Skip to main content

Vampyr

Vampyr is to date, 2018's most interesting and ultimately satisfying release. Stunning world-building, detailed and interesting non-player characters, enjoyable RPG level-building mechanics, and an intriguing story mixed with the district management features have yielded an excellent action RPG title that is a bit deeper than your atypical affair. Moody and brilliant, Vampyr is a must-have for any fan of the non-sparkling vampire variety.
Vampyr Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, optimization
76% User Score Based on 10,932 reviews
Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox Cloud GamingXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStationXbox Series X|SPCAmazon LunaCloudXbox OneNVIDIA GeForce NOW
Buy Nowfrom $0
Buy NowGet on Steam $39.99Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store Buy NowGet on Epic Games Store Buy NowGet on PS Store $0
Vampyr Game Cover

About

Vampyr is a single player open world role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by DONTNOD Entertainment and was released on June 4, 2018. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Vampyr," you play as Dr. Jonathan Reid, a newly-turned vampire in 1918 London. As a doctor, you must find a cure for the city's flu-ravaged citizens, but as a vampire, you are cursed to feed on them. Your choices will have consequences, as you decide who to feed on and how to interact with the city's inhabitants, shaping the fate of London. Use your vampire powers to fight enemies and manipulate the lives of others in this dark, atmospheric action RPG.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
Vampyr screenshot
+8
Skip User Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,932 reviews
story3.9k positive mentions
grinding537 negative mentions
  • The narrative and moral choice mechanics are praised for their depth and significant impact on the game world and character interactions.
  • The dark, immersive atmosphere of post-WWI London, combined with a haunting soundtrack, creates a compelling and engaging experience.
  • Character development is a standout feature, with players appreciating the intricate backstories and emotional connections to the characters.
  • Combat mechanics are often criticized as clunky and repetitive, leading to frustration during encounters.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including bugs, glitches, and long loading times that disrupt gameplay.
  • The lack of a fast travel system and tedious map traversal contribute to a grindy experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
  • story
    9,602 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Vampyr* is a central highlight, praised for its rich narrative set against the backdrop of a plague-ridden London in 1918, where players navigate moral dilemmas as a vampire doctor. While many players appreciate the depth of character backstories and the impact of choices on the game world, some criticize the pacing and execution, noting that the story can feel rushed or convoluted at times. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy immersive storytelling and character-driven narratives, despite its gameplay shortcomings.

    • “Vampyr is a dark, immersive action RPG that brilliantly blends story, choice, and combat.”
    • “The story is outstanding, rich with compelling lore set in post-WWI England during the Spanish flu epidemic.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and storytelling create a world that has a genuine sense of life, tragedy, and beauty.”
    • “Even the love story feels incredibly half-baked.”
    • “I feel from a story point of view, the character is a terrible person. And the brief back story we get does not improve his character or personality.”
    • “The story started off strong but towards the end started to feel rushed and this becomes painfully apparent during the epilogue.”
  • gameplay
    3,124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of *Vampyr* has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its intriguing narrative and moral choice mechanics, which significantly impact the game world and character interactions. However, the combat mechanics are often criticized as clunky and repetitive, leading to frustration during encounters, particularly with bosses. While the game offers a unique blend of RPG elements and storytelling, the execution of its gameplay mechanics has left some players feeling that it falls short of its potential.

    • “The RPG elements and branching narrative make for compelling gameplay.”
    • “The core mechanics surrounding feeding on citizens, embracing them, and getting to know their stories feels fitting for a vampire-themed game.”
    • “Vampyr is an action RPG that combines a moody, atmospheric setting with moral choice-driven gameplay to deliver a story-rich experience that stands apart from typical vampire-themed games.”
    • “Combat mechanics are either rubbish or mid-annoying (and you cannot avoid fighting here - it's a must).”
    • “Many fights felt frustrating, not because of genuine challenge, but due to clunky, awkward combat mechanics that more often got in the way of enjoyment than enhanced it.”
    • “The gameplay is very clunky, very heavy, and extremely repetitive.”
  • atmosphere
    1,571 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in *Vampyr* is widely praised for its immersive and haunting depiction of post-World War I London, characterized by gloomy visuals, a rich soundtrack, and a sense of moral complexity. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of dread and intrigue through its detailed environments and atmospheric sound design, which effectively complement the narrative's themes of despair and choice. While some critiques focus on gameplay mechanics, the overall consensus highlights the atmosphere as one of the game's strongest and most compelling features.

