Review - V Rising

Developer: Stunlock Studios

Publisher: Stunlock Studios, Tencent Games

Available On: PlayStation 5 & PC

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5

I’ve mentioned several times in the past that I grew up watching my dad play games. In fact, that’s the origin story for my love of RPGs. It wasn’t only the weebiest crap out there, though. I can vividly recall sitting in the living room, watching a title known as Legacy of Kain. It was dark, gritty, and seeing the Vampiric Protagonist sucking his poor victims dry legitimately gave me nightmares. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that I was freaking out for weeks. Every creak I heard had me imagining the worst. I was convinced that I was being hunted and so, I did the only sensible thing a child could do in that situation - I hid under my blankets. The past few days, I’ve been deep in the trenches of my childhood trauma and after emerging, I’m prepared to deliver opinions.

V Rising is the quintessential example of perception not being reality. When I saw trailers, my mind slung over to Diablo. The isometric view had me convinced, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. See, what we’ve got here is a survival jaunt. As a nerd for story, I’m wary, but the initial PC release did get favourably marks. If that translates to console is a coin flip and I plan on finding out.

WAIT, WHAT’S HAPPENING?!

The lore of V Rising is pretty minimal. I mean, there’s a brief snippet at the beginning but that’s it. It’s not ideal for those that desire some beef in their worlds. However, it’s perfect for the narrative vegetarians. Those calorie counters that like to trim the fat from their plot lines will feel right at home - interruptions are essentially nonexistent. I suppose in that sense, it makes the flow of gameplay seamless. Even tutorials are tiny flashes at the bottom of the screen, notifying players what buttons do what. The thing is, the actual mechanics get zero explanation. It plummets from a cliff, failing to convey what I should be doing - I had to resort to teaching myself. Thankfully, it won’t take very long to grasp but that slight window of struggle is troublesome.

Needless to say, it quickly dawned on me that the focus of V Rising isn’t to appease us literary nerds. Unfortunately, it’s precisely because of that lack of story that I didn’t feel motivated during my session. Normally, I enjoy watching the twists and turns that lead to the climax. Whether it’s a well-told mystery or pure silliness, it doesn’t really matter. So long as I’ve got something tangible to sink my teeth into, I can keep going. There’s an allure to seeing the events of a game unravel. I want to see the reveals that lead to the finale. Allow me to watch the cook prepare their meal. Granted, it’s a subjective complaint and many won’t share it. Most prefer the diet-conscious writing, but I didn’t.

OH NO, IT BURNS!

I’ll forever tout the importance of realism, especially for immersion. I want to be invested in the universe, and luckily, V Rising nails it with its features. If you’re familiar with Vampires, you know that sunlight is the bane of their existence. If I’m not paying attention to the UV, death is a guarantee. I’m battered, suffering a ton of damage as rays sear through my undead flesh. At first, it’s rather frustrating because I fell victim to it constantly. Then I slowly began realizing that hey, the shade that the trees or the stone structures cast can actually shield against it. To maneuver unscathed, I’ll use the dark patches. As the day progresses, the sun starts revolving and the shadows shift, introducing a semblance of strategy. I had to adapt my movements which was engaging.

While that’s great, it did give me headaches. The big reason being that pausing never worked. If I’m lying in bed, wiggling left and right because I need to pee, I’m in trouble. Even if I do press the start button, the action isn’t stopping. If you were to pair that with an ever-changing environment, it’s impossible to avoid my character just combusting. It’s annoying because I felt like I was being punished for refusing to wet my pants. If my niece had hurt herself, I could only yell to ask if she’s fine as I’m fending off a gaggle of archers.

I understand that it works like this due to the online component but it’s still awful. If I do fall victim to the arrow, then my inventory empties, dropping as a bag. Thankfully, if I fail to collect it, it won’t just vanish into thin air.

DRINK IT IN, MAN!

I’ve said it already and I’m damn well going to scream it once more, the gameplay is impeccable. You see, a second facet that stole my heart is when I’m drinking blood. Each foe I crossed, be it an animal, human, or monster, can be extracted for every ounce. What has me smitten is that depending on who it is, it unlocks a short list of four or so perks. For instance, a Brute, or in other words, a brick shit house of a man, gives my Vampire increased physical prowess. It will also enhance a variety of their stats and that’s where the addictiveness settled into my psyche. It was a blast trying to discover the many variations. It encouraged me to roam the map to find the optimal match to my specific play style. I’m coerced into experimenting for that perfect uptick.

