Platform Reviewed: PC
Platforms Available: PC, Linux, Mac
Publisher: EuroVideo Medien
Developer: Haemimont Games
Release Date: July 24, 2015
MSRP: $19.99 (Php. 639.95)
If you’re an avid fan for role-playing games combined with an isometric view, then Victor Vran just might be the game for you. To be honest, this game took me by surprise. I thought it would be a disappointment — due to me playing more well-known role-playing games with an isometric view such as, yes, you guessed it right: Torchlight and Diablo — but this game was able to meet my expectations for an RPG game.
The story is a bit cliché: you are a demon hunter who arrived into a place that, apparently, has been overrun by evil and demonic creatures. There’s a number of people who fights against them, which then asks for your help. Oh, and there is also a character that’s apparently a component of some sort on why the demons are there in the first place. Also, not to mention the protagonist having “demon” powers, which supposedly is the reason on why he can use spells in the first place. A bit cliché for a game with a demon-hunting genre, isn’t it?
All of those aside, Victor Vran is an overall fun, challenging and sort of an addictive game. Fun. Why? You get to have item loots (which is, well, the core of every RPG game). Challenging? Because right after you get to level 20 and hit on to the next levels, the scaling gets pretty weird. Your scaling gets a little weak, while the enemies get stronger and stronger. Hordes are much more difficult to kill when you’re on a higher level, that I can assure you. But, who doesn’t love a challenge, am I right? And lastly, addictive. An RPG game must always have this, otherwise it’ll leave the player bored and uninterested. That’s why there’s the skill system, items, loots, strong enemies, and basically any other RPG element, is most likely present in this game.
The way the game is played is actually pretty nice. You get a nice combination of the keyboard keys and the mouse — which is sort of new for me in an isometric game — since Torchlight and Diablo was mostly point and click, while only pressing the keys for skills and items. You can either use the WASD keys to move, or change it in the options menu to only click to a place to make your character walk there. Choosing the keys would be much more advantageous, though, since it’s easier to maneuver by combining the WASD keys with the shift key (used to dodge). Pressing any WASD key twice would trigger the dodge, too. Compare it to the mouse-only control where you have to press the middle key to dodge. In most cases, that’s way out of a player’s comfort zone to move, am I right?
Victor Vran’s gameplay is pretty interesting. For each weapon you use, you get 2 extra skills you can also use to extra damage to your enemies. They can be used with the Q and E keys, which is pretty easy to use. You can also get extra skills, which you can use by pressing the 3 and 4 keys. You can also jump, too, by pressing the space button. An also rather interesting mechanic they applied is the wall jump, where you can apparently jump from one wall to another to reach a certain platform.
The game’s environment is as what you’d expect from an apocalyptic, demon-infested kingdom (full of beasts and, well, demons), dark, gloomy and plagued. Voice-acting’s not really that good. I’d say it was okay (if it weren’t for Doug Cockle, Geralt from Witcher‘s voice actor, I would probably not buy most of the voice acting). Average, more likely.
Victor Vran is a great game to kill-time — since you have to keep on dodging, attacking, picking up loots, activating regeneration statues and the sort — and is really fun once you get the hang of it. It’s got a lot of potential, too. Maybe balancing out the scaling system would be great. Graphics is solid, really made an impression on me. The fun and challenging aspect of Victor Vran covers what seemed to lack in its narrative.
This review is based on a review copy provided by the developers/publisher.
