Vampyr

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of Vampyr are varied, but overall, there is a positive sentiment towards the narrative. Many critics praise the game for its engaging and intriguing story, with some mentioning that the story is shaped by the player's actions and decisions rather than just dialogue choices. Critics like Trusted Reviews, God is a Geek, and Nintendo Enthusiast highlight the great story and narrative premise of Vampyr. They appreciate the game's focus on moral dilemmas, ethical issues, and the exploration of the conflict between the protagonist's desire to save lives and his bloodlust as a vampire. The Washington Post also mentions that the story finds its footing after the initial introduction and commends the presence of interesting characters and conversational branches. However, there are a few critics who have a more negative view of the story. Gaming Age states that the story is not particularly memorable, while Slant Magazine criticizes the underwritten characters and hammy melodrama that bury the story. Destructoid goes as far as calling the overall narrative threadbare at best. GameWatcher also mentions that the player doesn't have enough control over the story's direction, which can be seen as a drawback for some players. Despite these negative opinions, the overall consensus among the critics is that Vampyr offers an intriguing and compelling narrative experience. The game successfully creates a moral dilemma for players and allows them to shape and mold the world through their decisions, with consequences for their actions. Critics like Metro GameCentral, Gameplanet, and GameCritics appreciate the game's inspired use of vampire clichés, its refreshing take on vampire mythology, and the consequential nature of the story. The presence of well-developed characters, the exploration of inner conflicts, and the exploration of a Gothic horror take on 1918 London during the Spanish flu epidemic are also highlighted by critics like Game Rant and PCGamesN. Overall, Vampyr's story is praised for its engaging nature, the moral choices it presents, and its ability to immerse players in a dark and atmospheric world.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of Vampyr are quite varied. Some critics, such as Gamers Heroes and Guardian, praise the combat system, stating that it is exciting and enjoyable. They appreciate the various abilities and methods of taking down opponents, as well as the expanding arsenal of weapons and satisfying progression. These positive reviews highlight the potential for engaging combat experiences in the game. However, a significant number of critics express negative opinions about the gameplay. Trusted Reviews, Gaming Age, Push Square, PC Gamer, and Slant Magazine all criticize the combat, describing it as dull, repetitive, weightless, and unsatisfying. They mention issues such as a lack of excitement, unappealing mechanics, and clunky controls. These negative reviews suggest that the combat fails to deliver an engaging and enjoyable experience for players. Other critics, such as Metro GameCentral, Washington Post, and GameWatcher, mention a mix of positive and negative aspects of the gameplay. They acknowledge competent combat mechanics and graphics but highlight issues with balance, performance, and the need to focus too much on combat. These mixed reviews suggest that while there are some enjoyable elements in the gameplay, there are also significant drawbacks that hinder the overall experience. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the gameplay of Vampyr has its strengths and weaknesses. While some critics appreciate the combat system and its various abilities and weapons, others find it repetitive, unexciting, and lacking in impact. The gameplay's focus on combat is seen as both a positive and negative aspect, with some critics enjoying the intensity of the battles and others feeling that it detracts from other aspects of the game. Ultimately, the opinions of the critics highlight the divisive nature of the gameplay in Vampyr, with some finding it engaging and others finding it lacking.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Vampyr are quite varied. Some critics, such as Trusted Reviews and PC Gamer, appreciate the atmospheric setting and the dark, oppressive feel of the streets. They highlight the looming buildings, moody street lights, and Gothic flavor that effectively sell the mood and atmosphere of a flu-stricken 1918 London (Press Start Australia). The game's graphical elegance, solid character animations, and attention to detail are also praised by COGconnected. These positive aspects contribute to creating a visually appealing and immersive experience for players. However, there are several criticisms regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Vampyr. Critics like Gaming Age, God is a Geek, and NintendoWorldReport express disappointment with the graphics. They mention that the visuals are not impressive, with occasional texture pop-in, ropey appearance on a TV, and technical struggles that can break immersion. The lack of expression and emotion on the faces of characters, as well as disjointed dialogue, are also mentioned by Gamers Heroes as hindrances to immersion. Additionally, the character and facial design are considered lacking by DarkStation, and the character models lack detail according to GameWatcher. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Vampyr's Graphics and Visual Design have both positive and negative aspects. While the game effectively sells the mood and atmosphere of a flu-stricken 1918 London (Press Start Australia) and creates a heavy gothic atmosphere (Nintendo Enthusiast), there are noticeable downgrades in the visuals, especially in the Switch port (Nintendo Life). The character models are often criticized for lacking detail (DarkStation, GameWatcher), and there are occasional texture pop-in issues (Trusted Reviews). However, despite these shortcomings, the game's atmospheric setting, attention to textures and details of costumes and environments (PCGamesN), and the graphical improvement over Life is Strange (DualShockers) are acknowledged. Ultimately, Vampyr's Graphics and Visual Design may not be groundbreaking or flawless, but they contribute to the overall engrossing atmosphere and experience of the game.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Sound Design and Music of Vampyr are generally positive. Trusted Reviews describes the soundtrack as excellent, while Press Start Australia mentions that it is moving and contributes to the game's potent atmosphere. DarkStation praises the voice acting, stating that it brings life to a large number of NPCs. ZTGD also commends the voice acting, describing it as stellar. The critics also highlight the mood and atmosphere created by the music and sound design. CGMagazine states that the score is fantastic and sets the mood for a vampire game set in 1918. DualShockers mentions that the score fits with the atmosphere and setting perfectly, while Nintendo Enthusiast notes that the industrial score adds to the overall atmosphere. These positive opinions indicate that the Sound Design and Music of Vampyr are generally well-received by the critics. However, there are some negative aspects mentioned by the critics. DarkStation points out that the script and voice work occasionally struggle with finding the right tone. PCGamesN criticizes some characters' accents for being stereotypical. Xbox Achievements mentions that while the voice acting is mostly great, there are some audio issues. These criticisms suggest that there are some areas where the Sound Design and Music of Vampyr could be improved. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the Sound Design and Music of Vampyr are strong aspects of the game. The positive comments from critics such as Trusted Reviews, Press Start Australia, and CGMagazine highlight the effectiveness of the soundtrack in creating a potent atmosphere and setting the mood for a vampire game. The praise for the voice acting from critics like DarkStation and ZTGD further emphasizes the quality of the audio in bringing the game's characters to life. While there are some negative aspects mentioned, such as the occasional struggle with tone and audio issues, the overall sentiment is positive. The Sound Design and Music of Vampyr contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience and are well-received by the critics.

The voice acting in Vampyr has received generally positive reviews from the critics. Trusted Reviews describes it as "decent," while NintendoWorldReport praises it as a "well-acted web of relationships." DarkStation goes even further, stating that the voice acting is "nearly always outstanding" and brings the non-playable characters (NPCs) to life with distinctive performances. PC Gamer also highlights the personalities and dreams portrayed by the NPCs through the voice acting. Nintendo Enthusiast adds that the well-performed voice acting, especially from the title character, enhances the storytelling in the game. Shacknews mentions that the voice-acting is fantastic, particularly for the NPCs, and that the protagonist's voice commands have a chilling effect. ZTGD goes as far as to say that the voice work in Vampyr is some of the best the team has produced. PCGamesN also commends the voice acting, noting some terrific performances from key characters. CGMagazine acknowledges that while the quality varies from character to character, several are acted quite well. However, there are some criticisms regarding the voice acting in Vampyr. Slant Magazine mentions that the overwrought voice acting and dialogue give the streets of London a charm, but the characters themselves are underwritten. Guardian criticizes the delivery of the emotional heft of the characters' personal stories, with writing that is either ponderously bleak or akin to a rejected Hammer horror script. Xbox Achievements also notes that while the voice acting is mostly great, there are some audio issues present. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Vampyr is generally strong and enhances the storytelling experience. The performances of the NPCs are particularly praised for bringing the characters to life and adding depth to their personalities. However, there are some criticisms regarding the underwritten nature of certain characters and the delivery of emotional moments. Despite these concerns, the positive aspects of the voice acting outweigh the negatives, making it a notable aspect of the game's overall experience.

