The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 767 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile Game Cover
Making a fantastic return, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile was one of the best 2D action games when originally released in 2011, and it still manages to live up to that today.
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"The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile" is a 2D action platformer brimming with gruesome visuals and a graphic novel-inspired art style. Players can choose to control Yuki, a prisoner with machine-armed abilities, or The Dishwasher, a relentless reanimated samurai. Both protagonists seek vengeance against the corrupted leaders of society in a violent, combo-fueled quest. This fast-paced game was originally released for Xbox360.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 767 reviews
story53 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • Fluid and responsive controls that make combat feel satisfying and engaging.
  • Unique art style and a dark, gritty atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
  • Variety of weapons and characters, each with their own playstyles and upgrade paths, providing depth and replayability.
  • Some players may find the screen effects overwhelming, making it difficult to see during intense combat.
  • The story can be confusing for those who haven't played the first game, as it lacks context.
  • Online co-op functionality is reportedly buggy, leading to frustrating experiences for players.
  • story156 mentions

    The story of "The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile" is often described as confusing and somewhat nonsensical, especially for players unfamiliar with its predecessor, "Dead Samurai," which is not available on Steam. While the narrative features two distinct character arcs and is presented in a unique comic book style, many players feel that the story takes a backseat to the gameplay, which is praised for its fast-paced, hack-and-slash mechanics and engaging combat. Overall, while the story has its moments and adds to the game's atmosphere, it is not the primary draw for most players.

    • “The story is engaging enough, and presented in a beautiful comic book fashion.”
    • “The story is beautifully told and the music is really, really good and fits the game perfectly.”
    • “Vampire Smile has an utterly gonzo, but equally serious story to tell.”
    • “The story is unclear and doesn't have much in the way for a player to give much of a crap about what's going on.”
    • “The story kind of sucks though.”
    • “It's hard enough to keep up on your own, but not knowing the story from the first game makes understanding so much harder.”
  • graphics124 mentions

    The graphics of "The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile" are characterized by a unique blend of gritty, dark aesthetics and comic book art, creating a visually striking atmosphere that resonates with fans of horror and punk styles. While many players appreciate the intense, stylized visuals and fluid animations, some have noted issues with visual clarity during chaotic combat sequences, which can make it difficult to see what's happening on screen. Overall, the game's art style is polarizing, with a strong appeal to those who enjoy its edgy and gruesome presentation.

    • “The graphics are a delightful mix of comic book art and a horror movie marathon.”
    • “The art style and direction are amazing with a perfect blend of grit, gore, and edge.”
    • “The visuals and music are astonishing!”
    • “Visual clarity isn't great either; the edgy art style and VFX make it hard to see anything after executing an enemy with a grab. Enemies fire tracking missiles that you can barely even see, and there are invisible enemies that can teleport.”
    • “Vampire Smile is absolutely a great game, but being unable to see anything on screen during combat due to the shaky, blurry mess of VFX is a very disappointing direction for the art style.”
    • “The art style is poor; it looks like a cobbled-together mobile game with no art direction other than 'it must be grey, flashy, and have blood.'”
  • music101 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its energetic and fitting soundtrack, which enhances the fast-paced combat and overall atmosphere. Many players highlight the heavy metal and punk influences, noting that the music complements the game's gritty art style and visceral gameplay. While some minor criticisms exist regarding specific aspects of the soundtrack, the general consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's appeal and replay value.

    • “The music fits the raging and oppressive tone of the game perfectly while still somehow feeling a little uplifting (big MCR vibes sometimes).”
    • “The combat is incredibly fun, there are quite a bit of combos to do and the music is so amazing!”
    • “The art, music, and overall presentation make it look like a dark indie comic brought to life.”
    • “The music does not match and is bad.”
    • “The music is irritatingly tame and boring for such a violent game.”
    • “Only thing I can say that I dislike about it is the OST; not to say it's bad, but I don't find it as good nor as jammable as the first game's OST.”
  • gameplay100 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile" is widely praised for its fast-paced, intense combat and variety of enemies, which keeps the experience fresh and engaging. While some players note minor issues with mechanics and screen effects, the overall combat system is described as satisfying and responsive, with a unique artistic style that enhances the experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's replay value and creative gameplay elements, making it a standout title in the brawler genre.

    • “The variety in enemies, mini-bosses, and full bosses is genuinely impressive and keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting!”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced, smooth, and very satisfying.”
    • “The fast-paced hack and slash gameplay with an epic soundtrack is something that I'm sure most people will enjoy -- unless you're not a fan of gore!”
    • “There's not a lot to it and it only really serves to give context for why the gameplay is happening.”
    • “However, this mechanic fits the game's playstyle and doesn't negate the difficulty at all.”
    • “Overall, this is just another good-looking game with mediocre gameplay.”
  • atmosphere23 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its moody, dark, and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals and a fitting soundtrack that complements the intense and visceral combat. Reviewers highlight the unique art style and detailed environments, which create a gritty, dystopian feel, while the sound design further enriches the overall experience. Overall, the combination of these elements results in a captivating and memorable atmosphere that resonates with players.

