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.
The unique approach to skills and progression, based on items rather than ability trees, grants a high degree of build flexibility while keeping gameplay fresh.
Excellent enemy variety: champions with many modifiers and plenty of named bosses in each map, all with unique skills and movesets.
High challenge on the Hard difficulty. It balances well between character build and individual player skill.
Melee-focused builds become borderline unviable in later game phases due to the obscene amount of one-shots, chain-stuns and hostile AoE.
Certain enemy skills can outright stunlock and instant-kill you without any chance to avoid them or react. It feels cheap and unfair.
The storyline and characters feel generic, uninspired and shallow, even for an ARPG.
story
801 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
64%
9%
The story in "Victor Vran" is generally perceived as generic and uninspired, often described as a cliché dark fantasy narrative that fails to engage players deeply. While some appreciate the humor and voice acting, particularly from the narrator, many find the plot shallow and forgettable, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the game is more focused on action and challenges than on delivering a rich story experience.
“The story is good enough and not meant to be taken seriously.”
“The story and voice acting are both enjoyable.”
“The story is intriguing.”
“The storyline and characters feel generic, uninspired, and shallow, even for an ARPG.”
“The unique gameplay design and solid variety carry it most of the way, despite a clichéd story and an uninspired setting.”
“The story is boring as hell.”
gameplay
737 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay of "Victor Vran" is characterized by its unique mechanics, such as a flexible skill system based on weapon types rather than traditional ability trees, allowing for diverse builds and playstyles. Players appreciate the fluid combat, engaging challenges, and the incorporation of jumping and dodging mechanics, which add depth to the action. However, some reviews note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, lacking the depth and complexity found in other ARPGs like "Diablo" or "Path of Exile." Overall, while the game offers a fun and innovative experience, it may not sustain long-term engagement for all players.
“The unique approach to skills and progression, based on items rather than ability trees, grants a high degree of build flexibility while keeping gameplay fresh.”
“This system removes the need to stick to a fixed build and allows completely reworking your gameplay in a few moves: just swap everything and try something new if you get tired of playing the same stuff.”
“The gameplay is fluid and smooth, it has Diablo 3 vibes and the fantasy world feels immersive.”
“The gameplay feels unpolished and lacks depth, with only three abilities per weapon and limited build variety.”
“After those initial hours, the gameplay starts to show some serious cracks.”
“The gameplay quickly gets tedious and repetitive with no variation.”
graphics
344 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
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 noted that the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they are considered solid for an indie ARPG, with a dark gothic theme that enhances the gameplay experience. However, a few reviews mentioned issues with performance and camera angles, suggesting that while the visuals are enjoyable, they may not be flawless.
“The graphics and visuals are smooth, very artistic scenes and environments help bring the game together with an atmospherically dark soundtrack.”
“Victor Vran 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 are good with a nice art style to it, especially the character art, which adds to the immersion and connection you'd have to the world.”
“The one thing that bothered me the most is the difference from the game pictures on the Steam store page and the actual graphics in-game.”
“Graphics are laggy and very few graphics options to set (none of them would let me set anything higher than 'medium').”
“I gave this game the cold shoulder due to the silly title and late PlayStation 2-level graphics.”
humor
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of witty narration, pop culture references, and dark comedy that some players find hilarious while others deem it cringe-worthy or overused. The sarcastic voice accompanying the protagonist adds a unique charm, often eliciting genuine laughter, though its reliance on dated memes can detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the humor may not resonate with everyone, it contributes significantly to the game's lighthearted tone and enjoyment.
“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.”
“The narrator is particularly funny as he quips when you reach certain areas.”
“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 (Victor Vran is voiced by the same voice actor who voiced Geralt of Rivia) 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.”
music
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and fitting qualities that enhance the overall experience, particularly in creating a dark and gothic ambiance. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive and lacks standout tracks, while others found it to be a solid but not exceptional component of the game. Overall, the music is generally regarded as good, contributing positively to the gameplay, though opinions on its memorability vary.
“The game's gothic aesthetic and music also add to the overall experience, creating a dark and moody atmosphere that perfectly complements the action.”
“The music is moody and subdued, matching the setting perfectly and complementing the action with aplomb.”
“The soundtrack is amazing and it looks very good despite its system requirements.”
“The music is a little generic, but at times resembles Matt Uelmen's masterpieces.”
“The soundtrack feels like a cheap Diablo rip-off, while humor... see, Van Helsing was fun.”
“The music was pretty ambient, nothing terribly memorable apart from the town theme, and it wasn't anything I was muting either.”
grinding
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
99%
The reviews highlight a mixed sentiment towards grinding in the game, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially in the late game where it can feel forced and unfulfilling. While some appreciate the ability to progress without extensive grinding, others criticize the lack of meaningful loot and the overwhelming amount of time required to achieve desired builds or complete challenges. Overall, grinding is seen as a significant aspect of the gameplay, often detracting from the overall enjoyment and leading to frustration.
“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 progress feel satisfying.”
