V Rising - Review @ COG

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COG reviewed the Vampire RPG V Rising:

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V Rising 1.0 Review

I'm more or less burnt out when it comes to survival crafting RPGs. I can only punch so many trees and collect so many rocks before a hard limit is hit. You need a proper hook to keep me coming back. V Rising has vampires and a highly refined combat system. Those are pretty good hooks! There's also a robust multiplayer environment. I don't care about such things, but I recognize when they're done well. Honestly, 'vampires' was enough to sell me on this game. Thankfully, it's also quite good.

You play as a vampire looking to rebuild their empire. There's very little story beyond this simple premise, and that's totally fine. What else do you really need to know? Humans and monsters all want you dead, and it's your job to frustrate their desires. Also, do your best to extend your unholy dominion over every corner of the world. And if you can do these things while building a gigantic castle? Even better. Though there is no proper story, the progression hums along quite smoothly. Your goals are clearly laid out, with the required steps making perfect sense. Admittedly, your goals are either 'murder' or 'make things' for the most part. But the building and murder are also really fun. I don't mind simple tasks, so long as I'm enjoying myself.

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While I've mostly left survival crafting sims behind, V Rising feels different. The vampire hook is part of it, but the game's design is a big factor. Building and murdering all tie together in one big progression tree. Moving from one path to the other feels perfectly smooth and seamless. Plus, both activities are pretty fun. I don't love the traversal at times, and the game sometimes feels too big for a single player. But the core gameplay loop is a delight. Sure, a game boiled down to 'build' and 'murder' is a simple one. But there's elegance in simplicity. V Rising is an excellent survival crafting RPG that I highly recommend.

Score: 86/100