Before we begin, have you ever seen something on Steam that looks very generic and boring? vampire survivors, I would never have tried it in a million years. The visuals aren’t what draws you in from the trailer, and without thousands of positive reviews on Steam (despite the game still being in Early Access) countless streamers Had I played on Twitch, I would have traveled into the abyss without any fanfare.
Don’t expect the kind of story or deeper meaning behind what’s going on. There are no attack or dodge buttons, no real commands other than walking around the map, and the 8-bit art style and seemingly lacking depth should be enough to put anyone off. So why couldn’t I stop playing? The amazing depth of this roguelike is what makes this game great.
You are thrown into a map with little detail except for waves of creatures that slowly start moving towards you. Enemies drop blue gems when they die, and collecting them accumulates XP. As you level up, you will be able to select new items, abilities, or buffs. As levels increase, characters can perform multiple attacks simultaneously, such as melee and ranged attacks, utilize starter weapons to deal more damage, and evolve into more powerful whips and swords. I can do it.
You can fire magical bolts onto the battlefield that damage multiple enemies at once, speed up or make your weapons and spells attack faster or more powerful, or fire waves of blades in all directions. There are many combinations, and depending on how you play, it will be a lot of fun to polish your character. Of course, if the enemy remains easy to kill, it will feel repetitive. What eventually happens is that new creatures such as wraiths and zombies spawn until the entire screen is filled with hundreds of murderous creatures.
It’s that simplistic approach that makes Vampire Survivors so addicting. After 30 minutes have passed, or you decide you’re dying too soon, you can use the coins you receive during your playthrough to purchase new characters or unlock useful abilities during your playthrough. There are many unlockable characters, each with a different style and starting weapon. It doesn’t really make much of a difference as most rely on a basic form of melee or ranged, but unlocking via in-game missions or gold is mostly addicting.
Vampire Survivors is a basic yet addicting roguelike game with amazing depth in its mechanics. Confronting hordes of enemies can feel daunting at first, but the game is at its best when you unlock new weapons and abilities and defeat them all. I don’t really like bringing costs into reviews, but at just over £2 it would be almost a crime not to try. Great game to spend an hour or two when you’re having a hard time choosing something and will give you something to play when you’re in the funk.
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