Vampyre Worth Sinking Your Teeth Into
Chosen To Be The Champion
Dr. Jonathan Reid knows little of his origin, awaking in a pile of corpses in the beginning of the new role playing adventure game Vampyre. His only guidance is a voice in his head and the other humans and undead beings he comes across in the game, severing as a moral compass for what alliances Reid should make as a fledgling in vampire world.
Set in 1918 London, a society still filled with superstition and religious zealots, the backdrop for this game couldn't be more brilliantly set as the Dr. is experiencing a plague that is overtaking the city and seeming to kill off a good percentage of those brought into the hospital and dying around the city- the perfect disguise for the undead feeding off the hapless victims.
Taking advantage of his ability to save those in the hospital, Reid can also chose to feed off those in his care- but there are repercussions.
Who has chosen Reid to become a vampire and for what reason? Is the voice in his head the one that had sired him?
What could all of this mean is Dr. Reid was intentionally chosen to become one of these creatures that walks among the darkest night?
Unsure how he feels about his new condition, first learning on the first morning when his hand sizzles in the sunlight that he has become the mythical beast, Dr. Jonathan Reid remains a man of science, first, over a monster- using his sensibilities throughout the game to perhaps find a cure for the condition that has afflicted him.; believing this so much that he even promises it to his sister after he accidentally makes a meal of her and turns her into the undead.
Bound by duty to the hospital, he tries to keep the staff in line and doing their best to take care of the dying- even if he is sneaking blood from those he is vowing to take care of.
How to play Dr. Jonathan Reid, is based on the typical role playing roles of interacting with characters both alive and undead and as he forms alliances and chooses to kill or save the sick at the hospital and interact with the other covens of vampires throughout the game will affect the possible endings and if you want Dr. Reid to be good, evil, or walk the line.
The Quest For Blood
Chosen because of his skill as a war time doctor, Jonathan Reid has awoken a fledgling vampire with an unquenchable thirst for blood. While the skilled surgeon must keep himself alive in the wake of the attacks on the city from other covens, will he find a way to reverse his condition from what he knows of medicine?
Learning more about his vampire origins, Dr. Reid unlocks new abilities to fight the undead and defend London against both plague and monsters alike.
As Dr. Reid interacts with his potential victims, rather than just mere food like other games, Vampyre smartly works a backstory for each character you cross in the way of most role playing games- giving Jonathan a conscious about who he kills- especially in the case of his sister who he accidentally kills and slaughters their mother in revenge.
Does Dr. Reid still believe that there is a cure for this madness after all he has seen and done?
After watching his sister, and former victim, Mary kill their mother out of spite, an impassioned vampire fight takes place where Jonathan must make one of his toughest choices to end the madness that has taken hold of his sister after she has been turned and rid the world of a crazed vampire, or to feel remorse for what his condition has done to his family.
Keeping The Infection At Bay
Though alliances with others, Jonathan knows that his duties at a doctors and keeping the sickness at bay that is overtaking London is only of the the deadly circumstances for the decrease in population.
While the medical community is fighting and ethical battle with the sickness, some also seem to know that there is something more supernatural at hand and even begin to suspect Dr. Jonathan Reid of being among the monsters.
Like most vampire tales, Dr. Reid must retire to sleep to keep his health and stamina up, so all the game play takes place at night through a beautiful backdrop.
With gorgeous visuals that are both cinematic for a role playing game, and with fast paced action akin to God Of War, the game itself is one part Bloodbourne, with a focus on the more clues and interactions with other characters like playing more of Elder Scrolls. The formula in Vampyre is such a mixture of other types of game play, its is really refreshing as the last generation of great games for the current consoles release.
Customizing Skills
In a world as dark and bleak at anything of the Dark Souls games, Vampyre really has a hard focus on the customization of Dr. Jonathan Reid throughout the game with both passive and defensive skills that range from his biting strength, and supernatural abilities. Keeping the good doctor in check to be passable in the human world with those he interacts with without memorizing them, and to keep clear of the vampires and other creatures out to get him.
Other types of skills customization include how much blood can be carried, how much healing Dr. Reid can perform, as well as health as stamina system.
Weapons are different in the came as well as Bloodspear which sends a spray of blood that can pass thorugh several enemies, and cloaking yourself with Shadow Veil. Traditional weapons also have new tweaks like stakes, or knives that will take damage from other enemies while healing and giving blood back to Jonathan.
Using vampire sense to see what characters will give you the most XP for feeding or killing them and what level you must be to have characters attainable for food or conversation.
With only a few hours into game play, I can attest that Vampyre plays up to the hype.
Vampyre is currently available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
