A 2000s-era flash game that's addicting and better than it has any right to be, but ultimately feels like video game junk food.
Not sure if y'all remember that Bloons TD game from like 2007 but Vampire Survivors kind of reminded me of that addicting old flash game. It looks a bit like an old browser game that co-opts a legally questionable amount of Castlevania's enemies, weapons, characters, and art. The gameplay initially feels too simple as all you control is the direction your character moves. Yet despite all that, it somehow all comes together in a package that works quite well and is highly addicting.
The simple controls make it incredibly accessible and it refocuses gameplay on developing a good build rather than how fast your reflexes are or how well you can master combat. It simplifies all of that and streamlines the road to making you feel like a god as you steamroll hordes of enemies.
Getting a good build going that lets you quickly turn into a walking wrecking ball is incredibly satisfying, but like in many rogue-lites, a lot of that depends on RNG. Toward the beginning of the game, there's not a lot you can do to combat the randomness, but that ends up not holding you back too much. As you get deeper into the game, there are plenty of ways to control your build during a run.
The game is pretty good about constantly rewarding you for the runs as you earn gold to buy permanent upgrades and unlock weapons, characters and stages as you hit milestones. There are 157 total things to unlock in this game so there’s no shortage of carrots on sticks to keep you chasing after the next thing. Between the constant goal chasing and how satisfying it is to mow down thousands of enemies, Vampire Survivors is like a constant shot of dopamine. But with that constant shot of pure unfiltered dopamine, that high didn't last long. It's like eating a bunch of junk food - yeah it'll give you some energy for like 15 minutes but then you'll crash hard afterward.
If you're looking for mindless fun that scratches the itches of one part "I like to see numbers go up and get big" and one part power trip, Vampire Survivors is great and highly addicting. But don't expect a lot of depth beyond that.
+ Satisfying to put a build together that makes you feel like a god
+ Extremely addicting
+ Good gameplay loop that constantly rewards you for your runs
- Video game junk food that lacks long-term satisfaction
- Questionable amount of repurposed art from Castlevania
Not sure if y'all remember that Bloons TD game from like 2007 but Vampire Survivors kind of reminded me of that addicting old flash game. It looks a bit like an old browser game that co-opts a legally questionable amount of Castlevania's enemies, weapons, characters, and art. The gameplay initially feels too simple as all you control is the direction your character moves. Yet despite all that, it somehow all comes together in a package that works quite well and is highly addicting.
The simple controls make it incredibly accessible and it refocuses gameplay on developing a good build rather than how fast your reflexes are or how well you can master combat. It simplifies all of that and streamlines the road to making you feel like a god as you steamroll hordes of enemies.
Getting a good build going that lets you quickly turn into a walking wrecking ball is incredibly satisfying, but like in many rogue-lites, a lot of that depends on RNG. Toward the beginning of the game, there's not a lot you can do to combat the randomness, but that ends up not holding you back too much. As you get deeper into the game, there are plenty of ways to control your build during a run.
The game is pretty good about constantly rewarding you for the runs as you earn gold to buy permanent upgrades and unlock weapons, characters and stages as you hit milestones. There are 157 total things to unlock in this game so there’s no shortage of carrots on sticks to keep you chasing after the next thing. Between the constant goal chasing and how satisfying it is to mow down thousands of enemies, Vampire Survivors is like a constant shot of dopamine. But with that constant shot of pure unfiltered dopamine, that high didn't last long. It's like eating a bunch of junk food - yeah it'll give you some energy for like 15 minutes but then you'll crash hard afterward.
If you're looking for mindless fun that scratches the itches of one part "I like to see numbers go up and get big" and one part power trip, Vampire Survivors is great and highly addicting. But don't expect a lot of depth beyond that.
+ Satisfying to put a build together that makes you feel like a god
+ Extremely addicting
+ Good gameplay loop that constantly rewards you for your runs
- Video game junk food that lacks long-term satisfaction
- Questionable amount of repurposed art from Castlevania