Victor Vran
- May 30, 2017
- Haemimont Games
- 15h median play time
A limp story and weak jokes are worth putting up with for Victor Vrans great combat system.
Victor Vran is a historical hack and slash game set in the cursed city of Zagoravia. Play as Victor, a demon hunter, and forge your own hero with a variety of weapons, outfits, demon powers, and destiny cards. Experience dynamic combat, cooperative play, and lots of replayability with 8 weapon classes, 7 breeds of demons, and 9 outfits, available now with Fractured Worlds and Motorhead Through the Ages expansions. The game features a good story, delightful graphics, splendid music, and is very funny with a dense atmosphere.
Reviews
- Fun and engaging combat system that emphasizes player skill with jumping and dodging mechanics.
- Unique character customization through weapons, demon powers, and destiny cards, allowing for varied playstyles.
- Humorous narration and pop culture references add charm and entertainment to the gameplay.
- Limited enemy variety and repetitive gameplay can lead to boredom over time.
- No traditional class system or skill trees, which may disappoint players looking for deeper character progression.
- Difficulty scaling can feel unbalanced, making some encounters frustratingly hard without proper gear.
- story401 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in "Victor Vran" is generally considered basic and somewhat cliché, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a focal point. While some players appreciate the humor and voice acting, particularly from the protagonist voiced by Doug Cockle, many find the narrative lacking depth and engagement, often describing it as predictable and uninspired. Overall, the game is recommended for its action and mechanics, with the story being a secondary concern for most players.
“The story is good, sounds are good, visuals are good, combat is good, challenges are challenging.”
“The story is somewhat basic but does a good job of carrying you from one sequence to the next.”
“The story is compelling and the narrator is hilariously witty.”
“The story is there to satisfy the bare minimum of what might be called a story, to give an excuse for the player to hack and slash.”
“The story is lacking, but the gameplay more than makes up for this.”
“The story is boring as hell.”
- gameplay392 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Victor Vran is characterized by its intuitive mechanics and fast-paced action, blending traditional hack-and-slash elements with unique features like jumping and dodging. While many players appreciate the engaging combat and variety of weapons, some criticize the lack of depth and repetitive nature of gameplay after initial hours. Overall, it offers a fun experience, especially in co-op mode, but may not sustain long-term interest compared to more complex ARPGs.
“The gameplay is fairly intuitive and simple to pick up, with only minor criticisms regarding some mechanics being a bit glitchy at times due to camera angles.”
“The ARPG gameplay loop is incredibly addictive once it clicks, offering a fun and satisfying experience with impactful playstyle choices.”
“Victor Vran offers just the perfect balance of good and fun gameplay, collectables, grind, and quality of life features that I want in an ARPG.”
“The downside is that everything lacks a certain depth; don't expect the gameplay to feel fresh for hundreds of hours like other titles in the genre can.”
“The movement feels slow, the story isn't intriguing, and something about the basic gameplay loop is lacking.”
“The gameplay is a bit monotone at some points.”
- graphics192 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the art style, detailed environments, and smooth animations. While some reviews noted that the visuals may not be groundbreaking or overly complex, they are described as visually appealing and fitting for the game's tone. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment, making it a standout feature despite some minor criticisms regarding their depth and originality.
“The graphics and visuals are smooth, very artistic scenes and environments help bring the game together with an atmospherically dark soundtrack, 10/10 on the sound design.”
“Victor Vran is a fun game with very nice graphics (the illustrations are particularly beautiful; I am a sucker for great graphics) and some interesting ideas, like jumping to reach high places or secrets hidden around the map.”
“The graphics are very nice as is the music.”
“The graphics look like they were made with Unreal Engine 1.”
“I gave this game the cold shoulder due to the silly title and late PlayStation 2-level graphics.”
“While the graphics are okay, there really is a lack of detail.”
- humor85 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Victor Vran" is a standout feature, characterized by a mix of witty dialogue, cheeky narrations, and pop culture references that often elicit genuine laughter. While some jokes may fall flat or feel outdated, the overall comedic tone, particularly from the narrator, adds a lighthearted charm to the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the blend of silly humor and clever quips, making the game enjoyable despite its occasional frustrations.
“The voice acting is top notch, especially the narrator with his witty humor and jokes.”
