Played through most of Chapter 2 tonight and, while I'm finding the RPG mechanics enjoyable when it comes to leveling up my character and weapons, I'm finding another dozen NPCs and their stories a bit much to manage/prioritize in regard to being on the 'eat' or 'do not eat' list. I think my side goal is to attempt to learn as much as possible about each NPC in order to determine the value of their maximum XP vs. their moral value (not exactly in that order, by the way).

Played through Vampyr's first chapter this evening and it has introduced a very wide array of NPCs that normally I wouldn't give much thought to. However, in this game, all of the NPCs are of notable interest because I discovered the most unique part of this game - the factor of determining who is on the 'bite' / 'no bite' list.

If I remember correctly, there were 20 or so NPCs in the hospital area and only a few stood out as interesting - ironically, those are the ones that gave me side quests to areas I was WAY too under-leveled for. What's personally tough for me is trying to remember all of the stories from each person natively without having to go into the menu and going 'who was this and why should I care again?'

So far, Vampyr is a broody mix eating specific NPCs with high-level side quests with a touch of of RPG elements for crafting items and stat building. It's a solid start, but I do feel a bit intimidated in that this is simply the first of many areas in London that are going to have a 'buffet' of NPCs to sort out while staying on the 'golden path'.

I started Vampyr tonight, and the takeaways have been quite delightful. The story seems interesting; a doctor turned vampire who is confused as fuck as to what's happened to him, drunkenly walking around a 1910s offshoot of London, looking for a 'drink.' Oddly enough, the first character we use our newfound vampire skills on is [SPOILER], so that sets the narrative help quite nicely.

I made it as far as the boss fight of "Eternal Thirst" main story and found that the fight mechanics feel sort of like those in a Dark Souls game - I kept forgetting about my special attacks and relied too heavily on the melee and ranged attacks, so that'll be a slight adjustment. The conversation sections and unlocking new/hidden context gives me a 'Mass Effect' nod - that tells me that I'm going to end up going down every single rabbit hole narratively speaking, rewarding me with possible hints about the world and oddly, even more, XP when I decide to make them breakfast, lunch or dinner. Using 'Vampire Vision' was a cute wink and a nod to 'Assassin's Creed' Eagle Vision, tracking blood throughout the city in search of my enemies.

Looking at the menus, I'm a little nervous about how many things there are to do in this game and the interconnections of the NPC characters in it. Actions will have consequences, and since I typically only play games once and never replay them, I have mixed feelings about 'failing' vs. simply playing through 'my' version of the game much like 'my' version of Detroit: Become Human.

Either way, this looks to be quite an enjoyable game, and I'm looking forward to next week's play session.