Vampyr Shows Off at Gamescom

Vampyr is the upcoming title from Focus Home Interactive about what happens to a family of ducks when they win the lottery. Okay, okay. It's about vampires. Specifically, it's about a particular vampire, Dr. Jonathan Reid. And from the trailer and pre-alpha demo that debuted at Gamescom, he's having a bit of an existential crisis.


I was just waiting for him to brood and scream "I didn't ask for this!"

First impressions aren't quite the best. The graphics and animations remind me of a game that should've released 5 years ago or more. It's got that blocky, jittery movement that really shows itself when characters try to talk. Given, the game is in pre-alpha, so perhaps an engine upgrade is in the works.

There are interesting aspects as well, though. Dr. Reid has a few special abilities in and outside of combat. One in particular is how Reid can read little bios about people around him, Watch Dogs style. There's also a cool mind-control mechanic. However, there's one thing in particular that grabbed my attention. It appears the good doctor cannot enter a dwelling unless invited in. This, if handled well, could bring an interesting mechanic to the game. And if that fails, it will at least better explain why players can't break into every house in the background.