Review: V Rising Feels Worthwhile Now

V Rising finally left early access on the PC, with Stunlock Studios sharing its complete 1.0 form. I am the type of person who doesn’t usually check out a game in early access, so I was looking forward to seeing what the hype was about with the full release. I can safely say now is the time to check out V Rising and take in fully everything it does right and wrong

The core idea of V Rising is that it is a persistent, online, survival crafting game, much like in the vein of titles like ARK, Minecraft, or Rust. The key difference, however, comes from the style. It focuses on vampires, letting the player awaken as this immortal being and then centering every aspect of the survival experience around your undead nature.

It all starts with the combat, which features a fascinating isometric view like Diablo to it. The player equips a main weapon to hack and slash away at opponents with a basic attack. But there are also skills players can use every few seconds, such as dashing forward instantly to dodge attacks or powerful AOE moves.

Furthermore, the players is also able to suck the blood of just about anyone in combat once their health gets low enough. This ability, in turn, connects to the overarching progression of the game and the vampire powers you can unlock. If you consume the blood of an animal, for instance, your vampire will start to develop more beastly abilities. This also goes for various types of humans and other beings.

These interconnecting systems provide a ton of depth and customization in V Rising, letting players craft their own unique kind of vampire, which I adore. That said, the game employs a less traditional leveling system. Instead of the usual approach, where you level up with XP, it focuses on the armor the player wears. The better armor someone has, the better overall “level” they have in combat. This makes gathering and crafting items essential in V Rising, rather than an afterthought. The basic materials, like wood and stone, allow the player to make basic armor and build as well.

Materials aren’t just there to make weapons and armor; they also exist to build a home. Every player in a server can claim a plot of land for their own. The world is pretty massive, leaving plenty of space for anywhere from 40 to a couple hundred players in a server. You are able to build freely throughout your chosen plot. You can opt for a humble abode with just a coffin to sleep away the deadly daytime, or an extravagant castle that Dracula would be proud of.

There is so much depth when it comes to the number of housing items, furniture, and walls that I honestly spent most of my time doing developing my homestead. While the combat and world are fun, the building and crafting were most enjoyable. I appreciated consistently progressing through the quests to unlock more and more decorations to deck out my undead kingdom. You can get really in the weeds with this system. There are some excellent late game offerings in the castle as well, such as NPC servants to guard the place. After all, some of the servers offer PVP for those who prefer that style of play.

As a result of there being a much larger world in V Rising 1.0, there is plenty for even diehard early access players to check out. Above all else, there is a wealth of new endgame content. One of the new areas, is called Mortium and is home to none other than the vampire king Dracula. The entire realm is one massive dungeon in a way, with things like generals and new powers, to unlock. It is a true test of the player’s strength and one of the key reasons why now is the right time to play V Rising.

While I am happy with the current state of V Rising, there are elements I do wish the experience had. For instance, there is a hefty lack of story. Sure, there are constantly quests to do to unlock stuff, but they lack writing, dialogue, and a narrative motivation. In addition, there’s a lack of NPCs and traders in the world. The game’s backstory mentions this lost vampire civilization, but why not have at least one hub town for vampires? There are cities, sure, but they simply act as places to hunt down humans to stave hunger. Fortunately, the multiplayer interactions with others via vampire clans and the like somewhat make up for this.

On another note, I played this game on Steam Deck. It ran pretty well with a decent frame rate and very little fluctuation. That said, I had problems at first getting the official controller function to work. It didn’t automatically recognize the Steam Deck’s controller functionality, so I had to do some digging to make it work. And when I did, I found the controller option could use some work. The buttons are very confusing. I still found myself forgetting which button opened what menu a dozen hours in. So, something to watch out for if you play V Rising on controller or PS5.

Overall, though, V Rising felt like an enjoyable survival crafting experience on controller once I got into the groove of it. Its fascinating blend of Diablo style action-RPG elements with deep progression, crafting, and building all work in tandem. While the world often feels empty at times due to the lack of NPCs to talk to, whether playing alone or with others, and there is no meaningful story of note, its gameplay hooks and vampire theme make this worth a look in its long-awaited 1.0 release.

V Rising is now available out of early access for PC via Steam. It will release for PS5 later this year in 2024.