Introduction
Basic information
Developer Name: Poncle
Full Name: Vampire Survivors
Release Date: October 20, 2022
Released on: PC, Xbox, iOS, Android
Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
I initially picked up Vampire Survivors on a whim, intrigued by its retro art style and bullet-hell gameplay. At first, I expected it to be a quick, one-and-done experience, but the game’s sheer number of unlockables and hidden secrets kept me coming back for more. Once we discovered that it had a co-op mode, my wife jumped in, and the chaos intensified. Playing together added a new layer of strategy, but it also magnified the game’s technical issues. Despite the crashes, we found ourselves drawn back to it repeatedly, unable to resist the allure of unlocking just one more character or weapon.
Story and setting
Plot overview
The story in Vampire Survivors is as cryptic as it is bizarre. The game never explicitly lays out its narrative, but there are enough clues scattered throughout to piece together a surreal, almost dreamlike tale. You appear to be facing off against a god who has cloned everyone repeatedly, resulting in waves of zombie-like versions of your own characters. The repetitive nature of the enemies and stages creates a sense of being trapped in an endless, nightmarish cycle. A fitting vibe for a game so heavily inspired by Castlevania and classic gothic horror.
World building and immersion
While the game lacks a coherent narrative structure, it compensates with a dark, eerie atmosphere. Each stage feels like a twisted snapshot from a grim fantasy world. From haunted libraries to cursed towers filled with monstrous foes. The constant barrage of enemies can be overwhelming, but it also reinforces the sense of a world teetering on the brink of apocalypse.
Character development
There isn’t much in terms of story-driven character arcs, but each character feels distinct in gameplay, boasting unique starting weapons and abilities that encourage experimentation. Unlocking new characters becomes an addictive pursuit, and each new addition brings new ways to approach the game’s chaotic combat.
Emotional impact
Despite the minimalistic storytelling, there’s a sense of mounting dread as the screen fills with swarms of enemies, each wave pushing you closer to defeat. It’s less about emotional resonance and more about adrenaline-fueled survival.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with a 6.5
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
Vampire Survivors may look simple, but its gameplay loop is anything but. Each run starts with a single weapon, but as you slay enemies and level up, you’ll acquire new weapons and upgrades that quickly escalate the chaos. Before long, the screen is a mess of projectiles, enemies, and particle effects, creating a frenetic dance of dodging and attacking.
At its heart, Vampire Survivors is a bullet-hell roguelike where survival depends on your ability to dodge and manage a constantly growing arsenal of weapons. Each weapon levels up with repeated use, evolving into more powerful, screen-clearing monstrosities.
Difficulty and balance
The game strikes a balance between being accessible and brutally difficult. Early runs may seem manageable, but as you progress, the sheer volume of enemies can become overwhelming. Boss fights add another layer of challenge, demanding precise movement and strategic use of abilities.
Pacing of the game
The pacing is relentless, with each run escalating rapidly from calm beginnings to intense, screen-filling chaos. Unfortunately, the game’s intense pace can also be its downfall. The screen becomes so cluttered that it’s easy to lose track of your character amidst the mayhem. And, everything that is going on.
Innovation and uniqueness
Despite its simple concept, Vampire Survivors manages to carve out a niche with its weapon evolution system and sheer variety of unlockables. The constant barrage of updates keeps things fresh, adding new characters, weapons, and stages to master.
Controls and user interface
Controls are tight and responsive, making it easy to pick up and play. However, the cluttered screen can make it difficult to track your character’s movements, especially in the later stages of a run.
Microtransactions
None. A refreshing change in an era dominated by microtransaction-heavy titles. There are DLC, but they are cheap as hell.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with a 7.5.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
Pixels, but good pixels. The retro art style may not be groundbreaking, but it’s undeniably charming. Each character sprite has a distinct design, and the enemies are delightfully grotesque, evoking classic arcade horror aesthetics.
The game leans heavily into its pixel art style, drawing clear inspiration from early Castlevania titles. Despite the simplicity, there’s a surprising amount of detail in the enemy designs, and each level feels distinct in its visual theme.
Technical performances
Unfortunately, the game’s technical issues are its Achilles’ heel. We experienced multiple crashes, each one erasing 30 to 50 minutes of progress. This severely impacts the game’s overall playability, especially when runs can last upwards of an hour.
Environment and design uniqueness
From eerie libraries to dark, sprawling fields, each stage feels like a unique battleground in this surreal, endless nightmare.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 6.0.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack is a highlight, featuring intense, adrenaline-pumping tracks that keep the blood flowing as the enemy hordes close in. There’s a distinct Castlevania-inspired vibe to the music, with haunting melodies and gothic undertones.
Sound effects quality
Each weapon has its own satisfying, impactful sound cue, making it easy to differentiate attacks even amidst the chaos.
Voice Acting
None, but the game doesn’t need it. The music and sound effects do all the heavy lifting.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 8.5.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
For a game that can be played in short, intense bursts or marathon sessions, Vampire Survivors has an almost endless amount of content. Between the vast roster of characters, evolving weapons, and ever-increasing challenges, there’s always something new to unlock. Runs can last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, depending on how well you’re doing, and you can easily put in hundreds of hours in this game!
Extra Content
The developers frequently update the game, adding new stages, characters, and weapons to keep players engaged. There is also a lot of DLC, which is cheap as hell and are big expansions!
Replay value
Exceptionally high. Assuming the crashes don’t dissuade you.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Vampire Survivors with a 7.5
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
Implement a checkpoint or autosave system to mitigate the frustration of losing progress to crashes. The autosave system needs to be implemented to also prevent infinite loops and crashes. Also, consider adding an option to reduce visual clutter to make tracking the player character easier.
Comparisons
Reminiscent of Risk of Rain, Geometry Wars, and classic Horde Mode games, but with its own unique blend of roguelike mechanics and gothic horror aesthetic.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
Our time with Vampire Survivors started strong, with run after run of intense, chaotic gameplay. The addition of the Castlevania-inspired DLC added even more excitement, with new stages, weapons, and enemies that felt ripped straight from the classic franchise. We loved the gothic vibes, the haunting music, and the new Reaper boss that put our skills to the test.
Unfortunately, that’s where things went downhill. Three times in a row, we reached the final Reaper boss after hour-long runs, only for the game to crash, erasing all progress. The frustration of losing nearly three hours of effort was enough to make us put the game down indefinitely. At least until these technical issues are addressed. It’s genuinely disappointing, as we loved the game’s gameplay loop and were eager to unlock every character. But for now, those crashes have soured the experience too much to keep going.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Vampire Survivors, I give it a personal rating of 9, before the crashes… and a personal rating of 6 after the crashes.
Last words
Pros
- Addictive gameplay loop
- Tons of characters and weapons to unlock
- Distinct retro art style
- Atmospheric music
- Intense, chaotic combat
- Frequent content updates
- Accessible controls
- Satisfying weapon evolution system
- High replay value
- No microtransactions
Cons
- Crashes frequently, erasing progress
- Visual clutter makes it easy to lose track of your character
- No checkpoint or autosave system
- Lacks narrative depth
- Some characters feel unbalanced
- Repetitive at times
- Technical issues undermine gameplay
- Limited multiplayer options
- Screen can become overwhelmingly busy
Vampire Survivors is a wild, retro-inspired roguelike that delivers addictive gameplay wrapped in a gothic horror aesthetic. However, its technical instability and lack of an autosave system can lead to some (REALLY) frustrating moments, preventing it from reaching its full potential.
FINAL RATING
7
Please let me know what you think of Vampire Survivors in the comments!
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