Vigor

Vigor has the potential to be a decent experience on Switch and there's no doubt it's central gameplay loops of stealthily scavenging for loot whilst avoiding other players and making a successful escape can be tense and absorbing. However, as things currently stand, there are a few too many bugs and technical issues for our liking and we'd recommend players wait for the FTP version to drop later in the year when some of these issues should have been worked out.

50%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

monetization, story

44% User Score Based on 2,497 reviews

Critic Score 61%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $23.58

Buy NowGet on Steam

About

Vigor is a multiplayer survival shooter game. It was developed by Bohemia Interactive and was released on September 18, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

Vigor is a multiplayer shooter set in the post-apocalyptic Outlands of Norway, where players must survive harsh conditions by scavenging resources, upgrading shelters, and engaging in high-stakes encounters. With over 60 weapons and tactical gameplay, it offers both co-op and PvP modes. Despite a boring plot and some bugs, its atmospheric visuals and grinding gameplay provide a unique, intense experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

44%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,497 reviews

gameplay65 positive mentions

monetization34 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of survival, looting, and tactical combat in a post-apocalyptic setting.
The graphics and atmosphere are visually appealing, creating an immersive experience.
The base-building mechanic adds depth to the gameplay, allowing for personal progression.

The game is plagued by cheaters, making it frustrating and unplayable for many players.
Matchmaking can be unbalanced, often pitting new players against experienced ones with superior gear.
The monetization model is aggressive, with many items locked behind paywalls, leading to a pay-to-win perception.