    • “The dark and gritty atmosphere of post-World War I London ravaged by an epidemic of the Spanish flu was just amazing, enhanced by brilliant music by Olivier Derivière.”
    • “Vampyr draws you into a hauntingly atmospheric version of post-World War I London, where gloom, fog, and shadow make every street feel dangerous — and every choice meaningful.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and storytelling create a world that has a genuine sense of life, tragedy, and beauty.”
    • “The only minor drawback is that the atmosphere feels a bit dark (which makes sense thematically), but on the Steam Deck it can be a little glaring and sometimes hard to see without cranking up the brightness too much.”
    • “The streets you spend so much time running through all look the same - the atmosphere is always grey and moody, and frankly, it gets dull very quickly.”
    • “The combat is atrocious like the Witcher or Assassin's Creed series, the atmosphere doesn't reach the level of games like Bloodborne or Pathologic 2, and choices would matter if anything about the story, the gameplay or its character was capable of being remotely engaging.”
  • graphics
    1,390 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Vampyr" receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the atmospheric art style and detailed environments that effectively capture the dark, gothic essence of early 20th-century London. However, several critiques highlight that the graphics feel dated for a 2018 release, with some character models and animations lacking polish, leading to a perception of lower overall quality compared to contemporary titles. Despite these shortcomings, the game's visuals are often described as immersive and fitting for its narrative, contributing positively to the overall experience.

    • “The graphics, lighting, and sound design perfectly capture the eerie and oppressive atmosphere of early 20th-century London.”
    • “The graphics and art direction are well done and truly create a believable world in which to explore.”
    • “The game's moody, gothic visuals, accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, create a sense of immersion that’s hard to shake off even after you’ve stopped playing.”
    • “The main drawbacks of this game are the lackluster graphics (even for a 2018 title) and poor facial animations.”
    • “The graphics are noticeably outdated for when this game was released.”
    • “For a game made in 2018, the graphics really feel like they're competing with something from 2008.”
  • music
    1,160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Vampyr" has been widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the game's dark, gritty setting of post-WWI London. Composed by Olivier Deriviere, the soundtrack features moody strings and melancholic melodies that resonate with the game's themes of tragedy and moral complexity, creating an immersive experience that many players found captivating. While some noted that the music could be overwhelming during combat, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's emotional depth and ambiance.

    • “The dark and gritty atmosphere of post-WWI London ravaged by an epidemic of Spanish flu was just amazing, enhanced by brilliant music by Olivier Deriviere.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and storytelling create a world that has a genuine sense of life, tragedy, and beauty.”
    • “The soundtrack blends haunting melodies with tense, atmospheric compositions, perfectly capturing the oppressive mood of plague-ridden London.”
    • “The music is lifeless, ambient to the point of banality, and completely forgettable.”
    • “The music fluctuates between moments of somber reflection and heart-pounding tension, matching Reid's emotional journey as a doctor-turned-vampire.”
    • “The music is mediocre and sometimes outright annoying.”
  • grinding
    555 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of "Vampyr" has received significant criticism from players, primarily due to the lack of a fast travel system, which makes traversing the game's map tedious and time-consuming. Many reviewers noted that the combat becomes repetitive and unengaging, especially as enemies respawn frequently, leading to a grindy experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some players appreciate the depth of character interactions and story, the overwhelming consensus is that the game's mechanics often feel tedious and frustrating, particularly for those attempting to play a non-lethal route.

