Rise and (Avoid) Shine in Vampire Game V Rising

A bat ensnares a moth in its teeth, and it’s only a second before the insect’s fluttering wings still. Though we may feel for the moth, it is only because of its death that the bat can see another day. The amoral brutality of the natural world rarely extends to human society today fortunately, but V Rising is tinged with this awful dynamic of needing to attack other intelligent beings to live.

However, the player is a hunter who goes beyond just killing to survive—the point is to conquer. In this open-world survival game, you can play as a weakened vampire who has just awoken from a slumber that spans centuries long. To rebuild your vampire empire (say that ten times fast), you need to hunt in villages for blood to feed on, avoid being burnt to a crisp by the sun, and convert humans to be your loyal servants.

Drawing on old legends like that of Dracula, V Rising has you encounter supernatural beasts and exercise dark magical powers. It seems there is no redemption arc; you are unapologetically an evil vampire.

V Rising will probably appeal to a wide range of gaming preferences. Those who enjoy being as powerful as possible may fancy grinding and cultivating their vampiric skills to their fullest potential. The ability to personalise and decorate your castle, too, may helps scratch an itch for the creativity-inclined. There are also resources to gather to help your vampire gain insurmountable power. Or if you simply enjoy skulking around in the dark with your vampire clan, V Rising also lets you play cooperatively or competitively with other players. 

A Beta version of V Rising is said to see a release later this year.