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0 Vampire Survivors is a 2022 roguelike shoot’em up game developed and published by Luca Glanace. The game has been so popular that Glanace went on to found 25 person strong studio Poncle, who work solely on the game. Vampire Survivors is initially set in Italy, where hordes of monsters have been summoned by the face of the game, our very own evil Bisconte Draculó. Which very closely resembles the tale of Count Dracula. He has set monsters upon the land to ravage. The Belpaese family and other heroic survivors take it upon themselves to hunt down and defeat Draculó. The later introduced DLCs include more heroes, more locations and even more chaotic fun than before!
The game had been in an early access period from December 2021 and has now finally hit the PlayStation storefront. After a long but thrilling wait players can now get stuck in on their PlayStation console! Vampire Survivors can now be picked up for £3.99 on the PlayStation Store if you’re wanting to expand your library with another banger! Vampire Survivors also has multiple DLCs which bring even more to the powerhouse of a game.
The game is also available on Steam, Switch and mobile for both Android and Apple.
That’s enough garlic thank you!
Gameplay
The aim of Vampire Survivors is quite simple. Fight waves upon waves of enemies which vary in difficulty, reward and attack types. This variety keeps you on your toes and entertained for hours. The heroes have different abilities to give you an added ace up your sleeve when blasting through waves of skeletons or Medusaeskque creatures. The character known as Poe is known for his garlic which will repel and damage enemies that come into contact with aura of garlic bread stench.
The controls are very straightforward with your thumbstick being your only method of movement due to the 2D 8-Bit place of the location you’re playing in. The only other control you need to be worried about is the X button which you use to select your powerups every time to level up, which makes this a fantastic game to just get your claws into!
If you are tired of playing roguelikes on your own then wait no longer. A most welcomed community free update on August 17th on all platforms, now including PlayStation, is co-op play. Enabling you to play with up to four people via couch co-op. You can unlock new Achievements and have even more fun with friends or even adversaries, if that’s your thing.
Graphics & Audio
The game is reminiscent of any classic 8-bit roguelike while putting a wonderful gothic and eerie spin on it. If you have ever played Journey of the Prairie King in Stardew Valley and wished it was its own type of game, Vampire Survivors will grant your wish.
The game did not struggle with any frame rate issues or graphical glitches in the many hours I had put into this game even with the 100s of enemies on my screen at one time. This is very welcomed especially with many games struggling with assets lagging games in this day and age. The game does a wonderful job putting across the locations and the feel of time periods. Especially with the DLC Legacy of the Moonspell which brings you into eastern lands . Visit snowy mountains, abandoned castles and infested villages. Vampire Survivors does a great job of using the 8 Bit style to make the colours of the environments and characters really pop.
The soundtrack is fantastic and does not falter throughout. The music has been created cohesively and is well suited to each stage. Each stage has it’s own eerie vibe which adds to the gameplay immersion. This keeps you going through hordes of monsters. Each track has a different version of itself called Hyper and Forsaken. Both bring a great deal into the game experience. Post playthrough I find myself revisiting the tracks often! Special shout out to “Hide and Survive” from the Emergency Meeting DLC. This is on repeat on my playlist, helping me get through the working day. Especially the Forsaken version!
Longevity
The game is very quick to get into. Let’s say you’ve got 15 minutes before setting off to work and wanted a quick game of something fast paced and exhilarating. Vampire Survivors would be the perfect game! Quick and easy to load in; the quick play option randomises the game mode, character and location for you so you don’t have to mess about and get straight into the action.
There is something incredibly addicting in this game. I find myself loading one more map before heading to bed. And yes, I am still there hours later. The satisfying sound of opening a chest with multiple upgrades rings in my ears to this day.
Final Thoughts
Just to sum things up, the game really is an absolute blast to play. The graphics, characters, soundtrack and stages really make for one hell of a journey. Each journey takes between 10-30 minutes. And is time well spent. This game has stolen many hours of my life. My life is now Vampire Survivors. If you’re like me and enjoy a good roguelike and want a game that just delivers a solid gaming experience suited to your taste. Vampire Survivors will do just that and more.
Time to convince all my friends to get the game so I’m not hunting monsters on my own. If no one can find me; I’m now on my way to the Platinum trophy and getting the many additional trophies available in the game!
With the game bringing such a positive and wonderful experience with no faults I will be awarding Vampire Survivors with the Platinum Thumb Culture Award.
Hope to meet you at the next coffin! If you enjoyed this review, why not check out our other PlayStation reviews!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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Great read, well done Kat!
Excellent article!!
Great game review