Previewing The Vampire Dynasty Demo Before Dawn (A.K.A Steam Next Fest)

Vampire Dynasty will be released later this year on Steam, but before that, Mehuman Games and Toplitz Productions are giving you access to the demo during the Steam Next Fest. 

What with being a pasty chap and having a penchant for vampires (do check out Cabernet and V Rising), they kindly provided me access to the demo before it’s released on 10th June. There’ll be coverage elsewhere – this isn’t an exclusive – so I’ve fiddled with the formula in the style of a diary entry from the chap you get to play.

Dear Diary,

Good ol’ reliable Vadim – he remembered me after this past year and brought me back to Sangavia. I’m unfamiliar with the place, but my senses are slowly returning. No, I’m not Peter Parker. My name is Dragos, and I’m a sun-dodgin’ vampire. Those senses I talk about are for us pasty folks, allowing us to see through walls should they block the way.

It takes time to master this skill, but we vampires usually press ‘V’ on our keyboards, and we can see the hearts pumping blood through our prey and see what lies on the other side of some rock. Pickaxes? Are you quite mad? We vampires can punch through with our bare hands (though the locals take a few punches before we can harvest their claret).

Do you know another thing about being a vampire? We have big pockets. After Vadim woke me, I promptly filled my boots with rocks, clay, and anything else that could be used to make myself a Predator mask without needing a 3D printer. They don’t have 3D printers in Sangavia. Yet.

What they do have is an abundance of blood bags to feed off. Vadim managed to find me a feast, a thief whom he saved from certain death by the local peasants. He wasn’t able to heal him, so tied him up for me to gain my strength. I’m not a murderer, however, and refused to bite. Then my good-for-nothing brother Razvan shows up and offs him anyway. That scent is so… sweet, so intoxicating… my lips were soon redder than a cheap street hooker.

Anyway, I’m back in Medresti, and Vadim has sorted me out with some new robes. He says that if I wear them, the townfolk will be more likely to chat with me as their leader, though if I’m to put in an order of red, I can switch to my hunter outfit and engage in some fisticuffs. Whatever I do in hunter mode is incognito, though if the villagers see me, they could raise the alarm bell, and then it’s all over.

Medresti’s quite a nice place. I can only go out at night due to my complexion, but it’s a Roger Dean-like fantasy world with a blood-red sky. The townsfolk are articulate enough and have a good command of the English language. People compliment me on my dulcet tones – the same can’t be said about Razvan. He’s a bit corny. While my voice sounds the part, because I’ve just arisen and am in my early stages, my appearance is quite janky – the same can be said when I run about. According to the locals, I’m ‘epic’, but I feel a bit ‘low’.

Still, that’s all forgotten once Vadim tells me about building a base. Starting with a crypt, I place my coffin, then create an entrance building to place a forge for developing new technology, an altar to generate some alchemy concoctions, and time to experiment with the base building, including floors, walls, pre-made structures, and more. Also, with my powers, I can smash down the previous castle ruins for an endless supply of resources. If only my stay was longer than two nights in Sangavia…

Yours truly, 

Dragos xxx

It’s a Bank Holiday here in Blighty, so this article has been fuelled by gin and juice, so forgive me for the playful write-up. Vampire Dynasty looks quite sketchy on first impressions, and the ragdolling when jumping/falling will need some work. That said, the base-building aspect is excellent and has lured me away from the Once Human beta. There’s a lot of potential for this game, so if you’re reading this before the Steam Next Fest, add it to your wishlist and then download the demo from 10th June.