You’re most likely questioning why we’re reviewing a PC-only recreation right here on TouchArcade. If you’ve not saved up with our protection in recent times, we’ve got been protecting Nintendo Switch along with cell, and have loved utilizing the Steam Deck fairly a bit since earlier this yr. We began protecting Steam Deck video games and the {hardware} itself starting with Jared’s evaluate and my options on video games for the system throughout completely different kinds and genres.

If you personal a Steam Deck or have performed something on Steam over the past yr, you probably have heard of or seen Vampire Survivors. When it had simply hit Steam Early Access, I had just a few pals attempt to get me to play it, however I didn’t trouble as a result of I not often play video games till they do their correct 1.0 launch. Vampire Survivors on Steam Deck made me break that rule after I noticed just a few GIFs of the gameplay. The mix of survival, rogue-lite, bullet hell, avoidance, and extra with the aesthetic from developer poncle has been a pleasure to play for essentially the most half, and it has been mindblowing seeing how a lot is included on this recreation at its low value level.

At its core, Vampire Survivors is a one enter recreation that has you shifting and capturing or attacking on the similar time. As you are taking down the numerous enemies making an attempt to kill you, you earn expertise and degree up. On leveling up, you select new expertise, weapons, or buff current ones. Initially, I spent extra time making an attempt out the assorted unlocks than working in the direction of truly surviving a full run. Once I obtained used to the movement of a run, I used to be a near-godlike participant with garlic, lightning, pentagrams, fireballs, and rather more with a mix of particle results and enemies making issues virtually too overwhelming visually.

On paper, Vampire Survivors is an easy informal recreation about surviving, leveling up, rising extra highly effective, and punctiliously working in the direction of completely different elements of a selected map to unlock secrets and techniques or simply use the atmosphere to your benefit. The one button management scheme makes it an ideal pickup and play informal recreation, however there’s a ton of depth right here. While you initially will simply work on surviving runs or getting so far as attainable, you quickly will look into unlocking characters, new talents, levels, and even recreation modes with model 1.0.

With the way you solely transfer as your interplay with the character, there’s fairly a little bit of technique concerned. The weapons all have their very own timers or cooldowns, and you’re mainly shifting and aiming. Picking the correct mixture of buffs or upgrading a selected weapon as an alternative of including one other one is probably going going to make or break your run within the late-game.

Barring the common runs you are able to do, there are unlockables like Hyper and Hurry mode. The former speeds you, enemies, spawn price, and projectile pace whereas the latter has the clock operating at twice the pace. Both of these might be mixed for an entire chaotic run as properly. You additionally find yourself unlocking arcanas which might be modifiers for runs. One facet that I hope future updates can work on is making it extra apparent the way to unlock particular issues in-game. The new interface helps, but it surely nonetheless wants some work.

I’m going to maintain this as spoiler-free as attainable, however I can safely say that Vampire Survivors isn’t a recreation you simply purchase to unlock the whole lot rapidly and transfer on. You’re right here for a number of runs, experimentation, tons of deaths, slaying 1000’s of enemies, and extra. This is extra true with model 1.0 and the plethora of latest content material added. Even as somebody who didn’t unlock the whole lot within the early entry model, I noticed a gradual movement of enhancements and enhancements in 1.0 proper from the menus and with the added choices. The interface enhancements and choices are welcome, however I’m shocked at how a lot I like the brand new sounds added given how a lot I obtained used to how issues sounded earlier than.

Having now seen how a lot Vampire Survivors has improved and added in the previous couple of months main as much as 1.0, I actually hope poncle can license or launch an official information and lore ebook for the sport. There is a lot I’ve loved unlocking, and I’d like to have a pleasant bodily ebook like with the Stardew Valley guidebook. Even earlier than it hit 1.0, Vampire Survivors had virtually infinite replay worth, and it’s even higher now.

The one facet of Vampire Survivors I’m not pleased with, is the efficiency on Steam Deck. I do know the late-game even on extra highly effective methods has efficiency points, however I hoped 1.0 would imply the efficiency was sorted in these conditions on Steam Deck. Even with efficiency mode and disabling harm numbers, it doesn’t run nice in later elements of levels with tons of enemies. I’m curious to see how the new engine port aiming for launch by the top of the yr will fare on Steam Deck, however proper now don’t get your hopes up for giant efficiency enhancements in 1.0 in comparison with the early entry model.

In the start of this evaluate, I discussed that this was our first ever Steam Deck recreation evaluate. Going ahead, we would do full critiques of video games that we get pleasure from sufficient, or launches of video games we’re excited to play. Half a yr later, the Steam Deck is in a a lot better place with regards to software program and compatibility. While there’s nonetheless work to be performed, video games like Vampire Survivors and others make it price proudly owning a Steam Deck increasingly more every day.

If you haven’t gotten Vampire Survivors but, it’s simply probably the greatest PC-only video games you should buy in 2022. Having performed greater than 50 hours of it over the previous couple of months, it actually appears like a steal at even its newly elevated value level of $4.99. It has remained within the most-played video games on Steam Deck for months now, and Valve ought to simply pay to have it pre-installed on each Steam Deck at this level. It is that good. If you do find yourself getting it, don’t blame me should you spend hours on it every day like I did after I obtained hooked on it. The soundtrack is completely price grabbing as properly. I’ve not grown remotely bored with it in any case these dozens of hours with the sport.

Interested in additional Steam Deck options? Check out our different Steam Deck suggestions!