Vampire Survivors | PC Early Access Review
It’s only March, but I’ve found my hidden gem of the year. Vampire Survivors from developer Poncle (Luca Galante) might still be in Early Access, but it’s easily the best $2.99 I’ve spent this year so far. On the surface, it appears to be a very simplistic arcade game. While that’s partially true, there’s a lot more buried here that makes it difficult for me to put down. With consistent updates, I could see myself coming back to this one again and again in the future.
A New Genre?
It’s difficult to explain what makes Vampire Survivors great, as it’s a game that begs to be experienced. Imagine a twin-stick shooter with shmup elements where you slowly gain bigger and better attacks and buffs to take out hordes of enemies. The difference here is the minimalist approach to its mechanics. While playing, the only input you have is moving your character on the screen with either a game pad or joystick. I’ve lovingly referred to this gameplay as a “single-stick shooter.” This simplicity makes it very accessible to nearly any player.
After choosing your character (each has its own specific starting stats), you begin on a large map with a small amount of low-level enemies on the screen. There’s no button to press for attack, as they automatically activate based on an unseen cooldown timer. When you defeat an enemy, they may drop a colored experience gem. Once enough are collected, your character levels up, and you’re given the choice of three upgrades before moving on. These include defensive buffs, extra experience, extra damage, or new/upgraded weapons. This is where the game truly feels like a shmup. While your starting weapon may feel like you’re armed with a pea shooter, your later weapons build a chaotic cacophony of destruction that is nothing short of a spectacle to see.
Another driving factor is some of the game’s “secrets.” Nothing is directly spelled out for you in terms of how to proceed further. You just sort of figure things out as you go. Once you realize how the evolutions of weapons work (I won’t spoil it here), it becomes a thrill to hunt down each of them. I’ve yet to have a desire to put this game away, as there’s always something pushing me forward to see what new gameplay secret is around the corner.
Keep Me Coming Back
This is where Vampire Survivors becomes one of the most satisfying experiences. Although the enemy count is sparse at the beginning of each run, by the end, you’ll be mowing down hundreds of monsters at a time. It’s an incredible feeling to be eating away at horde after horde of enemies, constantly carving a path to safety. Even though most runs end in your inevitable death, you consistently feel like a god as your character grows in concert with the intense number of sprites moving towards you.
As in true roguelike form, you’ll also collect gold on each run which you can spend on new characters and upgrades. As expected, this makes your next play slightly easier. It’s a thrill to experiment with new classes that encourage you to play out of your comfort zone. This is something I appreciated in my favorite game from 2019, Children of Morta. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my favorite character. But other characters are better suited (or often required) to use when trying to unlock the game’s checklist of achievements.
Those achievements, by the way, are the only driving force behind Vampire Survivors. There’s not even an introductory line of text or dialogue that I saw. You’re put directly into the action, much like an old-school arcade game. While many may balk at the lack of reason for destroying tens of thousands of monsters, I found it refreshing to simply play for the enjoyment of it.
Vampire Survivors “Final” Verdict
I put the word in quotes, because Vampire Survivors is still considered an Early Access game. New characters and levels have already been added, and it appears that more content is on the way. Even though it’s considered unfinished, I can’t recommend this game enough. It scratches an itch I didn’t know I had, and is one of the most satisfying indie games I’ve played in a while. Don’t expect a deep narrative (hell, don’t expect any narrative), and just go in expecting simplicity done right. It’s more than worth its price tag, as I’ve spent well over ten hours playing this so far. Don’t hesitate to pick up this title. I’d be shocked if you didn’t get three dollars worth of enjoyment out of it. I certainly got a lot more than that.
To hear me talk more about Vampire Survivors, be sure to listen to Episode 389 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:02:46 time stamp.
This review is based on a purchased Early Access copy of Vampire Survivors. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.
