Stunlock Studios’ V Rising is more than just a tale about vampires coming back to their glory. Between the bloodlust and supernatural adventures, there’s an open world here that assumes a lot and asks for even more. Fans of massively multiplayer online games are going to celebrate this one, while newcomers are going to feel a bit lost.
Yet, V Rising does everything in its (supernatural) power to make sure that players feel powerful from the get-go. The story’s pacing takes its time, the crafting feels familiar and the combat evolves into an addictive rhythm. However, an all-too-familiar gameplay loop that requires a lot of grinding may keep this game from reaching a wider audience.
Take Back What’s Yours…In Due Time
The beginning of V Rising is a promising venture into the realm of vampires. Something unjustifiable happened, and players now get to live the life of a race of beings who are ready to take back everything they’re owed. Well, only if you’re up for a careful and patient journey into a gameplay loop that asks a lot of you.
The game’s initial hour introduced me to some basic mechanics like fighting, crafting, building, and more. It felt like an interesting mix of a survival game that I’ve been familiar with all my life, yet as an antagonist who happens to be fighting a war for the sake of his own survival.
V Rising’s narrative pacing may not tell you much about what’s going on between the lines of crafting and fighting, but it sure crafts a journey that’s fine-tuned by a variety of weapons to craft and abilities to master.
Craft, Fight and Hone Your Bloodlust!
After many hours of braving the world of V Rising, there was no unique aspect that made me connect with the game. Instead, it was the synergy between several mechanics that made V Rising tough to put down. Here’s where I would like to focus on the game’s combat system and how it shapes the player’s personalized experience.
V Rising has the impeccable ability to use its versatile combat system to the players’ favor. The cherry on top is a variety of weapons and gear to craft, which add to the attack and defense potential of your vampire antagonist.
While I’m not a big fan of complex crafting systems in multiplayer games, V Rising was kind enough to hand me a canvas of tools and resources to craft various things without killing my joy.
As impressive as the collection of craftable gear may seem, it’s also something that uses its own skill ceiling to best understand what kind of gear should be crafted for which kind of gameplay. V Rising is easily going to have tons of guides and builds soon after it launches, and I look forward to that kind of fandom experience.
V Rising Is a Game That May Feel Best at Its Endgame
Even though my time reviewing V Rising felt way too short compared to the immense potential the game holds, I know for a fact that it’s a great sign. Even in its Early Access stage, the game has received endless feedback for all the content it has to offer.
I can happily admit that V Rising feels like a long-term experience that will never diminish its single-player enjoyment, even though it markets as a multiplayer game. I have a strong feeling that V Rising’s endgame content is something that will keep playing engaged for months, if not years at end.
However, is V Rising good enough for everyone? No, not if you’re someone who refuses to make a hobby out of this game. Again, this is something that’s expected out of an MMO experience, and I wouldn’t have accepted anything otherwise.
The game’s art direction, sound design, and bug-free gameplay made my time playing it an absolute bliss. At its core, V Rising thrives as a PvP and PvE experience that acknowledges and masters some of the best aspects of an online multiplayer game.
V Rising – 7/10