gameplay
220 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The gameplay of Vigor is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating issues, including a significant presence of cheaters and a lack of effective tutorials for unique gameplay elements. While the core loop of looting, extracting, and base-building offers potential for excitement, many players find the experience marred by clunky mechanics, a steep learning curve, and a repetitive nature that can lead to a sense of aimlessness. Overall, while some appreciate the tactical elements and immersive atmosphere, the game's execution suffers from various technical and design flaws that detract from its enjoyment.
- “Vigor has a lot of potential and the gameplay itself is pretty good, but the waiting times are just way too long.”
- “The core gameplay loop revolves around collecting valuable loot, completing objectives, and safely extracting from the map, all while trying to avoid or outsmart other players.”
- “The gameplay is exciting, with tense firefights and the thrill of escaping with your loot.”
- “The gameplay feels pointless: go-shoot-loot-get back to hub, base-upgrade-go out.”
- “In the beginner map, you get matched with nothing but hackers and people who don't hop off the game, and the game doesn't tell you what anything does, so you have to figure it out yourself with trial and error. In an extraction shooter where you could lose everything with one mistake, this shouldn't be where you trial and error.”
- “The gameplay is almost identical to the console version, and it is very obvious that it's a console port; the gameplay and UI are designed for console players.”
graphics
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while some visuals are decent or even stunning, there are significant issues such as blurriness, poor optimization, and limited graphical settings. Some users appreciate the aesthetic appeal and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize the graphics as outdated or reminiscent of earlier console generations. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics can be enjoyable, they often fall short of expectations, particularly in terms of clarity and performance.
- “The graphics are stunning, and the sound design immerses you in the game's atmosphere, making every encounter feel intense and real.”
- “This game is awesome in terms of graphics, the feeling it gives you and the atmosphere you're in.”
- “The graphics are impressive for a free game, and the maps look awesome.”
- “Awful graphics, runs like shit, annoying in-game pop-ups, is an extraction shooter and bad and boring gameplay.”
- “Graphics are probably the worst I have seen.”
- “The graphics in the game seem rather blurry and unsharp.”
monetization
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
33%
62%
The monetization in the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" that increasingly resembles mobile game practices, featuring pervasive microtransactions and a focus on cosmetic purchases that do not enhance gameplay. While some players note that these purchases do not create a pay-to-win environment, the aggressive monetization strategies and high costs for in-game items detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and disappointment among the community. Overall, the monetization model is seen as a major flaw, overshadowing the game's potential and enjoyment.
- “Yes, there are microtransactions like most free-to-play games, but I never feel outgunned or like it's pay-to-win.”
- “As a free-to-play game, Vigor offers in-game purchases mainly for cosmetics and boosts, but they don’t provide a significant competitive advantage.”
- “It has a few problems and there's a lot of microtransactions, but you're really not forced or need to buy into them to enjoy the game.”
- “It's currently in decline and each year the monetization resembles that of a mobile game, more and more.”
- “The game’s unbalanced matchmaking, aggressive monetization, and repetitive content all detract from what could be an immersive experience.”
- “Honestly, not sure if I can recommend this game right now... also way too many microtransactions which makes the whole store so confusing with whatever items that actually are useful.”
story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
69%
23%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that it feels non-existent or shallow, primarily revolving around survival themes without substantial narrative elements. Users express a desire for more meaningful missions and objectives that could enhance the storytelling experience, as well as frustration over the game's focus on monetization rather than developing a compelling narrative. Overall, the consensus is that the game needs significant improvements in its story aspect to elevate the player experience.
- “It’s a story of survival, desperation, and fleeting hope set against the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of post-apocalyptic Norway.”
- “The quest for survival, so eager and bold.”
- “Story is a mystery, a bit shallow.”
- “☑ no story”
- “There is no story that I could find, beyond something about a missile and air drop of supplies.”
- “Story is a mystery, bit shallow.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
33%
39%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame drops, stuttering, and poor graphics quality. While a few users noted satisfactory performance, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, particularly for PC, leading to frustration and a lack of player engagement. Overall, the optimization problems detract from the gameplay experience, overshadowing any positive aspects.
- “Despite some FPS optimization issues that can be frustrating, the experiences I've had with my friend have been truly entertaining.”
- “Optimization is great; my PC hasn't had any problems playing this game.”
- “It's overall a well-made game, with nice graphics, optimized performance, cool cosmetics, guns/equipment, sound, animations, and ambience.”
- “The game itself is badly optimized.”
- “Terrible optimization and clearly just lets cheaters flourish; I can't even equip something in my inventory like a jammer or explosive.”
- “This game is so unoptimized it's so sad.”
stability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experience issues with server performance, glitches affecting matchmaking, and overall poor optimization, leading to a frustrating experience. While some users note that the game runs well on certain systems, the general consensus is that it remains a buggy and unstable title that requires significant improvements.
- “The game runs great on Linux with Ryzen 5800X3D and RX 7900 GRE at 2560x1440 epic settings, locked at 144 FPS.”
- “It runs great on my rig on high settings with zero crashes so far.”
- “The game is very fun and relatively bug-free.”
- “Every single time I launch this game now, and only this game, it freezes and blue screens my PC. (Please note I own hundreds of games and constantly am trying new ones and rotating games.)”
- “It crashes, it glitches to join friends, menu functions freeze, instructional pop-ups won't close.”
- “Game is already dead, shitty and lazy port, game freezes constantly, game will go free to play at some point anyways so don't put $20 down on this.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
21%
75%
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players describing it as tedious, exploitative, and excessively time-consuming, often requiring significant real-life investment to progress. Many reviewers criticize the complicated crafting system and the repetitive nature of looting, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and feels like a ploy to encourage microtransactions. While some players appreciate the grind for base-building, the general consensus is that it becomes frustrating and unfulfilling, leading to a sense of burnout.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The market and later tier hideout upgrades are insanely grindy and exploitative while dangling options to spend real money in exchange for progress.”
- “I'm writing this because I finally got sick of grinding for stupid resources non-stop on the same maps with constant deaths to campers and lucky players, trying to just upgrade the hideout, which is the whole point of playing this game.”
- “An insanely pay-to-win game, expensive microtransactions, and a tedious, unfun, boring, repetitive gameplay loop of looting, looting, looting, and being slow as hell. The battle pass is also grindy and slow, making you invested and addicted to playing it as long as possible and pay up for progression and convenience.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The atmosphere in Vigor is highly praised for its immersive and tense qualities, enhanced by stunning graphics, sound design, and dynamic weather effects. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a "trust no one" environment that keeps them on edge during encounters, while the beautiful, sprawling maps contribute to a unique and engaging experience. Overall, Vigor's atmosphere is described as captivating and reminiscent of classic survival games, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The atmosphere is immersive and the gunfights feel impactful.”
- “Vigor is an incredibly engaging and atmospheric game that keeps you on your toes.”
- “The lighting and weather effects add to the tense atmosphere, making every step feel like you’re truly in a dangerous world.”
- “This 'trust no one' atmosphere keeps you on edge throughout each match.”
- “They got this magical 80-90's atmosphere to it for some extra vibe.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often derived from the absurdity of encountering cheaters and the chaotic situations that arise during gameplay, leading to both frustration and laughter among players. Many users find enjoyment in the game's quirky mechanics and the funny moments shared with friends, despite its flaws and the presence of cheats. Overall, the game offers a mix of comedic experiences, from ridiculous in-game scenarios to the irony of its competitive environment.
- “It's a third-person budget EFT game; you loot, shoot, and run, with or without friends. It really is a funny game, and you get hooked quite easily. It's fun to compete with your friends in who upgrades the shelter the fastest, and even when you're done with the game, you can give yourself new challenges all the time.”
- “I loved this game on Xbox; I played it and grinded it for hours and had so many funny moments with my friends. Now it's on PC, and I still enjoy it, still having funny moments with my friends.”
- “Even a pair of cosmetic goggles you have to get the 16-pound pack for; it's hilarious.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game is noted for its stark realism, with some players appreciating the absence of background music during gameplay, which enhances immersion. However, others express disappointment over the lack of new soundtracks and upgrades in the PC version, feeling that the game's audio experience has not evolved significantly since its beta release. Additionally, the original soundtrack by ambient musician Keosz is praised, but concerns about pricing and content updates overshadow the positive feedback.
- “I played this game for years and even listened to its cool music.”
- “Not for me, but beautiful OST by one of my favorite ambient musicians, Keosz.”
- “The absence of music during gameplay adds to the stark realism and keeps you focused on your surroundings.”
- “And they plan to charge 'under 30€' for it which will totally be 29,99€ lmao + they are also giving out the first (13,99€) 'DLC' for free to everyone, which is also ripped from (you guessed it) Arma 3 and we who bought it at full price will get a soundtrack as a compensation, what a joke.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players appreciate the game's high replayability due to its fast-paced incursions and diverse customization options, including various weapons and tactical strategies. However, some express concerns about the monetization model, suggesting that the cost of transactions may detract from the overall experience.
- “Free to play, small time during incursions enables fast game replayability.”
- “With a variety of weapons, gear, and tactical strategies available, the game offers plenty of customization and replayability.”
- “Love this game, been playing it since first early access - it really is a good game and one of the most replayable looters.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke excitement and a sense of autonomy that is rare in other titles. While the gameplay mechanics contribute to this emotional engagement, concerns about the PC version being plagued by hackers detract from the overall experience.
- “I played this game long before it came to PC on console, hands down one of my favorite games. This game gave feelings of excitement that other games didn't provide, and I never had a complaint about it. I thought what made it great was how it felt, both mechanically and emotionally while playing it.”
- “I love this game as a concept, and I loved it on the PS4. It evokes strong emotions and a sense of connection that is hard to find in other games.”
- “I have not played another game that itches my sense of autonomy and free play while still touching on the competitive aspects.”