    • “But it controls fluidly, the dodge is very generous, the camera has no significant issues, and exploiting enemy weakness is key to making it fun and not tedious.”
    • “almost no grinding”
    • “can be grindy”
    • “Navigating it can be tedious, especially since there’s no fast travel option, which is honestly unacceptable in a game of this scope.”
    • “You have to claw your way through the same enemy types repeatedly, which makes the backtracking-heavy map structure deeply tedious.”
    • “The need to traverse London on foot, coupled with the incessant respawn of enemies, becomes a tedious task that detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
  • optimization
    287 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and long loading times, particularly on PC. While some users found the game to run smoothly on lower-end systems or consoles like the Steam Deck, others experienced severe optimization problems, leading to frustration and crashes. Overall, the game's performance is often described as inconsistent, with a need for further patches and improvements to enhance the experience.

    • “Surprisingly optimized & smooth game to play on Steam Deck!”
    • “Overall, an adjustment in the difficulty scaling if you play as the 'good doctor' and weird optimization issues hold this game from being an excellent one.”
    • “The optimization is really good as well.”
    • “It's poorly optimized, with long loading screens, sometimes blurry textures (even on close-up characters and objects) and occasional stuttering.”
    • “The game has severe issues caused by not optimized code in Unreal, there are some annoying FPS drops and in my case some unfair moments where I died when being nowhere near the enemy.”
    • “The performance is awful.”
  • stability
    256 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that can significantly disrupt gameplay. While some users experienced a relatively smooth experience with minor issues, others faced game-breaking problems, particularly with the autosave feature and combat mechanics. Overall, the game is described as unpolished and buggy, which detracts from its otherwise engaging story and gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is good, enjoyable, and well balanced, as well as bug-free.”
    • “More games should release this bug-free :)”
    • “It is interesting, it is bug-free, and it is well acted.”
    • “The game suffers from long loading times and occasional bugs, including stutters or animation glitches.”
    • “It's also insanely buggy to the point you cannot finish some of the quests.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's a buggy mess and because it only uses autosaves you either lock yourself out of content due to bugs or completely wreck your game due to bugs.”
  • replayability
    212 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally viewed as strong, with many players appreciating the multiple endings and the significant impact of choices on the narrative. While some find the game offers enough variety to warrant multiple playthroughs, others feel that the lack of a new game+ mode and certain gameplay mechanics limit its long-term appeal. Overall, it is recognized for its engaging story and decision-making elements, which enhance replay value, though opinions vary on how compelling the experience is for subsequent runs.

    • “Its 'high moral' endings are harder difficulty-wise if you want a challenge, but the outcomes have a rewarding feeling, while 'low moral' ones are definitely more fun to play but have bitter endings, which adds to replayability either way.”
    • “This game has a lot of replay value, as there are a handful of different ways you can play it and multiple endings to find.”
    • “Sadly it doesn't have the replayability of VTMB, but it's not a big deal.”
    • “The choices you make throughout the game have significant consequences, adding depth and replay value.”
    • “It has some replay value due to the branching paths in the story, but you can definitely feel satisfied after a single run if you exhaust most of the content.”
  • emotional
    157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of *Vampyr* is deeply intertwined with its characters, particularly Jonathan Reid and Lady Ashbury, whose complex relationship and moral dilemmas evoke a strong emotional response from players. The game presents a haunting narrative filled with tough choices that weigh heavily on the player, creating a rich tapestry of emotional experiences that range from heartbreak to moral conflict. While the story and character interactions are often praised for their depth, some critiques highlight inconsistencies in emotional expression and technical execution, which can detract from the overall impact of the narrative.

