When looking at DONTNOD Entertainments past in what game they’ve developed, you wouldn’t expect them to deter from stories that drove deep, pushed players to explore the world around them, and invest themselves in the stories they play. This was the case for fans of Life is Strange who found their hearts skipping beats between each episode or Remember Me fans who still beg for more.
Instead Dontnod is taking a huge leap with their ultra-violent vampire game that promises plenty of action named Vamypr. E3 was no doubt the place to be if you wanted to know more about the game. We were given a glimpse of the game via a hands-off demo of the game that featured a pre-recorded look at what to expect.
Combat, without a doubt, pulls heavily from games such as Dishonored and Prey by the legendary studio Arkane who flies under the Bethesda flag. Unlike most games, combat is a rather nice nod of respect towards those games while also ushering in unique abilities with your main character. What’s odd is the fact the game is almost like a voyerustic look at what it is to be the villain trying to be good. Especially for player controlled character Dr. Jonathan Reid, a World War I veteran who is practicing medicine.
Unlike most games, Vampyr dares to take a huge risk by throwing players into 20th century London, which has been ravaged by the grips of the Spanish flu, which has complicated things with an ever-rising epidemic of cannibalism. Aside from this ravaging their city and streets, something else has taken grasp. Mutations called ‘skals’. A person who has begun to turn into a zombie-like human, without being undead. Instead skals lurk below places such as piers, docks, and will jump out and devour any passerby they can get their fingers on.
Unlike Life is Strange and Remember Me – Vampyr is Dark and Bloody
Where vampires come out to play is natural. They are creatures of the night. Their food is the blood of the living, which is something that Dr. Reid is having to become accustomed to in this latest game from from DONTNOD. Unlike their more exploratory and semi-linear game Remember Me fans will be taking a more narrative approach with action packed combat. While it seems from the videos that have been released, Vampyr seems to be taking a more direct approach by allowing players to explore.
That very element is something that worked great in their narrative driven Life is Strange as it explored the daily and chaotic lives of Maxine “Max” Caulfield (Hannah Telle) and her friend Chloe Price (Ashly Burch from Hey Ash, whatcha playin?). Unlike either games, Vampyr won’t be using noticeable abilities to alter machines or even the world around them such as Life is Strange and the butterfly effect the game explored.
It’ll be a Game that Explores Dr. Reid and 20th Century London
Much as history tells you, 20th century London was not a place you wanted to visit. While it was at the height of exponential growth and industrial revolution, 20th century was also a place that was plagued with the threats of an aftermath from war. At the midway point of 1900-1939, the Spanish Flu (H1Z1 virus) was one that ravaged much of the world, and sent those who were healthy into hiding. Something that looks to be explored within Vampyr’s very narrative. One that we can expect Dr. Reid to explores as he deals with his own personal devices.
Even as a vampire, he’s also a high-ranking surgeon (as previously stated) within the British military and is one who struggles with what he has become. While struggling with what he has become, Jonathan will try to peace together what is happening, why it’s happening, and what he will become through the players choices. You can definitely expect this fall to be a bloody one for fans who can wait for the games upcoming November release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Stay tuned to our upcoming review.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.