#The narrative takes a character that's juicy and full of motivations that could be varied and complex and replaces it with limp sorrow

[bonefall]

Grey Wing would be a nice cat and great character if he actually GREW while he was away from Clear Sky. He has moments where you think that's going to happen, but it doesn't. If he had helped Bumble, instead of sending her Back maybe Turtle Tail would have stayed. If he had actually stood up against his brother's beliefs and behavior, maybe the clans wouldn't be as vicious as they are. He is nice in cannon but because he doesn't grow character wise, he doesn't change, still defending Clear Sky's actions. It's like the Erins picked Clear Sky as their favorite and as such chose to destroy any chance for Grey to grow. Clear Sky could slaughter all of Grey's kits and the Erin's would find someway to make it seem like it was the kits fault. Idk it irritates me, as I like Grey--he's definitely a good character compared to most of the others, but...dude just drop your brother seriously.

It's like they picked from the very beginning,

"Gray Wing is correct and Clear Sky is a redeemable person"

And stuck to it doggedly. Gray Wing can't be wrong so he can't grow. Clear Sky can't be too far gone no matter what he does.

I feel like they actually have both of them as favorites, and it prevents them from being the full characters they could be.

Side note I hate how this book has cover art of them both being on two sides of a chasm, but then you open up the book and it's Gray Wing going "I miss my brotber... hes a good man... how did this happen... u dint understand hes a good guy..... hes doing what he thinks is best......." for the entire thing

What the hell kind of a divide is it if he's not MUTUALLY MAD? COME ON. Give me brother violence.

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: Vampyr (Dontnod Entertainment, 2018)

Genres: action RPG, horror

Premise: Players assume the role of Jonathan Reid, a newly-turned vampire who struggles to balance his thirst for blood with his Hippocratic Oath during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals.

In-Game Triggers: violence; blood; body horror; mentions of: xenophobia, sexism, self-harm, suicide

Story: I’m honestly not sure how to talk about the main plot of this story because on the one hand, the post-World War I/Spanish Influenza historical setting made the vampire narrative feel fresh. I feel that too often vampire stories are set in the Victorian era, which is understandable, but the choice of setting for this plot made vampire lore interesting to me again. On the other hand, the overarching narrative that deals with the source of the pandemic and the quest for Jonathan Reid’s maker is BANANAS. Without giving anything away, it was a strange mix of very down-to-earth conflicts (pandemics, social class, etc.) with mythology and folklore - and not just the vampirism bits! I honestly can’t say the main was laid out well, or that it was engaging. I much preferred running around talking to NPCs and learning about their lives. But I did enjoy some elements of the bigger plot, such as the struggle against the vampire hunter group known as the Guard of Priwen, and the ultimate reveal of how the epidemic started. Those were well done, I think, because they kept the focus on London, and I enjoyed seeing how vampires would fare in such a setting. When we ultimately branched out to figure out who Reid’s maker was, I was less enthused because it felt too mystical and too disconnected from the Spanish Flu/post-War Britain.

Characters: Because this game is an RPG, characters are perhaps the most important aspect of the narrative, and in my opinion, Vampyr did very well on that front. Jonathan Reid himself is an interesting figure in that he’s not only a doctor, but a war veteran who has some radical ideas regarding where to take medicine. Depending on how he’s played, he can be a compassionate healer or an arrogant bastard, so that’s pretty neat.

This game also features an array of named NPCs called “citizens,” who Reid can talk to as players explore the semi-open world layout. Talking to citizens gives players “hints,” or interesting tidbits about their past or secret activities they participate in (for example, one citizen is involved in an underground medical dispensary). The more hints you unlock, the more dialogue options you have, and sometimes, you have to go back and talk to citizens you’ve conversed with before to unlock more dialogue and more side quests. I really liked this aspect of the game. It didn’t feel tedious to me. Rather, it felt like I was learning all the juicy gossip around London. For the most part, these citizen backstories were compelling and varied, and I was genuinely impressed that they dealt with issues of social class, race, gender, sexuality, and PTSD.

I do wish, however, that some of the more major NPCs were given stronger motivations, especially the women. Although I liked Reid’s sister, Mary, and his love interest, a fellow vampire named Elizabeth, I wish they had more to do and were integrated more with the main plot. I also wish that Reid was given an option of romances rather than just one, or the option not to pursue a romantic relationship at all, mainly because that would enhance the RPG elements a little more.

Gameplay: Because Vampyr is an RPG, some gameplay elements will be familiar, such as skill trees, multiple dialogue options, experience points, etc. All of those worked fine for me and helped orient me in gameplay. There were also mechanics regarding crafting and research that were pretty straight-forward, so if you’ve played action RPGs before, these aspects shouldn’t feel too different.

Combat was admittedly a little clunky and felt repetitive after a while. I really think this game could have benefited with more stealth mechanics, similar to how you can choose between being a lethal tank or stealth assassin in something like the Deus Ex reboot. You are, after all, playing as a vampire. I did think it was clever, however, how your supernatural abilities are fueled by “blood” instead of “mana,” which you acquire by biting people in combat or by eating rats (you can also craft syringes which give a temporary boost to your blood bar).

But where I thought Vampyr really shined was in the way it asked players to balance the chaos level of each of the 4 districts that made up the semi-open world layout. Players can explore these districts and talk to “citizens,” unlocking backstories and performing medical examinations to see who needs treatment. Players can then decide to craft medicines and administer treatment, which will boost citizens’ XP and render the area more “stable” (so that it is clear of monsters and offers more side quests). As I discussed above, talking to citizens gives players “hints,” or interesting tidbits about each citizen’s past or secret activities they participate in. The more hints you unlock, the more dialogue options you have, but also, more hints and a healthy medical slate gives the citizen a higher “blood purity” level, which will grant Reid more XP if the player decides to kill them. It’s an interesting approach to RPGing, as the mechanics literalize Reid’s personal struggle between healing and bloodlust.

Traveling between districts was admittedly a little annoying. This game could have benefited from fast travel between “hideouts” (the safe houses where you can level up and craft). I also wish the game didn’t use an auto-save system, just in case the player wanted to go back to a previous checkpoint. It was personally anxiety-inducing to know that once I made a choice, whether on purpose or because I accidentally hit a button, that I had to live with it. The auto save might heighten the suspense for some and make the stakes feel higher, but I personally wasn’t a fan.

Visuals: I’m a sucker for a character with a well-tailored suit, so I’m perhaps a little biased when I say I love the look of Reid’s design. Suit aside, I really liked the spooky animations when Reid used his vampire powers, and I especially loved that they were rendered in a deep red (to mimic blood of course) that contrasted nicely with the gloomy color palate of disease-ravaged London.

Speaking of which, even though the 4 districts were largely grim and grey, and NPCs were dressed to match, I did like the early 20th-century, post-World War I setting. The textures were all really nicely realized and the details were splendid.

I did notice, however, a drop in frame rate from time to time, which would have been fine if it didn’t interfere with combat or mess up my navigation when trying to figure out where I was. My screen would almost stutter in the middle of a fight, causing me to lose some life because I couldn’t see where the hits were coming from. I also wished the camera had moved around a bit during dialogue, so it wasn’t fixed on one face the whole time.

Recommendations: I would recommend this game if you’re interested in the early 20th-century, post-World War I history and psychological consequences, turn-of-the-century medical science, plagues and pandemics, vampires and vampire lore, and RPGs.

Final Verdict: Despite some technical missteps and randomness of the overall plot, I was addicted enough to the RPG elements, visual design, and hint/heal system regarding citizens that I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game.