V Rising Review | A Unique Vampiric Horror (PC)

V Rising has successfully released its Version 1.0 on PC after two years of staying in Early Access on Steam. Now, Stunlock Studios graced the Earth with a unique Diablo-like game that contains fluid combat, alongside an intuitive crafting system within the scope of a vampiric and gothic world, blending the nuance of being a vampire while also having to manage our resources well enough to survive in this dark and twisted world.

This V Rising review will attempt to provide some information about its story, which might seem bland initially, but it will get better the more you progress through the game, moving from there, I will also discuss some of its major gameplay aspects, notably the combat and building systems, and lastly, we will also take a look at an intriguing part of V Rising, which is its graphics and sound design, where both improve the game’s playthrough experience by a mile.

V Rising is available on Steam for $18.99 and will become available on PlayStation 5 on June 11, 2024, for $32.99 (Subject to change).

Story | Rise From the Dead

The story within V Rising puts us in the shoes of a vampire, who has risen back from the dead, and now must wander around the world trying to rebuild a vampiric empire against the threats of mankind, among many other factions or creatures that you might find.

However, there’s no need for a rather intricate opening sequence, as the important thing to do within V Rising is to ensure that at least a vampire within the world stays alive and can rebuild the empire from scratch with nothing but bones and scraps, and honestly, that’s what makes this game very unique; it doesn’t throw complex subjects or lore down to the players’ throat immediately, instead, V Rising does it gracefully by providing the story in small increments by following the player’s progress, which is amazing in my books.

The Twilight of the Vampires.

Gameplay | A True Vampire Experience

Of course, it won’t be a complete V Rising review without talking about the bulk of our experience within the game, which comes from its gameplay. As a player who rarely plays Diablo-like games such as this one, I have to say, that I’m completely blown away by how smooth everything is. The melee attacks, the combo strings you can use with the available Vampiric abilities, which include projectiles, defensive spells, and most importantly, Blood Pool, which is the key to your survival within V Rising.

Beyond the combat, a Castle-building aspect is equally important for your survival. From scouting fit terrains to hold your Castle, down to finding the resources necessary to build the walls, and furniture among other things, I have to say, this aspect feels very intuitive and rewarding for the players.

The Combat

There’s nothing wrong with V Rising‘s combat mechanics, only everything that they managed to do right. From the way our weapons feel strong against most enemies, especially smaller creatures like the Skeletons and Wolves, and against regular human enemies like Bandits, our tools of offense feel satisfying enough even though the numbers aren’t always that great.

The tools that we have as a Vampire are also vast, ranging from the Blood Pool, which, depending on the creatures we feast on, our attributes might gain different bonuses. For example, feasting on a Warrior will net you with bonus Physical Damage, while consuming a Deer will net you with bonus movement speed. My early recommendation for you is to feast a Bandit and gain the Rogue Blood, as they are very common in the early parts of the map, with the second best option being the Deer/Creature Blood, as they can give you a neat movement speed bonus among other things.

However, I have a slight issue with V Rising‘s hitboxes, where sometimes my sword’s swings do not connect with an enemy even though they are within my attack range. Though this might happen due to the directional inputs, the fact that this might happen during a critical combat woes my combat experience slightly.

Prime Targets for V Blood.

Building Your Castle

The second aspect I’d like to discuss in this review will be the Castle-building mechanics, which sets V Rising apart from its competitors. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the game’s story moves forward alongside our progress, and that also includes how we can start building our Castle to ensure that we get to live for another day. 

Once you get out of the Cemetery and start exploring the initial area, sooner or later, depending on your gameplay choices, either by fast-tracking through the game and adhering to the Quests or you can roam the map freely (I spent around 25 minutes gathering some basic resources), you’ll be able to initiate building your first Castle.

The First Castle Heart.

My early recommendation after you successfully build the Castle Heart, the most important hub of your Castle, immediately set a goal to build a Coffin and Mist Brazier to further ensure your survival within V Rising. The Coffin will help you gain a new Respawn Point that can be handy especially if you die during combat, making sure that you will wake up in your Castle as opposed to the starting area’s Coffin.

Meanwhile, the Mist Brazier will help block out the sun’s powers within a small area of your Castle, therefore granting you a haven from sunlight’s damaging properties to a vampire like us. The other tools such as Storage are optional, though there will be new Buildings that are important for the Quests. Still, the game never limits us on how we want to shape our Castle and where we want to build it, which can range from a defensible hillside to the deep forest where the resources are abundant, the options are always within our hands.

Graphics and Sound Design | Revel in the Gothic World

After talking about the game’s story and gameplay designs, the last section of this V Rising review will be dedicated to talking about its graphics and sound design, which I can summarize in two words: Breathtaking and superb.

Every character and environmental design of this game nails the look of what I’m expecting within the gothic settings that are prevalent from the beginning. Moreover, the combat sounds are pure and crisp and I can’t find any faults whatsoever there. However, the game does falter a bit when it comes to sound design, especially in the soundtrack department, as I can barely hear the music while traversing the map, and only starts to noticing the music whenever I enter a battle.

Overall, while V Rising successfully provides us with a unique gothic world filled with amazing creatures and biomasses, there are still some subtle problems within its sound design, though nothing too big to be concerned about. I can’t wait to see what Stunlock Studios will bring to the game within the next big updates in the coming months, and perhaps for years to come.

This V Rising PC review is possible thanks to the game key provided by Stunlock Studios via #Keymailer.