Stan Lee naming conventions aside, Victor Vran is a game that has been sitting in my Steam library since just after the beginning of the year in Early Access. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to check it out (I’m busy enough with full releases), but I am really glad that I got around to checking it out now that its been fully released. Victor Vran is an ARPG in the style of Diablo 3 that see’s you as a Hunter taking out all sorts of creatures from the underworld on your quest to… Well, I’ll get to that a little bit later. Everything that makes you enjoy the Diablo series is here on display, and while Victor Vran is essentially a rip-off, it’s done well enough to make it a solid game and just enough to make it special. I knock on games all the time for being blatant rip-offs, but if they actually make the mechanics solid and keep things fun, I’m all for it. Hell, every FPS has been essentially ripping off Doom and we don’t knock them for it.
Okay, so the story see’s Victor Vran, who is voiced by the same actor that did the voice for Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher 3, on a quest to rescue a really good Hunter buddy of his. Getting past that Vran sounds exactly like Geralt of Rivia (I’m serious when I say that the voice actor didn’t change a thing about his voice here) we see him enter a city on the brink of destruction. Here you will find all the standard aspects of the game by learning the silly story (your buddy is a red herring), learning the basics, and being able to buy weapons, items, magic, and store your items. It’s exactly the same way Tristram works in Diablo and other hub towns in similar games. From here you can access your map and jump to new location which helps save a lot of time instead of having to grind back through old stages.
The game’s story is laid out in a pretty cool way with regards to gameplay. Each mission sees you enter a new location, and you are free to explore, but unlike other games like this there isn’t anything to really discover aside from the odd secret or two. When you jump into a mission you’ll be presented with a list of objectives that are required of you before moving to the next plot point. Yes, it takes away some of the exploration and discovery that most ARPG’s have, but I actually enjoyed knowing what was asked of me at all times, and it kept the story moving at a pretty even pace. Within each of the main areas you can also find sub-areas each with their own objectives and/or goals. Not only that, but if you are looking for a real challenge you can activate hexes that will open up new challenges in these areas.
Before you know it you find your buddy and the story quickly moves along to saving all the town from all evil. The story is in fact a silly mess, but it’s fun enough that I don’t want to spoil things here. Victor is a really fun character and all the secondary people that you meet along that way are a joy to interact with. While this is a really dark tale, the game never really takes itself all that serious which is a plus in my book. Characters drop jokes here and there to keep things lite. It’s really funny, minus the occasional forced pop-culture reference, and seeing what people will say next is always a hoot. You aren’t alone on this quest either, and while you are alone fighting the undead (at least in single player), you do have a voice in your head that is always with you. His lines are some of the best in the game and he keeps things from getting all that repetitive. He will also taunt you when you aren’t doing well, or when you run away from an encounter; he’s a dick!
I played Victor Vran using a gamepad and had a lot of fun with it. Keyboard and mouse is of course the standard option here, but playing with an Xbox 360 gamepad was really easy as the game seems designed for simplicity. Attacking can be done by tapping the attack button, or you can just hold it to auto-attack enemies nearby. Enemies nearby will be highlighted so it’s easy to see and you won’t have to go around clicking enemies for dear life. Another thing that I really enjoyed is how all the various weapon types work. Victor swings swords differently than how he does rapier’s, the same goes for the various guns he can carry. You also aren’t just limited to one weapon either, as Victor can hold two weapons at a time so you can mix and match to better deal with enemies. The weapon variety isn’t huge, but what you get is pretty inventive and fun. As a hunter you’ll also have Demon Powers that really open up the game, and there are lots of powers to collect and play with. It really keeps you on your toes as different weapons and Demon Powers work differently on certain enemies.
Add on to that a easy to get into multiplayer that lets 4 players tackle the game together and you have a really fun romp of a game. I really enjoyed my time with Victor Vran, but it isn’t a perfect ARPG. The thing about these games comes down to all the loot that you want to collect. At first it’s really cool, but since the game is more on the budget level you won’t be finding much variety with all the things you come across. Weapon drops come about pretty regularly, but they are all the same sort of thing. You also don’t have a huge number of items so you’ll mostly be seeing the occasional health vile drop littered among all the coin. Gold is also plentiful in Victor Vran, but you won’t be needing it. Sure, you can buy items and weapons in the hub, but they are always overpriced and well below the normal drops you get in the wild. The only thing I ever bought was health viles when I came back to complete quests. Still, if you are looking for a fun ARPG that will keep you busy for a while (I was near 20 hours before the end) with a silly story and fun gameplay, Victor Vran is for you.
Serious ARPG fans will probably want to skip on this one as it lacks any serious depth, but for a game selling for $20 you do get a lot of bang for your buck. Hell, you can buy a 4-pack of the game for less than the price of one new full release and have a lot of fun with the 4-player co-op, plus your friends will love you more. Victor Vran may not be Geralt of Rivia, but he does enough to stand out in the crowd. I for one would really like to see Victor Vran make its way onto the current generation consoles. Pick this one up, you won’t regret it.
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