“The story is compelling and the narrator is hilariously witty.”
“If you like action-packed ARPGs with a good amount of loot, lots of stuff to kill, and a side serving of humor alongside it, this game is absolutely the right one for you.”
“The voice is rather unfunny: lazy references, mocking Victor who has no character or comebacks, and hit-or-miss observations.”
“The voice acting alternates between amazing and a bit cringey, but it has lots of humor. This is probably the first game I've ever played that made me genuinely laugh, not just chuckle, I mean really laugh.”
- grinding66 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant and often tedious aspect of the game, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of farming for gear and the lack of meaningful rewards. While some appreciate the depth of customization and the challenge it brings, others find the grinding to be excessive and detracting from the overall enjoyment, especially when it leads to a lackluster endgame experience. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy grinding, but it may not be suitable for players seeking a more streamlined or less repetitive experience.
“The grinding in this game strikes a perfect balance; it's engaging without feeling overwhelming.”
“I appreciate that the grind is rewarding and not too tedious, making it enjoyable to progress.”
“The grind feels meaningful, as each effort brings me closer to my goals in the game.”
“End game is very lackluster, doesn't really have anything to keep you playing the game and grinding for. Once I did all the challenges (some are pretty ridiculous to do), I was done with the game.”
“Eventually grinding was a chore and trying to figure out where to go next was confusing.”
“Grinding isn't fun when your character gets weaker the further you progress.”
- music62 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and thematic qualities, often likening it to classic soundtracks from titles like "Diablo" and "Castlevania." While some players find the music to be engaging and well-composed, others describe it as generic or repetitive, suggesting it may not stand out in the long run. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the overall experience despite some criticisms.
“Killer soundtrack of course, and does a great job of pulling a story together from the various Motörhead albums.”
“The graphics and visuals are smooth, very artistic scenes and environments help bring the game together with an atmospherically dark soundtrack, 10/10 on the sound design.”
“The music is moody and subdued, matching the setting perfectly and complementing the action with aplomb.”
“The music is a little generic, but at times resembles Matt Uelmen's masterpieces.”
“Soundtrack is mediocre and story is lackluster like any other ARPG.”
“Blah music that you barely notice.”
- replayability57 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the challenges, map replayability, and potential for extended gameplay through side objectives, others find the lack of diverse skills and limited endgame content to be significant drawbacks. Some reviews highlight that the game offers a solid amount of replay value, especially for casual players, but it may not satisfy those seeking deep, varied replay experiences typical of the genre.
“The perfect game in this genre (at least, in my opinion) should have tons of replayability, while having the main story about 20 hours.”
“Combined with plenty of challenges and stuff to collect, this offers a lot of replayability.”
“The challenges for each level, while optional, provide another level of depth to the game that rewards challenging your style of gameplay, and also increases replayability of areas.”
“There's little replay value.”
“The challenges are pretty much the only replayability aspect of the game, and as a casual player, I found most of them too hard and frustrating to bother with.”
“The most obvious result is the complete lack of replayability - in the same game you'll find yourself using all (the few) available skills - but there's also a bigger issue: the small number of skills isn't enough to carry the entire game.”
- atmosphere29 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and artistic design, featuring a dark, broody aesthetic complemented by a haunting soundtrack and detailed environments. While some players note a sense of repetitiveness in gameplay, the overall ambiance, enhanced by effective voiceovers and a Victorian England fantasy setting, contributes significantly to the game's appeal. Despite its generic elements, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, drawing players into its richly crafted world.
“The environments are very well made with new atmospheres and vibes across the large map.”
“The graphics and visuals are smooth, very artistic scenes and environments help bring the game together with an atmospherically dark soundtrack, 10/10 on the sound design.”
“The atmosphere, the music, the inevitability of death, it was just great.”
“It ruins the last bit of atmosphere that is in this game, which it has not much of to begin with since it's very generic with its monsters and setting.”
“The atmosphere is quirky (not positively) and tries to take Handsome Jack's constant berating and taunting and make it its own in its main antagonist - where it fails is in its taking itself too seriously in terms of tone and pretending to have a higher purpose or deeper meaning.”
