Victor Vran ARPG
- July 24, 2015
- Haemimont Games
- 15h median play time
Victor Vran ARPG is an isometric action RPG with intense combat and dynamic action. Customize your character with a vast array of weapons, outfits, demon powers, and destiny cards. Play solo or team up with friends in online or local co-op to explore and slay hordes of monsters.
Reviews
- Engaging combat system that emphasizes skill and timing, making it feel more dynamic than traditional ARPGs.
- Unique character customization through weapons, demon powers, and destiny cards, allowing for varied playstyles.
- Humorous narration and pop culture references add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- Limited enemy variety and repetitive gameplay can lead to boredom over time.
- The story is generic and lacks depth, making it less engaging for players seeking a rich narrative.
- Enemies scale with the player's level, which can create a frustrating experience as it feels like progression doesn't lead to increased power.
- 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 actor known for Geralt in "The Witcher," many find the narrative lacking depth and engagement, often describing it as predictable and unremarkable. Overall, the game is recommended for its action and mechanics, but those seeking a rich story may be disappointed.
“It's absolutely worth playing through till the end, where the story and the mystery unfolds.”
“The main story is 10 to 15 hours if you ignore everything else; it's decent, and if you like the Witcher, Geralt's voice actor, then you will like Victor Vran. There is comedy, darkness, and overall a good amount of wit.”
“The story is good, sounds are good, visuals are good, combat is good, challenges are challenging.”
“The story is there to satisfy the bare minimum of what it might be called a story, to give an excuse to the player to hack and slash.”
“The story is lacking, but the gameplay more than makes up for this.”
“The story feels pointless.”
- gameplay390 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Victor Vran is characterized by its fluid mechanics, engaging combat, and unique features such as jumping and dodging, which set it apart from traditional ARPGs. While the initial hours are enjoyable and addictive, many players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time, with some mechanics feeling shallow. Overall, it offers a fun experience with a focus on player skill and customization, though it may not sustain long-term engagement like other titles in the genre.
“The gameplay is fluid and smooth, it has Diablo 3 vibes and the fantasy world feels immersive.”
“Very enjoyable game, good gameplay, lots of weapons and builds you can choose from.”
“Gameplay-wise, this game tries new things with jumping, fun challenges, destiny cards, and a rather fun loot alchemy system.”
“At first glance, it is not a bad ARPG; the action combat seems very well done and for the first few hours it can draw you in, but after those initial hours, the gameplay starts to show some serious cracks.”
“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 gameplay is absolutely boring and uninspired and didn't draw me in to continue playing it.”
- graphics193 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the art style, visual effects, and overall aesthetic appeal. While some reviews noted that the graphics may not be groundbreaking or highly detailed, they are described as smooth, colorful, and fitting for the game's atmosphere, contributing to an enjoyable gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, enhancing its appeal despite some critiques regarding their originality and depth.
“Visuals: the game is fantastic and the enemy art and design are easy on the eyes.”
“The graphics and visuals are smooth, with very artistic scenes and environments that help bring the game together with an atmospherically dark soundtrack.”
“Victor Vran is a single-class ARPG that has gorgeous graphics and the interesting mechanic of being able to jump and jump off walls to ascend or descend as well as attack.”
“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.”
- humor87 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty voice acting and pop-culture references that add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. While some find the humor to be genuinely funny and engaging, others criticize it as hit-or-miss, with certain jokes feeling forced or cringeworthy. Overall, the game's comedic elements, particularly the narrator's quips, contribute positively to the experience, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a blend of action and humor.
“The game is full of pop-culture references and tongue-in-cheek humor.”
“The voice acting is top notch, especially the narrator with his witty humor and jokes.”
“It's not often that I find myself actually laughing out loud while playing a game, but with this gem, I spend most of my time doing just that.”
“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.”
- grinding69 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players describing it as tedious, frustrating, and unbalanced. Many reviewers noted that the grind becomes excessively repetitive and unfulfilling, particularly in the endgame, where the lack of meaningful rewards and variety in loot leads to a sense of boredom. While some players appreciate the challenge and depth of grinding, the overall sentiment suggests that it detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
“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 a sense of accomplishment and growth.”
“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.”
“Grinding isn't fun when your character gets weaker the further you progress.”
“Eventually grinding was a chore and trying to figure out where to go next was confusing.”
- music64 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and thematic qualities, while others find it generic or reminiscent of other titles like Diablo. Some players appreciate the incorporation of heavy metal elements and the soundtrack's ability to enhance the storytelling, though a few note that it can become repetitive. Overall, the music is generally considered good, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience.
“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.”
“The soundtrack feels like a cheap Diablo rip-off; Torchlight tried to sound like Diablo too, but, unlike this game, it was a real deal, thanks to how music there was created by Matt Uelmen himself.”
“Blah music that you barely notice.”
- replayability53 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mixed bag of replayability. While many players appreciate the inclusion of challenges, map replayability, and additional content that can extend playtime, some feel that the limited skills and lack of endgame content diminish its long-term appeal. Casual players may find enjoyment in the challenges, but others note that the game may not provide enough variety or depth for sustained replay.
“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 well-crafted environments. While some players note a sense of repetitiveness in gameplay, the overall ambiance, including effective voiceovers and detailed graphics, enhances the experience, making it feel rich and engaging. Despite some criticisms regarding the story and tone, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates players.
“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 is quirky and tries to take handsome Jack's constant berating and taunting and make it its own in its main antagonist.”
“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 as 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 and good graphics even on lower-end systems, 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. Despite these concerns, the game is generally considered well-optimized for controller use and offers a solid gameplay 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 in 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.”
“Nice looking game, and nice customization; the game runs smoothly.”
“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 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 significant 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 major bugs. Overall, while some glitches are present, the game runs well for a majority of players, especially on more stable platforms.
“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 static level bonuses. While there are unique systems like the card configuration and weapon choices that allow for some customization, the overall consensus is that character development feels limited and underwhelming, failing to deliver on promises of complexity and variety.
“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.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % 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. However, some players feel that the gameplay challenges detract from the overall emotional engagement, especially when the story fails to captivate.
“Victor himself is quite dark and a bit emotional and dramatic, but the narrator is tongue-in-cheek amusing.”
“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 there is an implication that the game has achieved success without relying on traditional advertising methods, suggesting a potentially favorable or self-sustaining monetization model. However, the mention of inactive multiplayer features raises concerns about the game's current state and its ability to maintain player engagement.
“The multiplayer is not yet active, so don't be fooled by the advertisement.”