Have no idea why this game so underrated/unpopular

[Tim]

This gem was sneaky sitting in my lib and waited until i play it. This is just a great game. I played just about 10 hours yet. I dont know maybe in future i will get some sort of disappointment? But for now it is best game (for me) of ARPG genre. Everything exactly as it should be in my perfect ARPG game. Cant even find any drawbacks. No dubious and unnecessary stuff. Just. Entertainment. Game!

Great job devs.

[xylt]

To put it in as few words as possible:
Victor Vran is a game that breaks with some things many just expect from aRPGs now out of being used to them, a.e.:

• NO passive skill tree (giving you "meaningfull choices"/the possibility to (nearly) unredemably brick your character+ having to start over)
  
• NO set area/monster levels (letting you feel overpowered in some areas but also forcing you into certain areas (even if you don't like their layout/look) by making lower level areas much less rewarding)

and VV is in some ways a game in between...
a.e.:

• mixture of some character individualisation (somewhat similar to diablo-likes) and some action-focus in combat (like in Souls-likes) -> (how good you really are at the game) = (making a good build) * ('action-skill') -> be bad at 1 part of this equation and you'll have to be really good at the other
  
• + with you unlocking new slots/additional destiny points (-> more "build diversity") and monsters getting more specific modifiers (depending on their type) +new monster types both parts also get more difficult as you play. Which if you get better at both while playing/lvl-ing-up (what seems like a reasonable expectation imho) won't be a real problem. Otherwise there'll be a point where you'll believe the game has "suddenly" become unreasonably difficult
  
• a graphic style that's not quite 'comicy' ('comicy'~=how the "Torchlight"-games look) but also missing enough details to not quite be a 'realistic' graphic style (that many other modern aRPGs have)

That' just my 2 cents why it's a niche game...

[Tim]

Interesting. Thank you.

Cant talk about balance until i finish game at least. But

Originally posted by xylt:

Victor Vran is a game that breaks with some things many just expect from aRPGs now out of being used to them, a.e.:

• NO passive skill tree (giving you "meaningfull choices"/the possibility to (nearly) unredemably brick your character+ having to start over)

I guess more correctly to say: things just expect from old Diablo2-like system, not aRPG overall.
Destiny cards provides passive skills. They cant brick your character, yes. In Diablo 3 you cant brick you character but this does not hamper to be Diablo 3 most popular game in this genre.

Originally posted by xylt:

• NO set area/monster levels (letting you feel overpowered in some areas but also forcing you into certain areas (even if you don't like their layout/look) by making lower level areas much less rewarding)

I understand your point. I have no clear opinion about that. Sometimes i like feeling that your character become OP and can easy smash low lvl enemies.

Originally posted by xylt:

• mixture of some character individualisation (somewhat similar to diablo-likes) and some action-focus in combat (like in Souls-likes) -> (how good you really are at the game) = (making a good build) * ('action-skill') -> be bad at 1 part of this equation and you'll have to be really good at the other

Good point indeed. VV feels just simplified version of this. But not sure is it good or bad.

Originally posted by xylt:

• a graphic style that's not quite 'comicy' ('comicy'~=how the "Torchlight"-games look) but also missing enough details to not quite be a 'realistic' graphic style (that many other modern aRPGs have)

Exactly this. Graphics style in Victor Vran is not cartoony and its not photo realistic in the same time. But i like it a lot right after few minutes of playing the game. It still have some individual style, atmosphere. Pleasant lighting in game and overall it is pretty eye candy. Also i cant say that there is lacks of details in game. What i really think that the game is missing some epic building or architectural structures, or freaky, insanely huge bosses, or something like that. But i also dont sure, maybe this is not drawback. Game have pretty tighten dry style, which is also i found cool.

And i really like Torchlight style but Victror Vran is not Torchlight, and this cool too.

[Bloonis]

I didn't know about this game until a friend bought it on sale for 2 euro and gifted it to me. Since then I have squeezed 360 hours out of it with no immediate plans of slowing down. Best 2 euro ever xD

[Tim]

@Bloonis, nice story :D

I found some talks in WWW where people say that probably problem with sales and popularity is a bad game name (in marketing terms). I remembered that i though the same when first time heard about the game.

[Tim]

Just want to add some feedback:

When i first time found this legendary "Tome - Nekonomicon" and saw this flying cats from the sky i was like: Holy crap, this is amazing!

