Vampyr is an enthralling action role-playing video game developed by Dontnod Entertainment in which the player assumes the role of the recently turned vampire and prominent surgeon Dr. Jonathan Reid as he traverses London during the Spanish Flu of 1918, curing (or killing) anyone who crosses his path. With its gloomy and gothic atmosphere and gameplay focused heavily on unlocking the mysteries and stories of the NPCs who inhabit the game world, Vampyr plays like an interactive novel that rewards players for spending time talking with characters dealing with not only the terrors of the Spanish Flu but also a mysterious vampire plague turning everyone into bloodthirsty lunatics.
The game isn’t perfect and boasts insanely long loading screens, but it excels at crafting a cast of characters players come to care about, even if they do decide to feed on (and thus kill) any unfortunate soul they encounter. Of course, players can choose to spare the NPCs they meet, but doing so means the game’s combat system is more difficult. It’s a tricky balancing act, especially when many of the characters are full of personality, and killing them could lead to catastrophic results. Regardless of what the player chooses, the characters are still memorable and possess small quirks and personalities that make them stand out from the copy-and-paste NPCs of similar games.
Mack's Musings 