“Victor Vran can be considered one of the finest ARPGs from a gameplay point of view, combined with its aesthetic art direction and beguiling atmosphere, but ultimately, a dolorous experience story-wise.”
- optimization23 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance even on lower-end hardware and commend its graphics, others experience performance issues, particularly with high settings and certain graphical features. Some users noted random crashes and networking problems, indicating that further optimization is needed for a more consistent experience across different systems. Despite these concerns, the game is generally considered well-optimized for controller use and offers a visually appealing experience.
“Despite that the game seems to run smoothly even on a potato, its graphics and overall solid feel are on par with the other big titles of the genre.”
“Easy to play, step-by-step level rewards, nice costumes, interesting destiny cards mechanic, very well optimized, and the character feels very alive.”
“This game combines elements from classic hack and slash action RPGs and beat 'em all games, with optimized gameplay for controllers, allowing for multi-hit melee attacks, jumps, dashes, and the possibility to replay levels to unlock trophies.”
“Sadly, with this kind of performance issues I cannot recommend the game.”
“This game plays much slower than the provided demos show and provides much less combat optimization styles and methods than it leads you to believe.”
“Performance is not great and could use some optimization; it didn't run as smoothly as it should on a high-end rig with 2560x1600 resolution.”
- stability18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting persistent glitches, particularly on Mac systems, including issues with inventory and NPC dialogues. However, many users on Windows and Linux have experienced smooth gameplay without crashes or significant bugs. Overall, while some technical issues exist, the game runs well for a majority of players.
“Game didn't crash a single time and no glitches.”
“Overall the game runs great and I haven't run into any real issues with it.”
“Nicely polished game, no glitches that I ran into.”
“Some glitches are still there: I got stuck in the walls at least a couple of times, and many monsters can clip into you, making them very hard to target.”
“I have a MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) and I can play a lot of other games like Civ 6, but Victor Vran has glitches in the inventory (the most important part of character building) so that I can't see destiny cards, demon powers, weapons, etc.”
“There are several ARPGs out there that are more polished and less buggy/awkward than this game.”
- character development13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth, with many reviewers noting the absence of traditional skill progression and individual character growth. While there are unique systems like destiny cards and weapon-based abilities that allow for some customization, the overall experience is described as limited and reliant on equipment rather than meaningful character evolution. Many players find the character design and story bland, contributing to a sense of disappointment regarding the promised extensive character development.
“The card system for character development is unique, and you can create a number of different builds through the configuration of cards.”
“Character development does not work with a skill tree, but by choosing weapons, demon powers (spells you can cast once your overdrive meter is full; it fills by dealing damage) and destiny cards.”
“Fresh systems for character development.”
“In addition to being very boring (no skill progression really or any real sense of character development), the story was bland, the jokes terrible, and some really underwhelming voice acting.”
“Don't expect a complex game, because the character development is nonexistent.”
“- no individual character development, no traditional skill points or abilities; level bonuses are static.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of dark and dramatic elements, particularly through the character of Victor, while the narrator adds a humorous touch. Although the story may not be compelling, the gameplay maintains engagement through its variety of monsters, preventing it from feeling monotonous.
“Victor himself is quite dark and a bit emotional and dramatic, but the narrator is amusingly tongue-in-cheek.”
“The normal mode isn't heart-wrenchingly difficult, but the variety of different monsters keeps you on your toes.”
“If you're going to make an ARPG with a boring story, at least make the gameplay interesting.”
“The emotional depth of the characters is lacking, making it hard to connect with their struggles.”
“I felt no attachment to the storyline; it was predictable and uninspiring.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly discussed in the reviews, but players express enthusiasm for its gameplay, comparing it favorably to established titles. However, there is a note of caution regarding the current state of multiplayer features, which may affect the overall experience.
“The multiplayer is not yet active, so don't be fooled by the advertisement.”
Critic Reviews
Victor Vran review
A limp story and weak jokes are worth putting up with for Victor Vrans great combat system.
82%Victor Vran Review – Entertaining, But Not Ground Breaking
It's a good romp run through ruins and wreaking havoc with demon powers, but does not provide much more substance than that.
70%Changing the game; Victor Vran review
In the end, Victor Vran is a great action RPG that should be considered. It is not the best out there currently but it is has unique aspects and contains hours of fun.
70%