As another wrinkle, I can’t just find any wolf or rogue and expect the grade of their blood to be identical. I might get one that’s less than pristine, meaning that I won’t be given the same passives as I’d get if it were a higher quality. In layman’s terms, it’s the difference between gaining a 5% boost to my movement speed and it being 10%. It adds an additional layer to going forth and mercilessly slaughtering, feeding on all the poor souls I find. Speaking of agility, by default, it’s a crawl. For the initial few hours, walking is tedious and with plenty of titles in this genre with a faster jog, it’s a glaring omission. I do have a dodge to help propel me but the asinine cooldown limits it, making it kind of redundant. It led to mistiming evasions and being struck.

I NEED SOME OF THAT!

Survival romps such as V Rising generally dabble in hack-and-slash combat, as well as crafting. Actually, that latter aspect is sort of crucial. We’re going to be constructing weaponry, armour, shelter, and a lot of other goodies. This entire map is our oyster in that we can frolic about, chopping down trees for wood, smashing rocks for stone, and cutting grass. What’s impressive is the buildings that I can make are pretty involved. We’re talking a gigantic castle that can be an absolute beaut. It can be multi-layered and grand, with torches lining the countless corridors. It revved my creative juices up and had my imagination going wild. Yes, it’s certainly a huge commitment and can be a time sink but it’s difficult to deny just how damn satisfied I felt.

Now, Blueprint location is the question demanding an answer, and I have one. As a Vampire, I’ve got the talent to smell any potential prey. These typically take the role of mini-bosses. They’re scattered at every corner and they can be tracked by selecting their name from a menu. I can also see what items I can obtain if I were to defeat them. Oh, but it isn’t only recipes that I’ll be scavenging because fresh forms are also there. You heard it right; I’m talking shape-shifting into a plethora of animals. I can turn into a rat, for instance, allowing me to squeeze into tight, enclosed spaces. It’s the curiosity behind this mechanic that gave birth to loads of butterflies in my tummy. Granted, it’s not going to innovate much, but the simplicity of it was more than enough to entice me.

Crafting has a second, arguably way more important, role in V Rising. See, my character can level and yes, that means I’m grinding but not in a traditional way. If you look over at the top right of equipment cards, a number is shown. If I have a crossbow that’s level two but a cape that’s three, by wielding both together, I’ll get my total, well, level. It’s further incentive to be on the ball when it concerns gathering the materials to craft. I’ll have to, too, because due to how open this world is, I could nonchalantly stumble into a bandit camp where difficult enemies are poised to slaughter me like a stuffed mule. It becomes a balancing act of being careful, knowing when I should retreat for my safety. Look, if it wasn’t clear by now, I really jive with the gameplay.

LOOKING GOOD, VAMPY!

Aesthetically, V Rising is excellent. It doesn’t hit that pure realistic look, however, blending in a cartoonish visual style. I specifically love how friggin detailed the furniture and the workshops I can build are. This statement might sound odd but it reminded me of those miniature playhouse toys you’d use with dolls. It’s obvious to see that the artists took their time to ensure we saw the metallic shine and wood grain of the objects. Apart from those, I’m a sucker for when there’s actual change in my avatar’s outfit when I try on new clothing. It’s a small flourish but I feel that it helps bring who I control to life. It adds to them being more than a coded husk, and it’s here and accounted for. It’s why it’s a shame that the narrative is as weak as it is.

HUH, IT’S EERILY QUIET!

Ambiance is the keyword if we’re referring to sound design. The caws of crows flying into the sky at the dead of night or the rustling of leaves in the wind is very authentic. Every effect is expertly positioned to giving V Rising breath. That doesn’t mean the music is absent because I definitely heard notes. It plays a role in this title but it doesn’t overpower. Instead, it complimented the animal noises wonderfully. It’s a slam dunk in terms of the serene energy it brings to the table, too. The instruments are tranquil, almost like they are whispering sweetness into my ears for that orgasmic explosion. The brief voice clips are adequate, as well. No, it isn’t the best OST to exist, but it fits V Rising.

AND THE BLOODY VERDICT IS…

V Rising had me clamouring for the gameplay and mechanics. There was something riveting about the basic ideology of whacking creatures with swords or maces while looting bandit camps of their treasures. I do feel the fast travel system isn’t ideal as I can’t use it with certain items in my possession which sadly, is the majority. It seems counter to what those should do. Regardless, V Rising shines brightly, carried by a set of features that had me delighted. Where the plot fails, it succeeds with exploration and customization. Where the narrative doesn’t drive me forward, it’s the quest line that does a splendid job. In lieu of negative thoughts on the writing, this title rockets to one that I think it worth trying.