“The grind is enjoyable and adds depth to the gameplay, keeping me motivated to level up.”
“Grinding isn't fun when your character gets weaker the further you progress.”
“The gameplay quickly gets tedious and repetitive with no variation.”
“Game is all about grinding and it gets repetitive real fast.”
replayability
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting a lack of depth and limited choices that reduce long-term engagement. However, many appreciate the inclusion of challenges, collectibles, and the ability to replay levels, which can enhance the experience for those who enjoy completing objectives. While it may not reach the replayability of top-tier titles in the genre, it offers enough content to keep casual players entertained for a significant amount of time.
“This classic has great weapon diversity, brings interesting ideas to the table, has great replayability, and features a good setting.”
“The combat is rewarding and fun, the content is replayable, the voice acting is clever and sharp, and the different weapon playstyles are creative and unique.”
“The challenges for each level, while optional, provide another level of depth to the game that rewards challenging your style of gameplay and increases the replayability of areas.”
“Given that there are no choices and you can freely swap any build, the replay value is minimal.”
“Unfortunately, the replay value of the game is too limited, also in part due to a lack of ability to experiment with skills and equipment to great extents.”
“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.”
atmosphere
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its gothic aesthetic, immersive sound design, and beautifully crafted environments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the dark, moody vibes reminiscent of classic horror themes, complemented by effective voice acting and music that enrich the narrative. However, some reviews note that while the atmosphere is compelling, the gameplay can become repetitive, detracting from the initial allure.
“The game's gothic aesthetic and music also add to the overall experience, creating a dark and moody atmosphere that perfectly complements the action.”
“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 very Van Helsing-ish, the main characters are all very well designed and the voice acting is amazing.”
“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.”
“The game isn't scary, yet the tunes suit the atmosphere very well.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end systems and good graphics quality. However, some users noted issues such as random crashes, networking problems, and performance drops at higher settings, indicating that while the game is well-optimized for most setups, there are still areas that could benefit from further refinement.
“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.”
“The game is perfectly optimized for a controller, as it isn't cluttered with nine abilities on an action bar, which provides options and niche abilities.”
“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; didn't run as smooth as it should on a high-end rig with 2560x1600 resolution.”
stability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
7%
74%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting significant glitches, particularly on Mac systems, including issues with inventory visibility and movement mechanics. While many users on Windows and Linux experience smooth gameplay without crashes, others encounter frustrating bugs, such as freezing during critical moments and inconsistent jumping mechanics. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization to address these stability concerns.
“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.”
“I have a MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) and I can play a lot of other games like Civ6, 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.”
“For some reason, my laptop with a 2.3 GHz processor, 8 GB RAM, and 1 GB VRAM absolutely can't handle some parts of the game with everything turned to minimum, including the apocalypse boss fight - FPS drops under 20, animations stop working, and movement freezes only to teleport to the side, making the game annoying or even impossible to complete because of the problematic optimization.”
“It's absolutely unplayable; it freezes so often that I can't even write a review.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with many users noting a lack of traditional progression systems like skill trees or individual character growth, relying instead on equipment and a card system for customization. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and strategic elements of character development, others find it limited and repetitive, leading to a less engaging experience overall. The aesthetic and voice acting are praised, but the overall narrative and depth of character development leave much to be desired.
“The card system for character development is unique, and you can create a number of different builds through the configuration of cards.”
“Interesting and well thought character development - instead of choosing skills and investing points in stats, you equip new weapons, spells and destiny cards that provide special bonuses and modifiers.”
“I love the character development, the cards and demon powers especially.”
“There is almost no character development inherent in the stats themselves.”
“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.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
Players express a mix of emotional experiences with the game, highlighting both the deep attachment to their characters and the heartbreak of losing progress due to technical issues. While the gameplay is praised for its atmosphere and mechanics, the story is often criticized for lacking emotional depth, leaving some players feeling disconnected despite moments of dark drama. Overall, the emotional impact varies, with some finding it profoundly moving while others feel let down by the narrative.
“Honestly, one of the best games I have ever played, but it also broke me emotionally. I worked so hard for my character, and I never bothered to make a backup. Suddenly, due to a weird malfunction, my character file got corrupted. It is really sad because I believe it happened after my whole laptop just stopped working, and I had to shut it down with the power button. When I tried to get back in, it just said that the file is corrupted or locked.”
“Victor himself is quite dark and a wee bit emotional and dramatic, but the narrator is tongue-in-cheek amusing.”
“If you're going to make an ARPG with a boring story, at least make the gameplay interesting...”
“Tl;dr: cool atmospheric hack 'n' slash looter with refreshing mechanics and satisfying combat, but a pretty boring story.”
“- Boring story that never pulled me in once.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game appears to be tied to its gameplay mechanics, where players can utilize abilities more frequently during intense combat situations, suggesting a potential for in-game purchases or upgrades to enhance these experiences. However, the multiplayer component is not yet active, which may affect the game's overall appeal and monetization strategy.
“The multiplayer is not yet active, so don't be fooled by the advertisement.”