Victor Vran is something that could be considered a classic if it was tailored for both the devoted audience and casual players. It's a game I almost couldn't stand because of its deviations from what I expect to enjoy from an ARPG.

Over four months ago I had first played Victor Vran for six hours before coming to the conclusion that the game wasn't for me or for casual ARPG players. Now, after 18 hours, I'm going to recommend this game—if you're willing to look beneath the surface.


I had a negative impression for numerous reasons.

I was worn-out after 50 hours of Van Helsing: Final Cut. VV's streamlined gameplay didn't convince me there was any longevity/depth. The enemy variety was/is too limited and it became tiresome quickly. Worse of all, I had thought the game had respawned enemies every time I left a general area for a mini-dungeon. (Not the HUB.)

Only by happenstance of me testing out the Steam Controller did I learn that almost all these issues could be fixed by looking further into the game. (Which is a problem for first-impressions or people not willing to experiment with the game.)

I also learned my black mark—of respawning enemies and of erasing progress—was outright false. Something anyone who read this review, played the game and didn't agree with my thoughts should've pointed that out, not argued about the rating.

That misunderstanding is why I re-reviewed this game. Because even if I don't like a game I want to always be correct about my complaints.


There was a misunderstanding when I said progression feels stagnant. It's not that there is no depth or no way to improve yourself—the problem is that your character himself does not show gradual changes as you play, so everything feels the same.

It's better to say progression is abrupt, and entirely dependent on the player's involvement. Leveling up unlocks new things to experiment with (Destiny Card pts, card slots, a second weapon, item or demon power slot, etc.) They also unlock other additions like the transmutation system, another outfit, PvP, endless arena and Hexes (difficulty modifiers).

These are all options, options which you may or may not care about as you play. You're enjoyment of the game is based on how much interest you want to put into tweaking these options to create your own character, from the weapons/skills to your playstyle.


In order to appreciate the benefits of a "no-class" ARPG, you have to have some interest by experimenting with all these options. If that doesn't sound appealing than having a class-system laid out for you, then VV is not for you.

There are no "active" skill improvements other than finding a new demon power or a new type of weapon. But there are only eight weapons (and about the same number of demon powers): Swords, Hammers, Scythes, Rapiers, Shotguns, Lightning Guns, Mortar Guns, Tomes. Each weapon has three active skills (one standard attack, two specials), and you can have two weapon equipped and two demon powers at most. (10 total skills.)

The make-or-break deal is whether or not you like the weapon presets. On the one hand, each weapon is tailored for one playstyle and you can master it as you play. But if you don't like it, then that limits your options even further.

This could be fixed if the game offered new presets of skills. Instead, you have to find what weapon is for you—and if you combine weapon's abilities together (like the shotgun's speed boost with the hammer) you can get some interesting weapon synergy.

(I still think the combat would flow much better if the devs took a page from Bloodborne used changing out weapons as another attack skill based on your weapon choices.)

The best part about this system is you can beat the game, entirely, without ranged weapons or one specific weapon type. Something that I had originally thought was mandatory, and yet I finished the game, solo, on Normal with two or three Hexes added.

(Hexes, I have also found, made me ignore the Transmutation system entirely. I still got plenty of legendaries and good loot from random drops.)

The real source of improvement comes from building your character around the buffs of your Destiny Cards, your weapons/inventory and focusing on what weapons work best.


If you took a look at this list, you'd be forgiven thinking these things are unnecessary to pay attention to as you play: Destiny Cards[victorvran.wikia.com]

The reality is that is your source of builds in VV, and if you want to play the game properly you'll have to figure out what works with your playstyle (and weapons). The game's spike in difficulties at some points will force you to focus on this system.

Some cards provide the basic whatever-percent value boost while others give flashier effects by taking damage or dealing out critical hits. Some will give you weapon modifiers. Some of which will help you stay alive by siphoning off health with each hit or kill.

There are also random effects (divine or wicked) that make lower-tiered buffs worth more than higher valued stuff. (A Divine Rogue 1 with armor penetration is much better than a Rogue 3 for some instances.) And because you have a limited number of Destiny Points, you have to take the time to figure out what selection is for you.

Combine the Destiny Points with each outfits'/armors' adrenaline system to use Demon Powers, and you can find as much depth in this game as you would in most other ARPGs. The store-page was not lying when it said you need as much as skill as you need a proper build.

The question is, "Will you want to invest any interest in that system?"


Again, you have to invest a lot in this non-casual-friendly system to play properly and to also understand its appeal. That is something that should be addressed as other similar games provide a simpler system, though they may be more or less complex than Victor Vran.

This isn't a cry for a game to become dumb-downed. I want more people to play this game, and I would bet that many who didn't enjoy it (based on my old review's ratings, 398 out of 503 upvotes) would come to love it if the system was developed more. (Either by more weapons, more preset options, more card variety tied to these changes, more enemy variety, etc.)

If you're not sure if the game is for you, then I would urge you to try it for yourself on a sale, and if it is something you'd enjoy convince your friends to join up with you for cooperative play.

• Add another skill between weapons to make combat flow better. (Ex. Bloodborne.)
  
• If we can't choose our skills for weapons, then let us have various presets for different playstyles. (It'll give us a reason to try weapons more.)
  
• More interesting enemy variety.
  
• Less arbitrary "challenges" (no-hit, timers, etc.) and more Hex modifiers for challenge.

