V Rising – the base game – is an action RPG set in a dark fantasy world where players assume the role of a vampire. Players must hunt for blood in settlements to sustain themselves while avoiding sunlight to survive. As described by developer Stunlock: Raise your castle and thrive in an ever-changing, open world full of mystery. Gain allies online and conquer the land of the living. I got an opportunity to try the game for the first time. This is after the now released update 1.1. The following is a preview of my initial sit-down with V Rising post update.
I should say first, I felt the entire style of play would be right up my alley after watching various gameplay videos. From said videos I got a The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing vibe. That 2013 title was my personal GOTY. I’ve been longing for an experience similar ever since.
V Rising seems to be that and much more to my surprise. I found all the “Diablo’esque” charm as expected in the first several hours. However, the building mechanics, I did not quite … expect. Let me explain.
First and foremost, I didn’t do my research on the game. Thus, I had no idea there were survival mechanics in the game at all. Secondly, I am not 100% adverse to such mechanics, however with very few exceptions, I avoid such games. In too many action titles with survival world crafting implementation, it feels additive. It also feels like a cheap gimmick to broaden the player base. The implementation of it in my previous experiences, always watered down the product. I am glad to inform those in the same experience boat, V Rising implements it well.
It doesn’t feel like a cheap addition. The way it’s added to the game made me feel “now this is necessary, and more importantly satisfying”. Survival is not the overwhelming use of crafting. It’s all about crafting to increase your ability to go back out there… and really kick some tail. To me, that’s the biggest element in a game like this. I feel building your character to help you conquer insurmountable odds are the most important ingredient in a game like this. V Rising in my early play through, does that quite well.
I am excited to continue this title. Stay tuned here and our Cloud Dosage News | Stream channels for more content. As I get acclimated to this game, I may just invest in a MM2K private server. Don’t miss further coverage as I finish this title and do a full review of the 1.1 update.
Lastly, I want to thank the good people at Stunlock Studios and Keymailer for providing me keys to check out the entire experience. Accordingly, you can access V Rising 1.1 via Steam here. Also, checkout our review of the base game at launch on the cloud.
