Death, Spanish Flu and Demons: ‘Vampyr’ Starts Your Monday Right

  London, like any huge-ass city, has a sordid and shit-stained past. Jack the Ripper with his collection of whore’s kidneys on his mantelpiece, dastardly and bastardly factory owners getting fatter and richer while their employees worked themselves to starving stumps, asylums where the patients were cured with electroshock to the scrote…  

Yep. But it’s not always humans screwing themselves over. Usually, sure, but not always. Sometimes, Mother Nature steps in and beats our asses down. I don’t know who scorned her, but hell hath no fury like this lady when she’s pissed. The Spanish Flu was a particularly cruel move, sweeping through the population just at the close of World War One and killing more than four years of bullets and bombs ever could.

Vampyr, the super-grim action adventure from the Life is Strange guys, throws us straight into that death-amundo era. Our undead hero, pursued by vampire hunters, cruises through the ravaged city, talking to NPCs, beating on enemies, all the usual trappings you expect.

The game’s looking pretty sweet, with a powerful Bloodborne sort of vibe. The oppressive atmosphere, the locals hiding indoors with nary a welcome wagon being rolled out, the general air of creeptastic… this is the kind of thing I can get on board with.

At Gamescom, the devs released the longest and most in-depth gameplay trailer we’ve seen of Vampyr yet. The combat and such are elements we haven't seen at all before, and this was a good meaty fifteen minute showcase. Now it’s online for everyone to take an ogle at. So, Ego-gents, get to ogling: