at best"; "solid if uninventive", and chastised how small decisions led to big mistakes, which he felt forfeited responsibility for one's actions.[68] Tyrrel cited lip syncing as a primary concern of the animation, criticised the lack of variety in combat, and experienced the same technical difficulties as Mersereau, Utley, and Clark, albeit noting that they amounted to minor annoyances.[69] Kelly disliked the "dull, repetitive" combat sequences and, despite noting a variety of fighting styles, saw this ultimately as a "tiresome" distraction.[70] Agreeing with many others on the combat, Bell described it as continuously turning "sour".[71]
Sales and accolades
Focus Home Interactive stated that Vampyr would be considered successful if it sold one million copies, although half would turn a profit.
At
Legacy
In August 2018, it was announced that the television production company
Dontnod Entertainment and Focus Home Interactive have announced to have renewed their partnership for a new game in April 2019, with Dontnod stating Vampyr is a "great success".[89] It was revealed to be Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden in 2022.[90]
Notes
- ^ Switch version ported by Saber Interactive.
- ^ As such, the game world has been described as a uchronia.[27]
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