Vampyr

Lore & Background

The plot begins with Dr. Jonathan Reid awakening in a mass grave as a vampire after returning from the Great War in 1918. In his initial bloodlust, he inadvertently kills his sister Mary. Guided by the voice of his maker, Myrddin Wyllt, Reid navigates London's four districts, uncovering a Skal epidemic mistaken for the Spanish flu. The Skals are corrupted vampires created when Dr. Edgar Swansea attempted to heal a patient with the blood of Lady Ashbury, a highborn vampire. Reid eventually confronts the entity Morrigan, the Red Queen, and later travels to Lady Ashbury's family castle, where he meets the ancient vampire William Marshal. The game's multiple endings depend on how many civilians Reid has killed, ranging from a hopeful search for a cure with Lady Ashbury to Reid becoming a monstrous killer.

Reader's Guide

Vampyr's significance lies in its integration of moral choice with gameplay mechanics. The player can complete the game without killing any citizens, preserving Reid's cover as a doctor but severely limiting his ability to level up. Feeding on humans provides nourishment and unlocks vampiric powers, while killing no one unlocks one of four endings. The game's semi-open world of London is divided into four districts, each with a health score affected by the player's actions. Combat can often be avoided, and dialogue options are used for conversation and hunting prey. The developers researched the setting by travelling to London and consulting history books and documentaries. The game received mixed reviews, with praise for its primary game mechanic, setting, character development, and voice acting, but criticism of its combat, overall narrative, technical problems, aspects of the choice-based system, and animations. It surpassed one million copies sold within ten months.

Did You Know?

• The game was first mentioned at a Focus Home event in January 2015.
• The developers considered setting the game in 1950s United States before choosing 1918 London.
• Olivier Deriviere composed the original score and infused it with industrial music.
• The player can turn people into vampires and can only enter a house with an invitation.