It has been said a few times that nothing is ever truly original anymore and that we’re all just rehashing the same ideas with a fresh coat of paint. While I don’t necessarily agree with that idea, it is rare for a completely new (or at least completely fresh) concept to send the gaming space into a fit of excitement. Vampire Survivors is a surprising anomaly in the industry, taking a few concepts that are familiar and iterating on them in an incredibly unique way. So unique that it has even spawned its own genre in the months since it debuted.

Vampire Survivors is what is known as an Arena Survival Roguelike, or (in other circles) a “Bullet Heaven”. You play as one of over 20 unlockable characters, each with different stats and benefits. You have to survive waves of enemies while leveling up and collecting new items and passive upgrades. Different combinations of weapons and upgrades allow you to evolve the weapon into a stronger form once it reaches max level.

The fun part about Vampire Survivors though is the sheer volume of secrets and unlockables in the game. Finding the different combinations to evolve weapons and setting up incredibly powerful builds makes Vampire Survivors an incredibly replayable and engaging experience. On top of that, each run lasts a maximum of 30 minutes, so play sessions can be short, or you can play for several hours trying to unlock more content.

There are endless amounts of possible combinations to try in terms of build-setups for each character. Unlocking new characters and levels is enough to keep you busy for at least 30 hours at least. Though the developer is still working on content and plans to work on content as long as they have ideas and the community still wants things. That, combined with the low price, makes Vampire Survivors very worth your money and time.

It does have a few issues though. For one, there are a few instances where flashing lights and visuals can be hard on the eyes. This is also an issue for people who may have Epilepsy or similar issues. I think there are settings to minimize this but even so, there are times when there is so much going on on-screen that you might get overwhelmed.

On the flip side, the environments you play in are very simple, some might even go so far as to say they’re bland. They’re usually set up around a theme, such as a castle, evil forest, factory, etc. However, they don’t have a lot of visual variety to them in the levels. You’ll see the same assets as you travel to acquire items scattered in each part of the map.

What’s interesting about that though, is how much character Vampire Survivors has overall. Most characters, items, and unlocks have references to pop culture. In fact, the game has a sense of humor to it that is witty and fun. The sprite work is well done, though it may seem visually repetitive after a while.

Overall, I can see why some people might find Vampire Survivors as their Game of the Year. It consumed social media and took Steam by storm for a reason. It isn’t perfect though, and it may not be for everyone. It is a simple experience but a satisfying one, even if it might give some folks headaches.

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Vampire Survivors

$4.99 USD

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Lots of Replay Value
• Engaging Gameplay Loop
• Great Sense of Humor and References
• Simple Controls
• Lots of Unlockables

Cons

• Flashing Lights can be Hard on the Eyes
• Levels can get Bland After a While