Author:
Simulacrum
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Date:
7/15/2022 12:08:43 PM
Subject:
V Rising revised impressions
Bear in mind that these are early- and mid-game takeaways.
I am not conversant with the many newish gaming genres and subgenres, but it appears that V Rising's combat resembles that of Battlerite. As I understand it, Battlerite is a MOBA and generally adheres to the conventions of that game type. V Rising, which is made by the same studio, has MOBA-like battles but usually without the arena aspect. They take place in an open world and involve PVE and/or PVP encounters. Various environmental tactics and hazards are added, including the use of shadow when the sun is shining.
The greater part of the game is taken up with crafting, which integrates with the combat. You have to craft things to attain a certain "gear level" before you can survive in increasingly dangerous parts of the very large map. As you're foraging for mats, you inevitably have combat, and the only drops are crafting mats or (rarely) recipes, schematics, and other plan-like objects. Thus, it is a game without an economy, or at least it has no exchange of money, with one exception. Certain merchants roam the wilds who will sell things to you, but only for silver and only if you're human. So you have to learn how to pass as a human and find a way not to take excessive damage from carrying silver. Merchants are not safe, since it only takes a stray wolf attack to throw you out of human form and aggro not only the merchant but any other animals and humans in the area.
The only safe haven is your castle, which you spend about 25% of your time improving. In PVP, players are constantly trying to besiege one another's castles, which are never 100% impregnable. The mewed up player may believe that he has taken care of every conceivable place where an enemy might leap over a wall in toad form or summon a siege golem. But this is a chimera, as ingenious enemies will always find that one postage-stamp bit of land they can use to start a battle.
Another part of the combined combat/crafting mechanics are bosses or "V Blood" enemies. Defeating them confers important machinery and spells for advancing one's character. However, they can be fairly daunting not only because they're boss NPCs but also because they can summon adds. But these are the easier bosses. The most perilous ones simply roam around. In an arena, you can learn patterns and come up with reliable tactics. With an at-large V Blood enemy, any hostile move can draw the attention of numerous enemies in the surrounding area, so there is an excellent chance of being overwhelmed before any meaningful interaction with the boss.
It's a really interesting and surprisingly complex game. I'm quite surprised that the early access version contains so much content for a mere $20. Recommended.
