07 May 2023 , 10:00
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Redfall has ended up releasing in a buggy, unfinished state. So we've collected some of the best vampire games that you can have a better time with this weekend.
Microsoft and Arkane Austin’s vampire blast-em-up Redfall has gone down about as well as bringing garlic bread to a vampire's dinner party, leaving many itching for a good game to play this weekend that doesn't suck. Luckily, we've collected five of the best vampire-adjacent titles to keep your bloodthirst in check. All of the games included are readily available on current platforms too, meaning you won't have to jump through too many hoops to try them out.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Perhaps the most iconic intro to a game ever. (Konami)Let's get the big one out of the way first. I could fill this entire list with Castlevania games. The most enduring vampire-centric series of video games has produced countless classics: the 1986 original on the NES, the phenomenal Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, even up to the extremely underrated Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. But for my money the greatest Castlevania title has to be 1997's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Symphony of the Night flipped the script on the entire Castlevania series by having you play as a vampire yourself, taking on the role of Dracula's son Alucard on a quest to scrap with his dad. Not only that but it changed the series entirely from a linear 2D platformer to an exploration-focused adventure game akin to Nintendo's Metroid series – thus the Metroidvania genre was born.
Sporting Gorgeous pixel art, an incredible soundtrack and one of the most impressive game worlds to explore, even to this day, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is considered one of the greatest games of all time for a reason. It's available on PS4 and PS5 as a part of the Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood collection, as well as on Xbox consoles through Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility.
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Vampire Survivors
It's easy to underestimate Vampire Survivors for it's simplicity and get overwhelmed in the process (Poncle)2022's biggest surprise had to be the indie-gem Vampire Survivors – a game that recently beat out behemoths like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok to pick up the 2023 BAFTA Games Award for Best Game. Initially developed by a single person over two years, Vampire Survivors is the epitome of 'just one more run'.
The gimmick here is the only input you actually have with the game is walking as your character attacks automatically. As you defeat more enemies you'll get access to upgrades, unlocking stat boosts and extra weapons to cause destruction with. At first, the game seems extremely basic, and it's hard to understand why everyone is raving about it, but it gets its claws into you quickly and suddenly you've played five sessions in a row.
Best of all the game is very cheap, only costing £3.99 / $4.99 / AU$7.49 with the full version with all DLC included coming in at £6.09 / $7.62 / AU$11.45 on Steam. It's also available for free on mobile and Xbox Game Pass so the barrier for entry has never been lower.
Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood
Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood may not feature Nicholas Cage, but it's still a good time (Skybound Games)I hear you say "I've already played countless hours of Vampire Survivors and want a similar game, perhaps one based on a recently released vampire movie featuring Nicholas Cage" and while your request is extremely specific you're in luck because such a game exists with the recently released Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood.
Released last month in Early Access, Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood takes the Vampire Survivors gameplay you know and love and gives it a dash of Smash TV with its level-based approach. Rather than fighting skeletons in Italian towers you'll be prowling the streets of New Orleans, taking on bikers and other miscellaneous foes.
The game is a bit limited at the moment due to its Early Access status, but the developers at Mega Cat Studios are planning on adding more to the game as it goes on. Plus it's also pretty cheap on Steam, costing £4.49 / $4.99 / AU$7.50, so if you've run out of things to do in Vampire Survivors and want to scratch that itch, Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood is a solid take on the genre.
Resident Evil Village
Don't let this image deceive you Lady Dimitrescu towers above you in Resident Evil Village (Capcom)Okay, so technically I'm cheating here as vampires only make up one portion of Resident Evil Village, but arguably the most iconic character and aspect of the game is the 9' 6" vampire Countess, Alcina Dimitrescu, who inspired all manner of conversation across the internet, becoming an instant star in the at the time 25 year old series.
Castle Dimitrescu is the first major section of the game you'll arrive at, where you're greeted by Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters Bela, Cassandra and Daniela. Despite the Resident Evil fanbase's affection for her, she's a terrifying and imposing threat as she pursues you around the castle in a manner similar to the terrifying Mr X from Resident Evil 2 in what is one of the most memorable aspects of the entire game.
Sadly, your time spent with Lady Dimitrescu is short but sweet, as she's a non-factor in Ethan Winters' story after the opening hours. Thankfully the rest of the game is fantastic too, even if it doesn't have any other vampires. Resident Evil Village is currently available on all current gen consoles, including a cloud version on Nintendo Switch.
Infamous 2: Festival of Blood
InFamous 2: Festival of Blood lets you step into the shoes of a vampiric superhero (Sucker Punch Productions)Although it suffered from giving main character, Cole McGrath, a rather bleak send-off (at least in the good ending) Infamous 2’s electrified superhero bit back with a vengeance in the standalone side story Infamous 2: Festival of Blood. It’s set entirely outside of the main series canon and follows Cole’s slow transformation into a bloodsucker, gifting him with a suite of cool vampiric skills that further enhance his already great power set.
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In his attempt to go toe-to-toe with the legendary Bloody Mary, find the cure and rid New Marais of every vampire in sight, Cole can fly around the city as a flurry of bats, stake foes up close using his modified Amp weapon and choose to either save or suck the blood of civilians in order to gain strength.
InFamous 2: Festival of Blood might not be the biggest or most unique take on vampire lore out there, but it’s a bite-sized slice of an already great open-world PS3 game that answers the question: what would a superhero be capable of with vampiric powers?
Players on PS4 and PS5 who subscribe to the PS Plus Essential tier can start playing Infamous 2: Festival of Blood today, alongside the other two first InFamous instalments. Sure, it’s relatively old compared to other vampire games on this list, but it’s a fun time that won’t suck up as much of your time.