Following a relatively quiet early access period in December 2021,Vampire Survivorswas released in full on PC in October 2022, where it became an overnight smash hit. While 2022 was packed with great Indie titles,Vampire Survivorsshot to stardom thanks to its addictive gameplay loop, its consistent sense of progression, and its abundance of unlockable characters and modifiers. And that was only the beginning ofVampire Survivors' tale.
Over the last two years, developer Poncle has continued to add toVampire Survivors, bringing new characters, weapons, and stages via both free and paid DLC. These paid DLCs have occasionally featured collaborations with fellow video games likeContraandAmong Us, but those pale in comparison to the latestVampire Survivorscrossover DLC. Titled “Ode to Castlevania,“the latestVampire Survivorsexpansionadds more content than any DLC before it, bringing over 20 new characters, over 40 weapons, and the largest stage in the game, all for just a few dollars. While this is more than enough content for fans to sink their teeth into, this should just be the beginning of the game’s vampiric crossovers.
Other Vampire Games Vampire Survivors Should Collaborate With
Vampyr
Vampyr, a fairly radical departure fromDontnod’s previous title,Life is Strange, was originally released in June 2018. InVampyr, players take on the role of Jonathan E. Reid, a doctor who has just returned to London after the First World War and finds that he’s been turned into a vampire. The central hook ofVampyris its morality system that’s woven naturally into gameplay. Players can only level up their combat abilities significantly if they feast on human blood, but they’re able to complete the game without harming a soul if they use their powers of deduction and stealth.
WhileVampyrwas met with mixed reviewsupon its initial release, the last six years have been quite kind toVampyr, with many now considering the game a bit of a hidden gem for the genre. It’d be fun to see Jonathan E. Reid come toVampire Survivorsin a future crossover DLC, perhaps alongside a stage inspired by an early 1900s London.
Vampire: The Masquerade
Beginning life as a 1991 tabletop RPG,Vampire: The Masqueradeis widely considered to be one ofthe best vampire franchises in gaming. 2000’sVampire: The Masquerade - Redemptionwas the first video game adaptation of the TTRPG, and while it received an extremely mixed critical reception, its 2004 successorVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesfared much better, setting a new standard for choice-based narratives and variety for the RPG genre.
TheVampire: The Masqueradefranchise may not be quite as influential as it once was, but it’s still got its fans, and it would make for a greatVampire SurvivorsDLC. Rather than bringing over individual characters, aVampire: The MasqueradexVampire SurvivorsDLC could add playable characters based on each oftheMasqueradefranchise’s clans, such as the Brujah, the Ventrue, and the Nosferatu.
El Paso, Elsewhere
Still regarded as one of last year’s most overlooked Indie games,El Paso, ElsewhereisaMax Payne-inspired third-person shooterthat sees players take control of a vampire hunter named James Savage as he tries to track down his vampiric ex who wants to end the world. The high-octane action ofEl Paso, Elsewherewould lend itself well to a fast-paced game likeVampire Survivors, making it a great choice for a future collab.
Vampire Survivors
WHERE TO PLAY
Vampire Survivors is a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements.Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you.Hell is empty, the devils are here, and there’s no place to run or hide. All you can do is survive as long as you can until death inevitably puts an end to your struggles. Gather gold in each run to buy upgrades and help the next survivor.The supernatural indie phenomenon that lets you be the bullet hell!