Game is addictive as hell. Grinding is enjoyable and not boring. Game will always reward player whether or not. There also decent amount of room for skill demanding task. I mean timings, practice etc. Even some strategy lol.

Other devs can learn a lot from you (VV devs). How need to make enjoyable games primarily. Not this sadistic-like where you forced to do boring stuff, just for increasing game time.

30 hours and i still hyping.

[Bloonis]

The campaign is extremely short, both in the base game and in the Motorhead DLC. In Fractures DLC, the campaign doesn't make any sense (to me) and forces you to wait a couple of days until you complete it.

Additionally, in order to make functional builds, you must have the correct cards, plus with the right divine/wicked properties on them. All of this is random and requires way too much grinding and gambling.

I think these are the two main factors that put people off. And personally, I don't blame them.

On the other hand though, I do agree with you, once you are past the above, the game is very addicitve.

[Tim]

Oh yeah i always trying to say something as short as possible, because people dont like to read long posts/texts. But when i read myself what i wrote before after some time - i a realize that i hardly understand myself and what i wanted to say.

So once again in short:

I dont care about campaign to much, i took me ~15 hours a slow, relaxed game time (sometime with my 1 lvl buddy). But in same time i like that this campaign even exist.

What i really wanted to say that grinding in VV is fun and enjoyable. In many other games i found it really badly made. Maybe this is subjective thing, but i see some things in VV which i wanted to say well made (in practical terms) but i cant because of my lame English, sorry.

When i said game always reward you: i mean you can enter for 15 min into the game and do quickly some challenge or just smashing mobs - you will be rewarded anyway. Completing small challenge - is already considering as reward. +There still a chance that you can get new awesome legendary weapon, like this Tome with cats.

And i personally found this combinations and functional builds is interesting. Game have adequate depth. At least not for 15 hours, like some people said. Much much more! So i still have no idea why this people who like this genre but not like VV.

[tnaik]

i just stumbled across this game while reading about path of exile , i really like the ARPG style and it looks promising after reading u guys response here, hopefully ill enjoy it, does it have any kind of end game? like diablo 3 greater rifts or any similar challenges ?

[Tim]

Originally posted by tnaik:

like diablo 3 greater rifts or any similar challenges ?

Short answer - yes. There some areas available after you finish main campaign with endless challenges. I believe @Bloonis can give you more detailed answer.

Also as you can see he already spend 469 h in Victor Vran ;)

I personally didnt seen yet all location in VV (30h total, basic game, non-DLC). So i still have motivation to travel in this new areas and consume more awesome new content in first place.

[Bloonis]

Originally posted by tnaik:

i just stumbled across this game while reading about path of exile , i really like the ARPG style and it looks promising after reading u guys response here, hopefully ill enjoy it, does it have any kind of end game? like diablo 3 greater rifts or any similar challenges ?

I spent 470 hours because I wanted to do all achievements and they probably took me way longer than they should have.

I think the end game is all about enjoying the action that Victor Vran provides and finding excuses to play more, e.g. farming for gear, doing treasure/bounty hunts, hunting achievements, playing the bottomless pit (infinite mode), create new builds, etc. Overall, just having fun.

That is my personal view though.

[Bloonis]

Originally posted by Tim:

Oh yeah i always trying to say something as short as possible, because people dont like to read long posts/texts. But when i read myself what i wrote before after some time - i a realize that i hardly understand myself and what i wanted to say.

So once again in short:

I dont care about campaign to much, i took me ~15 hours a slow, relaxed game time (sometime with my 1 lvl buddy). But in same time i like that this campaign even exist.

What i really wanted to say that grinding in VV is fun and enjoyable. In many other games i found it really badly made. Maybe this is subjective thing, but i see some things in VV which i wanted to say well made (in practical terms) but i cant because of my lame English, sorry.

When i said game always reward you: i mean you can enter for 15 min into the game and do quickly some challenge or just smashing mobs - you will be rewarded anyway. Completing small challenge - is already considering as reward. +There still a chance that you can get new awesome legendary weapon, like this Tome with cats.

And i personally found this combinations and functional builds is interesting. Game have adequate depth. At least not for 15 hours, like some people said. Much much more! So i still have no idea why this people who like this genre but not like VV.

I do agree with everything you said.