How Vampyr’s Cruel Choices Make You A Monster

In this Vampyr video essay, Noa looks at how Dontnod’s cruel choices turn us into monsters. Vampyr doesn’t just ask us to ‘feed or not to feed’ but puts us in the shoes of a predator in a sinister moral playground - a place that conspires to force us to do harm. And we love it. You see, Vampyr isn’t just about the consequences of your actions, though it does deal with the messy aftermath of your nocturnal activities. As our Vampyr PC gameplay shows, it’s more interested in making you play the predator, stalking the districts of London and working out which feeble meatbag to feed on next. There are complex social structures that govern the value of these people to our hungry host, and a investigation system that rewards us for getting closer to our victims - inveigling a vampire into their lives with dark betrayal already on our mind. It’s downright cruel. This Vampyr analysis piece talks us through this predator sim, though obviously Noa’s playthrough is distinct to her. Perhaps your own story took you down a different path and revealed a different angle on vampire life - we’d love to hear from you in the comments if so. And if you enjoyed this video essay do let us know, so that we can make more in the future.