    • “Stunning visuals and intense combat with a hopeless dark atmosphere; while playing this, it feels like my hair suddenly grows, becomes jagged, and covers my left eye.”
    • “The music fits the raging and oppressive tone of the game perfectly while still somehow feeling a little uplifting. The visuals don't fail to present the atmosphere of a gritty industrial nightmare and are chock-full of detail.”
    • “Dark and brooding atmosphere, bottomless buckets of gore, and a stellar soundtrack all combine to make a unique game out of a plain genre.”
    • “Stunning visuals and intense combat with a hopeless dark atmosphere; while playing this feels like my hair suddenly grows, becomes jagged, and covers my left eye.”
    • “As a story, Vampire Smile has a grim atmosphere and is, in a word, nonsensical.”
    • “The atmosphere, sound design, and visual effects in Vampire Smile are all deeply moody like in other Ska games, but it isn't bleak like Salt & Sanctuary.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the reviews highlight a strong sense of replayability in several games, particularly those featuring engaging combat, immersive soundtracks, and co-op modes. While some titles are praised for their high replay value and challenging gameplay, others are noted for lacking replay incentives beyond achievements. Games that combine action with unique mechanics and multiplayer options tend to stand out as hidden gems with lasting appeal.

    • “Great replay value, soundtrack, and gore mechanics.”
    • “High replayability value with challenging, yet satisfying combat and an immersive story with a great soundtrack to go with it.”
    • “It's very violent, has great weapons and while it is short, it has great replayability.”
    • “It was fun for a playthrough, but there is effectively zero replay value unless you're an achievement hunter.”
    • “- Arcade mode adds some replayability.”
  • character development6 mentions

    The character development in the game is highly praised for its exceptional design and aesthetic, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique character styles and the overall visual presentation, although some note that the action can occasionally be difficult to follow. Overall, the combination of character design and atmosphere enhances the game's appeal.

    • “I really love all the character designs in this game and really wanted to play this a long time ago. If I had a chance to go back and experience this again, I would do that.”
    • “The style, combat, character designs, everything is well done.”
    • “Rad character design and awesome, gloomy aesthetic.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices in character progression; it feels like a missed opportunity.”
    • “While the character designs are visually appealing, the development and growth of the characters are underwhelming.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its creativity and dark undertones, with players enjoying the hand-drawn cutscenes and quirky character designs. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend fun gameplay with hilarious glitches and a variety of comedic references, including some crude humor. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm that enhances the overall experience.

    • “Enjoy the hand-drawn cutscenes, the game’s visceral sense of style, and its signature dark humor.”
    • “Glowing personality, good sense of humor, takes initiative, and is a dishwasher-vampire-ninja/samurai, so that's cool.”
    • “There's quite a few play styles through choosing different weapons and gear, tons of references, some crude humor, and a lot of 'because why not' situations lol.”
  • stability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a stable experience, particularly on Linux, others have encountered various glitches, especially in multiplayer and towards the end of the game. These issues include camera problems and other minor bugs, though some players found the glitches to be amusing rather than detrimental.

    • “However, I have encountered some glitches on Steam.”
    • “There are also some rather annoying glitches near the end, with the camera going all over the place.”
    • “Ran into a bunch of glitches, but boy were they hilarious.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while performance issues are not significant, players have noted that keybindings for certain minigames are poorly designed for PC. Additionally, the difficulty balance appears to be flawed, as effective strategies may undermine the sense of achievement, leading to frustration among players.

    • “However, this doesn’t significantly affect your overall performance, so it’s not a major issue.”
    • “My only complaint is the keybindings for the music minigames are really wacky and could be better optimized for PC.”
    • “For the love of the lord, for most of this run I thought I may have been a terrible player doing all I can to kill the mobs and bosses and perform my very best observing patterns. However, that might all be thrown out of the window once you realize how not only the difficulty is badly optimized, but also doing your best isn't so rewarding or maybe not at all. Actually, spamming the traditional dash and hit works absolutely the best (normal difficulty as Yuki for reference).”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly during sections of map traversal without combat and in challenging boss fights that overwhelm with excessive visual effects. Additionally, some enemies are noted for their excessive blocking, requiring specific strategies to defeat them, which can further contribute to the grind.

    • “Due to the action-packed nature of the game, sections where you're running through the map without fighting can get a little tedious.”
    • “Arcade mode's final level is frustrating and relies on putting you against two bosses who are simply tedious to fight against because of unnecessary amounts of flashy effects on screen, making it hard to tell what they're even doing.”
    • “Some enemies block a bit too much and are tedious to fight without the right strategy.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game evokes a strong emotional response through its punk-rock aesthetic and satisfying metroidvania gameplay, creating a rugged yet wholesome experience that appeals to players of all ages. Reviewers highlight its ability to deliver fun and emotional depth, making it a standout title for families.

    • “For the size of the team, it had an amazing Metroidvania feel to it, including a rugged but very satisfying art style that fits well with the punk-rock emotional theme.”
    • “Incredibly wholesome game, 10/10 fun for the whole family.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

88% average critic score

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Play time

8hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
3-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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