In terms of the technical performance on different gaming platforms, there are both positive and negative aspects mentioned by the critics. Starting with the positives, some critics noted that the Nintendo Switch version of Vampyr runs surprisingly well, with Nintendo Enthusiast mentioning that it runs smoothly with the only setback being long loading screens and a lower resolution. Hobby Consolas also stated that while the Switch version experiences frame rate drops in certain situations, it is still playable and enjoyable overall. Xbox Achievements praised the game for being mostly well-polished with only occasional glitches and lengthy loading times. COGconnected mentioned that on PC, the game offers a silky 60 frames per second and only minor performance hiccups and occasional audio bugs. Moving on to the negatives, several critics mentioned technical issues across different platforms. Trusted Reviews, Metro GameCentral, Gamers Heroes, GameSpew, Nintendo Life, Destructoid, DualShockers, and Game Rant all mentioned frame rate issues, frequent frame rate drops, and long loading times on various platforms. Game Informer highlighted basic technical problems such as long loads, odd collision, stilted animation, and the game crashing at critical moments on multiple platforms. ZTGD mentioned performance issues and feeling under-optimized, even on Xbox One X. Shacknews pointed out bugs in the game that forced a restart multiple times, suggesting that the development team needs to address these post-launch. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Vampyr's technical performance has its ups and downs. While there are positive comments about certain platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and PC, the game seems to suffer from frame rate issues, long loading times, and other technical problems across multiple platforms. Game Rant's detailed critique highlights the poor technical performance, mentioning freezing, stuttering, slow texture loading, glitches, and frustratingly long load times. These technical issues mentioned by various critics can detract from the overall experience of the game, taking players out of the immersive world that Vampyr aims to create.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of Vampyr are generally positive. Many critics highlight the game's ability to offer different playthroughs and multiple endings based on the player's choices and actions. Trusted Reviews mentions that there is room for very different playthroughs, while NintendoWorldReport and Nintendo Life both emphasize the presence of multiple endings based on choices. This aspect of the game is also praised by CGMagazine, which states that the game offers four different endings depending on the player's choices in dialogue trees and actions. The ability to reshape the characterization of the protagonist and experience different endings is also commended by Nintendo Enthusiast. Game Rant emphasizes that player choice truly matters in Vampyr, shaping both the protagonist's personality and the world around him. The opportunity to completely respec the character each time they rest in a bed, as mentioned by GameCritics, also adds to the replay value. However, there are some negatives mentioned by critics regarding the replay value of Vampyr. Press Start Australia points out that while the game offers replay value with different choices and consequences, the lack of telegraphing the consequences of choices can be a downside. ZTGD mentions that while the game offers replay value through its decision-making system and the ability to shape and mold the world, the hindrances in the game may turn off some players. Additionally, Xbox Achievements notes that while the game offers a good amount of gameplay, it requires two playthroughs for completion, which may be seen as a negative aspect by some players. Overall, the critics agree that Vampyr offers significant replay value. The ability to make different choices and experience different outcomes, as well as the presence of multiple endings, is praised by multiple critics. The game's emphasis on player choice and the impact it has on both the protagonist's personality and the game world is also seen as a positive aspect. However, there are some concerns raised regarding the lack of telegraphing consequences and potential hindrances in the game. Despite these minor drawbacks, the overall consensus is that Vampyr provides ample replay value, making it an engaging and immersive experience for players who enjoy multiple playthroughs and decision-making.