Victor Vran is something that could be considered a classic if it was tailored for both the devoted audience and casual players. It's a game I almost couldn't stand because of its deviations from what I expect to enjoy from an ARPG. Over four months ago I had first played Victor Vran for six hours before coming to the conclusion that the game wasn't for me or for casual ARPG players. Now, after 18 hours, I'm going to recommend this game—if you're willing to look beneath the surface. [h1]Why the Change of Heart?[/h1] I had a negative impression for numerous reasons. I was worn-out after 50 hours of Van Helsing: Final Cut. VV's streamlined gameplay didn't convince me there was any longevity/depth. The enemy variety was/is too limited and it became tiresome quickly. Worse of all, I had thought the game had respawned enemies every time I left a general area for a mini-dungeon. (Not the HUB.) Only by happenstance of me testing out the Steam Controller did I learn that almost all these issues could be fixed by looking further into the game. (Which is a problem for first-impressions or people not willing to experiment with the game.) I also learned my black mark—of respawning enemies and of erasing progress—was outright false. Something anyone who read this review, played the game and didn't agree with my thoughts should've pointed that out, not argued about the rating. That misunderstanding is why I re-reviewed this game. Because even if I don't like a game I want to always be correct about my complaints. [h1]The "Stagnant" Progression[/h1] There was a misunderstanding when I said progression feels stagnant. It's not that there is no depth or no way to improve yourself—the problem is that your character himself does not show gradual changes as you play, so everything feels the same. It's better to say progression is abrupt, and entirely dependent on the player's involvement. Leveling up unlocks new things to experiment with (Destiny Card pts, card slots, a second weapon, item or demon power slot, etc.) They also unlock other additions like the transmutation system, another outfit, PvP, endless arena and Hexes (difficulty modifiers). These are all options, options which you may or may not care about as you play. You're enjoyment of the game is based on how much interest you want to put into tweaking these options to create your own character, from the weapons/skills to your playstyle. [h1]Zero Classes, All Tailored Adjustments[/h1] In order to appreciate the benefits of a "no-class" ARPG, you have to have some interest by experimenting with all these options. If that doesn't sound appealing than having a class-system laid out for you, then VV is not for you. There are no "active" skill improvements other than finding a new demon power or a new type of weapon. But there are only eight weapons (and about the same number of demon powers): Swords, Hammers, Scythes, Rapiers, Shotguns, Lightning Guns, Mortar Guns, Tomes. Each weapon has [b]three[/b] active skills (one standard attack, two specials), and you can have two weapon equipped and two demon powers at most. (10 total skills.) The make-or-break deal is whether or not you like the weapon presets. On the one hand, each weapon is tailored for one playstyle and you can master it as you play. But if you don't like it, then that limits your options even further. This could be fixed if the game offered new presets of skills. Instead, you have to find what weapon is for you—and if you combine weapon's abilities together (like the shotgun's speed boost with the hammer) you can get some interesting weapon synergy. (I still think the combat would flow much better if the devs took a page from Bloodborne used changing out weapons as another attack skill based on your weapon choices.) The best part about this system is you can beat the game, entirely, without ranged weapons or one specific weapon type. Something that I had originally thought was mandatory, and yet I finished the game, solo, on Normal with two or three Hexes added. (Hexes, I have also found, made me ignore the Transmutation system entirely. I still got plenty of legendaries and good loot from random drops.) The real source of improvement comes from building your character around the buffs of your Destiny Cards, your weapons/inventory and focusing on what weapons work best. [h1]The Only Passive System that's Not All Boring[/h1] If you took a look at this list, you'd be forgiven thinking these things are unnecessary to pay attention to as you play: [url=http://victorvran.wikia.com/wiki/Destiny_Cards]Destiny Cards[/url] The reality is that is your source of builds in VV, and if you want to play the game properly you'll have to figure out what works with your playstyle (and weapons). The game's spike in difficulties at some points will force you to focus on this system. Some cards provide the basic whatever-percent value boost while others give flashier effects by taking damage or dealing out critical hits. Some will give you weapon modifiers. Some of which will help you stay alive by siphoning off health with each hit or kill. There are also random effects (divine or wicked) that make lower-tiered buffs worth more than higher valued stuff. (A Divine Rogue 1 with armor penetration is much better than a Rogue 3 for some instances.) And because you have a limited number of Destiny Points, you have to take the time to figure out what selection is for you. Combine the Destiny Points with each outfits'/armors' adrenaline system to use Demon Powers, and you can find as much depth in this game as you would in most other ARPGs. The store-page was not lying when it said you need as much as skill as you need a proper build. The question is, "Will you want to invest any interest in that system?" [h1]A Streamlined Game with Hardcore Demands[/h1] Again, you have to invest a lot in this non-casual-friendly system to play properly and to also understand its appeal. That is something that should be addressed as other similar games provide a simpler system, though they may be more or less complex than Victor Vran. This isn't a cry for a game to become dumb-downed. I want more people to play this game, and I would bet that many who didn't enjoy it (based on my old review's ratings, 398 out of 503 upvotes) would come to love it if the system was developed more. (Either by more weapons, more preset options, more card variety tied to these changes, more enemy variety, etc.) If you're not sure if the game is for you, then I would urge you to try it for yourself on a sale, and if it is something you'd enjoy convince your friends to join up with you for cooperative play. [h1]Suggestions for Improvement[/h1] [list] [*]Add another skill between weapons to make combat flow better. (Ex. Bloodborne.) [*]If we can't choose our skills for weapons, then let us have various presets for different playstyles. (It'll give us a reason to try weapons more.) [*]More interesting enemy variety. [*]Less arbitrary "challenges" (no-hit, timers, etc.) and more Hex modifiers for challenge. [/list]