Video Game Review: Vampire Survivors

Developer & Publisher: Poncle

Genre: Action

Reviewed For Nintendo Switch

Also Available On PC, Xbox, Mobile

The Nintendo Switch is full of small and budget titles. Vampire Survivors emerges as the best of its peers as a reverse-bullet hell survival game infused with roguelite elements.

Unlike many narrative-driven titles, Vampire Survivors opts for an absent storyline. Character selection leads you to a chosen stage, where the goal is simple: obliterate monsters until your inevitable demise. While some may lament the absence of an elaborate narrative, the game pays homage to a simpler era of gaming, inviting players to recapture the imaginative spirit of their childhood selves—crafting stories with each playthrough.

The gameplay mechanics are elegantly straightforward yet oddly addictive. The absence of explicit attack buttons places movement at the forefront, with attacks executed automatically and on cooldowns. Characters commence with a single attack style—whether a whip or a wand. As foes fall, experience orbs are harvested, culminating in level-ups that present players with 3 to 4 choices for new weapons, enhancements, or upgrades. This progression process eventually bestows upon players an impressive arsenal of 6 weapons and perks, transforming them into an unstoppable force capable of raining death upon monsters via bullets, lightning, crosses, and aces.

Experimentation is richly rewarded, as item combinations can lead to evolution, breathing life into new strategies. When a 30-minute run concludes, either through the player’s defeat or the inevitable intervention of the grim reaper, achievements unlock new rewards and coins for permanent upgrades—a quintessential roguelite feature.

The diverse stages have objectives to fuel progression, though the ultimate aim remains consistent: eliminate as many foes as possible and stand tall through an entire run. This simple, yet compelling, formula keeps players coming back for more, enticed by the craving for another round.

Remarkably, the Nintendo Switch seamlessly handles the onslaught of enemies that besiege players towards the run’s conclusion. With enemies and weapon animations swirling in a whirlwind of chaos, the expected slowdown is gracefully absent, even during cooperative play. Speaking of which, the cooperative mode feels seamlessly integrated, eschewing any sense of an afterthought. Higher player counts reduce weapon slots for balance, and death doesn’t result in waiting for your teammate’s demise. An ingenious timer brings back the fallen player if the surviving teammate can endure.

The visuals embrace simplicity with the most rudimentary pixel art. The initial impression might leave some underwhelmed by the visuals’ austerity. However, the gripping gameplay swiftly takes the reins, and players find their imagination kindled anew. The musical score complements the experience admirably, resulting in tunes that linger long after the game has been set aside.

Vampire Survivors demonstrates the peak of addiction in gaming. Its allure compels players to forsake their larger-budget Switch titles in favor of this modest yet remarkably memorable experience. With each run and every defeat, the siren call of the game draws you back, igniting a desire to kill monsters once more.