PC Gamers Have Until December 3 to Get Underrated Vampire RPG for 90% Off
With Gothic storytelling rising back into the spotlight thanks to Hollywood hits like Robbert Egger’s Nosferatu and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, fans of the horror subgenre have the perfect opportunity to dive into the underrated vampiric world of developer Dontnod Entertainment’s Vampyr. The action role-playing game is currently available at a staggering 90% discount on GoG, until December 3, giving interested PC players the ideal chance to try to test their skills at battling an illness destroying countless lives in 1918 London while fighting against the rising bloodlust of their own vampire affliction.
Originally released in June 2018, Vampyr sees players taking on the role of Dr. Jonathan Reid, a newly turned Vampyr who must fight to find a cure to save those around him while being forced to feed upon those he once swore to heal. Reid possesses supernatural abilities that will allow him to vanquish Vampyr hunters, undead skals, and horrific creatures that seek to be his undoing, but the doctor must also manage an interconnected web of patients whose lives are directly impacted by the decisions of the eternally plagued healer. While some have compared Vampyr to other creature of the night RPGs like Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, Vampyr sets itself apart with its moral dilemmas that have made it an underappreciated cult classic in its own right.
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What Makes Vampyr a Good Gothic Horror RPG?
One of the largest praises that Vampyr received upon its initial launch was for its intricate and emotional storytelling that wove an enticing Gothic horror tale that reimagined the Spanish flu epidemic through the eyes of a man haunted by his need for survival running counterintuitive to his passion for curing the sick and dying. Dr. Reid’s journey to understand himself while trying to learn about the disease ravaging the city around him makes for an engaging experience, particularly with the added bonus of each NPC in the game having their own unique background and story to make for a tale that becomes more interwoven with each interaction.
Unfortunately, the game’s lackluster combat can make progressing through the game and advancing the story a bit of a slog, leaving the title to feel like an underrated gem that has plenty of potential in the way of world-building and narration. For those that are able to push through the clunky fights and prioritize spending as much time as possible exploring the depths of life in the alleyways of London, Vampyr becomes an engrossing vampiric experience that offers a more emotional journey than other horror role-playing games. With the big discount currently running on GoG, it may be worth it for interested players to snag the game and see for themselves if the ethically and morally gray tale of Dr. Jonathan Reid can successfully scratch the itch many have for more Gothic gaming.
Vampyr is far from the only vampire game to fall by the wayside over the years, with even newer releases like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 also failing to meet expectations. Funnily enough, the two have rather opposite issues, with Bloodlines 2 being praised for its satisfying combat yet critical of its empty non-interactive world. As it stands, the number of games that let you play as a vampire and that have managed to sustain high reviews remains limited, but some may be remiss to let the combat woes of Vampyr keep them from the incredibly rewarding storylines. For those who do wish to venture into the dark world of Vampyr, many have found that focusing their XP expenses purely on stamina and simply dodging and running past as many encounters as possible massively improves the pacing and overall experience of the game.
Despite mixed reviews that settle in the “Mostly Positive” range, Vampyr remains a standout launch for developer Dontnod. The studio’s upcoming sci-fi adventure title, Aphelion, is set to focus more on stealth and exploration, perhaps avoiding any potential issues with a more combat-heavy experience like Vampyr. In the meantime, fans have until December 3 to get Vampyr for just $3.99 on GoG and get a taste of what Dontnod has to offer in the way of story-telling and world-building within a historical fantasy game setting.