VAMPIR preview - beautifully brutal vampire MMORPG

Nowadays, many mobile MMORPGs embrace colourful fantasy worlds and familiar heroic adventures. VAMPIR, on the other hand, does the opposite. It takes a noticeably darker approach where the gothic environments, admittedly stunning character designs, and the emphasis on brutal combat give it an edge that immediately makes it stand out.

Underneath all that seductive vampire aesthetic lies a more pressing question: can VAMPIR deliver an MMORPG experience that feels genuinely different? With its global release just around the corner, here's what players can expect.

VAMPIR starts off strong, with an intriguing story

If you don’t skip through the character dialogues and intro animations, you will learn that you, the player, became a vampire after drinking a little bit of Ciuma’s blood. After waking up from the dream-like state, your adventure starts making a lot more sense. There is a conflict between humans and vampires in the world, which solidifies your place as the “good guy” in the story. 

One of the elements that stood out the most (and in a really good way) is the voice acting. The Korean voice acting made the whole experience immersive - you can feel the weight and importance of each scene. 

Even though your character doesn’t feel much like a vampire right off the bat, the moment you unlock your first skill, that all changes. You’ll notice that skills automatically restore HP based on the damage dealt.

Lots of freedom

In VAMPIR, the fun doesn’t resume only to PvP. Players who don’t want to try their luck against other players can stick to playing PvE-only, which has its own unique charm. For instance, a player can try to max out their character and become the master of every boss battle, while another can craft their gear with PvP in mind. 

Character creation, customisation, and class selection

The character creation screen has exactly what you need from it. You can customise virtually everything, which has a great appeal to players who want their character to look a certain way.

In all honesty, it’s pretty hard to pick a class. They all have a certain look to them, but ultimately, it all comes down to the playstyle you prefer. Unlike most other MMORPGs, VAMPIR doesn’t have a healer class. Given that the characters are all vampires, healing will come from the aforementioned Bloodsucking mechanic, which can be used in creative ways.

Beautifully brutal, but how does VAMPIR actually play?

When it comes to gameplay, combat feels fairly easy. You also have the autoroute/autocombat, which is something you either love or hate. It is not something that takes away from the experience, though; instead, it makes it more accessible. 

For a game that puts so much emphasis on brutality, the combat is surprisingly straightforward. Whether that's a good or a bad thing depends entirely on what you're looking for in an MMORPG. 

The skills and combat animations feel tailored to each class, but it will take a little bit of grinding to unlock. Some skills are class-locked, while others are available to all the classes. So, when making your build, you will have to consider the best combos possible.

On the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to combat are the bosses. Boss fights really do feel challenging, especially early on. Until you’ve unlocked more skills, some boss battles might have to be postponed. 

The grind is real, but it’s rewarding

In short, the quests are worth it. All the main story quests and side quests early in the game are pretty easy to complete, and they reward you with resources and EXP, and sometimes with outfits. The outfits vary, from simple ones (that you can easily acquire) to some of the coolest you can imagine. The same goes for the mounts, which are an essential feature. 

All in all, VAMPIR can be enjoyed both casually and competitively (once PvP is available), depending on the player.

Final thoughts: Is VAMPIR worth playing?

VAMPIR certainly makes a strong first impression, and not just because of its gorgeous gothic aesthetic. Between the intriguing story, the voice acting, and surprisingly challenging boss fights, there's plenty to look forward to. 

Sure, it still has some of the familiar MMORPG mechanics we've seen countless times before, but that doesn't necessarily make it any less enjoyable. Whether it can keep players interested in the long run remains to be seen, but from what I've experienced so far, VAMPIR is definitely a game worth keeping an eye on ahead of its global release on October 28th for Android, iOS, and PC.

Pre-registration is currently available via the official website and special rewards available by joining the official Vampir Discord.