Loyalty and Blood: Viktor Origins
- March 16, 2018
- Shorebound Studios
- 12h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Loyalty and Blood: Viktor Origins" , players step into Viktor's shoes, rejoining his brother Zane's side in the Legion after years of absence. As you complete over 90 missions and rise through the ranks, master Viktor's unique phase mechanic to navigate challenges and unravel a plot that will alter Overworld forever. This prequel to the first game highlights Viktor's origins and the complex bonds of loyalty within their family.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Combat is smooth and impactful, with a variety of weapons and a well-designed progression system that encourages exploration and completion of missions.
- The game features a solid story with improved world-building compared to the original, along with a unique phase-shifting mechanic that adds depth to gameplay.
- The graphics and sound design are well-executed, creating an enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The level design can feel repetitive and lacks variety, with many missions centered around similar objectives and recycled environments.
- Controls can be awkward, especially with gamepad support, leading to a less responsive aiming experience compared to mouse and keyboard.
- The game's progression and upgrade systems are not as robust as expected, with some weapons feeling underwhelming and upgrades being hard to notice.
- story36 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in "Loyalty and Blood: Viktor Origins" is generally considered solid, with a focus on character development and a mix of main and side missions that provide replay value. While some players find the mission structure repetitive, the bite-sized challenges and optional objectives add variety and depth to the gameplay. Overall, the narrative is engaging enough to complement the action, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
“Being more of a long-form game than Viktor, the story has received noticeably more attention this time.”
“The story seems solid, with an evolution and 'unlocking' of characters, and a sense of deep character development.”
“A great second chapter to the Viktor series with great music, an entertaining story, and a vibrant combat system.”
“There's a story or something.”
“A lot of the missions are just 'go here, kill stuff' and can feel a bit repetitive.”
“Designing every mission around these rules makes it kind of repetitive, and after a while, it feels like you are doing it all in your sleep.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by smooth and impactful combat, a diverse array of weapons, and engaging progression mechanics that encourage mission completion. Controls are generally tight and fluid, though the phase mechanic can be awkward at times; however, it adds a unique twist reminiscent of other popular titles. Overall, the game offers a rich experience with RPG elements, varied content, and enjoyable mechanics that enhance replayability.
“Combat is smooth and impactful with various weapons to choose from, and the progression and unlock mechanics encourage thoroughly completing each mission.”
“The controls are tight, fluid, and in the case of the phasing mechanic, you can even adjust how much control you have over it, which is a huge plus.”
“The game has a phase shift mechanic (basically a short distance teleport) which allows you to traverse through walls and obstacles, and the stages seem to have time challenges, which you can choose to complete or not.”
“There's a mechanic to upgrade weapons, but this is only available in New Game Plus.”
“While the core mechanics of gameplay are almost the same, a lot of RPG elements were added.”
“The game has a phase shift mechanic (basically a short distance teleport) which allows you to traverse through walls and obstacles, but the stages seem to have time challenges that can feel restrictive.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics have received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the nice visuals and direction taken by the developers, others feel that the graphics have downgraded in detail compared to the original game. The pixel art is generally considered above average, but there are calls to return to the original art style.
“Difficulty is just right, graphics are great, controls are tight!”
“The visuals are above average as far as pixel art goes.”
“Great original concept, good graphics, good control - (there is sometimes a little weird delay with teleportation.) cool music.”
“I don't know why, but for some reason the graphics downgraded to pixelated and less detailed compared to the first game.”
“1st thing, graphics.”
“I love the direction the devs are taking, hope they keep going (but the art style of the original one was much better in my opinion, bring it back!).”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the gameplay. While some users find it enjoyable and fitting, others feel it lacks the memorability of previous soundtracks in the series. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent, contributing positively to the gaming experience without being overly intrusive.
“The soundtrack and sound effects really just hit all the right notes.”
“Loyalty and Blood: Viktor Origins is a fantastic platform shooter with good Castlevania-esque music in the background.”
“A great second chapter to the Viktor series with great music, an entertaining story, and a vibrant combat system.”
“The music is atmospheric, even though I do not find it memorable.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the rewards for grinding are deemed worthwhile, the slow and cringey dialogue can make the process feel tedious. However, many appreciate that grinding for currency is relatively quick and manageable.
“The dialogs are cringey and tediously slow.”
“It seems like there's a lot that's worth grinding for.”
“Grinding currency does not take too long, which is nice.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight a solid story that features significant character evolution and a sense of deep character development, particularly noting the unlocking of at least one character.
“The story seems solid, with an evolution and 'unlocking' of characters, and a sense of deep character development.”
“The character arcs are incredibly well-written, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the character's growth and relationships throughout the game.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by how one-dimensional the characters are; they don't evolve or change in any significant way.”
“Despite the potential for rich storytelling, the character arcs are predictable and fail to engage the player.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the replayability of the game, noting that each mission includes hidden secrets and challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“Each mission generally has secrets and challenges that enhance replay value.”
“The game offers multiple paths and outcomes, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“With various character builds and strategies, I find myself coming back for more.”
“Each mission generally has secrets and challenges for replay value.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by the music, which effectively creates an immersive experience, though it may lack memorability for some players.
“The music creates an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
“The game's environment is rich and detailed, making you feel truly part of the world.”
“The lighting and sound design work together to create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game exhibits good stability, with only infrequent glitches noted during gameplay.
“The game suffers from infrequent glitches that disrupt the overall experience.”
“I encountered several infrequent glitches that made gameplay frustrating.”
“While the game is enjoyable, the infrequent glitches can be quite annoying.”
