Vampyr is a 2018 action role-playing video game developed by Dontnod Entertainment. Players assume the role of the recently turned vampire and prominent blood transfusion specialist, Dr. Jonathan Reid, as he traverses London during the Spanish Flu of 1918, curing (or killing) anyone who crosses his path and investigating the cause of a gruesome epidemic. The twist of Vampyr is a fascinating and morally dubious one: the more people you kill, the easier the game becomes and the more powerful vampire Jonathan evolves into. Unfortunately, killing people destabilizes the region and has detrimental consequences.
Refraining from biting the tasty necks of the game’s many NPCs and controlling Jonathan’s blood lust is difficult, but it can be done. Regardless of what route you chose to take, either as London’s vampiric savior or just another bloodthirsty monster, the game rewards you for paying attention to details and puts heavy weight on your actions.
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I’ve played Vampyr several times; it’s one of my favorite games. I wanted to share some tips and tricks with you that I developed during my time playing the game. So ready your stakes and grab those cloves of garlic. Here are five tips and tricks to enhance your Vampyr playthrough, beat the game, save London, and have a bloody good time.
Explore: but be careful, for monsters roam the night
Even as a big fan who has played Vampyr several times, I’m always surprised at how many secrets the game has hidden away that I missed in previous playthroughs. Secret rooms, clues, and collectibles are hidden away in every nook and cranny of the map, and lost citizens in need of rescuing from the evils of the night populate the game world. Between missions, I often take time to explore and wander around. The gloomy and gothic atmosphere of Vampyr is really easy to get sucked into (see what I did there?), and I’m always surprised at how much time passes when I play.
Don’t be afraid to explore the game world, but be careful, for vampires, hunters, and other monsters lurk in the shadows, preying on the weak. Make sure your weapons are upgraded and you have plenty of ammo…you’ll need it.
Pick up everything
The world of Vampyr is ripe with collectibles and materials, so make sure you pick up everything that glows gold and look in every container. You’ll need materials and medical supplies to craft cures for many ailments which afflict London’s people during the dark time of the Spanish Flu. You can buy what you need from merchants, but I often find that they have expensive products. I’d rather spend five minutes collecting materials from the world than shelling out those coveted shillings. In short, keep your eyes open and look in every corner; chances are you’ll find a diary with hidden secrets or a rare and expensive ingredient needed to craft cures.
Look up
This one is a simple tip but every once in and while, take a look up at the buildings around you. Sometimes you’ll find a secret hideout that you can jump to or a platform with a hidden collectible.
Talk to everyone…again and again and again.
Getting to know the NPCs of Vampyr is one of the core aspects of the game. You’ll spend hours talking to these people, learning about their pasts, uncovering their secrets, and curing them of sickness and disease. When you first talk to an NPC, you’ll notice that they have several locked hints. You can unlock hints by simply talking to an NPC or another character in their social circle. Unlocking hints makes NPCs have higher quantities of blood you can drain from them, but killing NPCs comes with risk. You may lose out on a hint forever (until your next playthrough) or you may destabilize the region by killing too many people.
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Each of the NPCs feels unique and has in-depth stories. Make sure you talk to everyone. Sometimes I’ll return to an area I haven’t been in for a while to find that many NPCs have updated dialogue options or new hints I can unlock. The takeaway: talk to NPCs as much as possible and check in with them later down the line—that is if you chose to let them live!
Bring a book or something to do for the long loading screens
This is more of a tip for console players since I’ve heard PC tends to load faster: make sure to read a book or do something during the loading times. I love Vampyr, so I’m willing to be patient, but because the game needs to load the entire map when you boot it up and doesn’t have many interiors that require loading, the load times are long. I used to joke that my apartment was at its cleanest when I was playing Vampyr since I’d do dishes or other chores during load times.
Vampyr is an underrated horror gem that everyone should check out. The characters are fascinating, the story is full of twists and turns, Jonathan is a compelling protagonist, and the gloomy world of nighttime London is full of secrets and monsters. If you haven’t played the game, I highly recommend giving it a try.
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Mack's Musings 