You haven’t played a good vampire game since the times of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Bloodrayne, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines? That was some time ago. Do yourself a favor and don’t check the release years of those, if you don’t want to feel old. Don’t fret, this year there will be a new vampire-themed game, and it looks interesting.
About the developer and publisher
The French studio DONTNOD Entertainment and their publisher Focus Home Interactive, also from France, plan their newest release to hit the stores on the fifth of June, 2018. The title is simply called Vampyr and had been presented at the E3 in 2016 and again in 2017. It runs on the Unreal engine.
DONTNOD is not new to the industry either. Before Vampyr they worked with Square Enix to develop Life Is Strange and Capcom to build Remember Me before that. For Vampyr they are now working with Focus Home Interactive, who have previously published titles such as Farming Simulator (various parts), Blood Bowl (1 and 2), Divinity: Original Sin (Enhanced Edition), Game of Thrones, Contrast, and more.
What’s Vampyr about?
Vampyr is set about a hundred years ago in a post-Victorian-era London in 1918. While the story does not seem to be firmly written in stone, you are provided with a fixed protagonist, and you will not be able to create your own character in Vampyr. You play as Dr. Jonathan Reid, who just recently was turned into a vampire himself. The character now struggles between helping patients by curing the dangerous flu that roams the city, and feeding on the citizen, to quench his thirst for blood.
The setting is somewhat dark and bloody from what we can see in the game footage and trailers. It feels to become an almost eerie experience in the supernatural underworld in the London of old times. We couldn’t play it yet, but it looks exciting. In the marketing around the game, they keep emphasizing three main aspects which are fighting with supernatural abilities, being both savior and stalker, as well as the ability to “shape” London, based on a web of interconnected citizens in the city who react to your choices in the game.
So you’re a doctor and roam London, thirsty for fresh blood, but you still have too much human in you and can’t just randomly kill any humans. The character prefers to understand his prey and picks only the ones who deserve it after they have been thoroughly stalked (or should be at least). The text on their website suggests that the inhabitants of the city are unique and if you kill a store owner, that this will affect the store as well. Your actions could have unforeseen consequences if you don’t know what you’re doing.
How to get your copy
The game is already available for pre-order for $59.99 and comes with a bonus DLC for those who buy it before release day. The DLC includes a special sword, gun, and an outfit, that will be available for purchase separately after release. If you want the PC version, you can get a digital copy from Steam for 10% off, or if you prefer a physical box, you will be able to buy that at GameStop. Links for PS4 and Xbox One can be found below.
YouTube: Vampyr – E3 Trailer (Focus Home Interactive)
Photo credit: DONTNOD Entertainment / Focus Home Interactive
