Many developers have tried their hand at the Diablo-esque loot-driven dungeon crawler, and Victor Vran is Haemimont Games Studios’ attempt at the same formula. And for the most part, they nail the formula, and succeed in delivering an action heavy game with a lot of style.
Originally released in 2015 for the PC, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition is the updated version of the game with all expansions and DLC for the PS4 and Xbox One. You play as Victor (voiced by none other than Doug Cockle, the voice of Geralt of Rivia), as a demon hunter travelling to Zagoravia at the behest of a friend’s call. The city itself is crawling with demons and monsters of all kinds, and it’s on Victor to fix the situation.
Unlike most isometric RPGs, Victor Vran does not allow you to pick a class or create your own character. Instead, it offers a lot of variety in how you customize Victor, outfitting him with different clothes, weapons and accessories. And since this is a loot driven game, everything you find has some value to it, offering different advantages and disadvantages. Add to that the ability to wield demon powers and destiny cards, and everyone’s gameplay experience will always be different from others.
The gameplay itself is flashy as you slice through hordes of enemies, and a mish-mash of demonic powers spark across the screen. While the game is not the most graphically intense or demanding, it still looks great nonetheless. The presentation is stylish and top-notch throughout. Switching out equipment on the fly is easy and even encouraged, as each situation requires a different approach.
You can bring along up to three allies with you, and when everyone is doing their best to hold off enemies, things can get chaotic really fast. In a good way though. The combat feels satisfying and there’s a good weight and rhythm to the flow of the fights. Being able to jump and roll adds to the overall frantic nature of the gameplay, and everything feels just smooth on consoles.
Some fights can get a little confusing, simply due to the number of characters on screen at the same time. However, it never really gets in the way of fun, and the game never dropped any frames (at least for me) even in the most crowded of combat encounters. The boss fights are a little uneven though, some of them feeling really spectacular while others being predictable and dull.
There’s a charming wit to Victor Vran, both the character and the game, and it does benefit the game. There’s the narrator who, apart from narrating stuff, also makes a few quips often, and his dialogues are fun to listen to. Other characters, however, don’t get the same love or attention, and are mostly forgettable and the same can be said for the story. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just really average.
You can also choose to play this online or in local co-op, and that adds to the overall enjoyment in a big way. There’s a ton of content here, and the DLCs offer good gameplay value. The Fractured Worlds DLC has additional dungeons, while the Motorhead Through The Ages DLC adds, well, some good Motorhead to the game.
It’s easy to sit back and enjoy the combat, get lost in the tons of constant loot drops and just go about absolutely destroying everything in sight. Despite some of the issues Victor Vran has, it is fun, and that’s what the game focuses on on.
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