    • “The characters of Jonathan Reid and Lady Ashbury represent the core of the game's emotional value; both are hauntingly elegant and someone you can't help but admire.”
    • “This unique premise forms the emotional and ethical foundation of the entire experience, as you’re constantly forced to balance the Hippocratic Oath with the violent urges of vampirism.”
    • “The narrative is a hauntingly beautiful tapestry that draws you deep into the emotional and psychological landscape of its protagonist, Dr. Jonathan Reid.”
    • “Boring story”
    • “Slow start, slow progression, boring story and characters.”
    • “Clunky gameplay, boring storyline.”
  • character development
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in "Vampyr" is widely praised for its depth and impact on gameplay, with players noting the significance of moral choices and the intricate backstories of both the main character and NPCs. The game excels in storytelling, creating a rich atmosphere that enhances the emotional connection to the characters, although some critiques mention inconsistencies and limitations in character growth. Overall, the character development is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The RPG elements, including skill upgrades and character development, make every choice impactful.”
    • “Character development is top-notch, and Dontnod does a fantastic job of making you care about the people you meet.”
    • “The character development and choices you make significantly impact the game world, providing a unique and immersive role-playing adventure.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story, poor mission structure, and character development break that immersion completely.”
    • “Amongst the few life-or-death choices you can make, you never really feel anything because the character developments are lacking.”
    • “Character development was badly thought out.”
  • humor
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mix of dark wit and unintentional comedy, with players finding amusement in the absurdity of the characters and situations, such as the protagonist's melodramatic antics and the game's numerous glitches. While some lines and scenarios are genuinely funny, others come off as awkward or overly serious, leading to a blend of laughter and frustration. Overall, the humor is appreciated for its cleverness and the game's unique take on vampire lore, though it can be hit or miss depending on the player's perspective.

    • “I find it hilarious that the morals of the inhabitants of London are much worse than a literal freaking blood-sucking vampire.”
    • “For a newborn vampire who is trying to be discreet and stay under the radar, it's hilarious that in order to get the full value out of everyone's blood, you had to find out all the dirt on them from talking behind everyone's back.”
    • “The dialogue is great, a perfect well-acted blend of dramatic goth vampire setting and humor at the period, and the people who lived in it.”
    • “It's not challenging in the midgame; it's not funny.”
    • “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
    • “I expected more clever humor, but it just feels stale.”
  • monetization
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally well-received, with many users praising the absence of microtransactions and intrusive ads, which is a refreshing change in the current gaming landscape. While some players noted repetitive ads after extended playtime, the overall sentiment is that the game offers a complete experience without additional costs, making it a worthwhile purchase. However, there are mentions of long loading screens and some mechanics lacking clarity, but these do not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “A good game in the sea of bad microtransactions these days, fun good story.”
    • “No microtransactions basically.”
    • “Ladies and gentlemen, this isn't a game stuffed with microtransactions. Dontnod and Focus are not big companies, so please, if you like the look of the game, support them by purchasing a copy.”
    • “Ads are super repetitive after about 2 hours into the game. New enemies don't get added, and the game just starts ramping up ad health pools and spawn frequency, with the only nuance being an area of effect that enemies get near the end that has no cure nor armor to prevent.”
    • “In-game purchases will drain your wallet.”
    • “A more malicious incarnation would have offered microtransactions to circumvent the issue, but a better studio would have made the game more fun.”
Skip Critic Reviews

85%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Vampyr

18h Median play time
21h Average play time
17h Main story
41h Completionist
8-30h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 111 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Vampyr

Games Like Vampyr

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Image
82%3.1kreviews

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

2023Role Playing
Xbox Series X|SPCEpic Games+6
The Technomancer Image
62%2kreviews

The Technomancer

2016Role Playing
Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5+5
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Image
88%20.4kreviews

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

2012Open World Role Playing
LinuxXbox 360Xbox Series X|S+5
Bound By Flame Image
59%2kreviews

Bound By Flame

2014Role Playing
Playstation 3LinuxXbox 360+8
Biomutant ImageBiomutant ImageBiomutant Image
69%11.4kreviews

Biomutant

2021Open World Role Playing
Xbox Series X|SXbox Game PassPlaystation 5+6
More games like Vampyr
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Vampyr is a open world role playing game with horror theme.

Vampyr is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

The main story can be completed in around 17 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 41 hours to finish. On average players spend around 21 hours playing Vampyr.

Vampyr was released on June 4, 2018.

Vampyr was developed by DONTNOD Entertainment.

Vampyr has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Vampyr is a single player game.

Similar games include Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, The Technomancer, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Bound By Flame, Biomutant and others.