Rusty crimson stains splatter along the off-white walls, creeping down into the vermilion plush of the carpets, leaving one unable to differentiate between the true color and the unfortunate aftermath of the battle that took place within the halls of The Brootherhood. Furniture lay strewn about, as well as discarded weaponry. Whatever had occurred here- it was fierce and violent, ruthless and left carnage in its wake.
But what, exactly, had transpired…? The ruins of the once-lavish Brotherhood Chateau lay in tatters, splintered floors and blood-stained walls still reverberated at each menial sound. It was quiet. Too quiet. Far too late had you noticed what seemed so off, what was out of place since you had last set foot within the walls of this sanctuary: Iron Maidens. Eerie, cold, and otherworldly- you had passed several on your way into the main chamber. They didn’t belong here- they felt… wrong.
The metallic clatter and hum that filled the air mere moments later confirmed your suspicions. Each and every Maiden screamed on un-oiled hinges, a malicious red glow brimming from it’s seemingly bottomless center as the doors of each sprang open. From within poured the most vile and hellish of finds one could imagine, one after another, no end in sight. This is what happened, what tore The Brotherhood asunder. You flex your fingers deftly in anticipation, pulling your sidearm from it’s holster. It’s time to set things right. 

The Brotherhood Chateau: The beginning of your journey in Survivor Mode.

Vampire Hunters is a rogue-like Survivor FPS both developed and published by Gamecraft Studios. Combining an intriguing twist of multiple genres, players will have a fresh spin on the ever-popular Vampire-Survivors formula. With several unique elements like multiple game modes, a FPS perspective, and unique character handling- this is a much more intensive formula than a traditional Survivors title. While at peak, a game like Vampire Survivors can be enjoyably brain-dead and mindless, this is the farthest thing from.

Navigating each characters skill tree is a must, and will give a noticeable power boost.

Each of the 3 available characters handles remarkably different from each other, boasting various strengths and weaknesses. Presently, the available classes are the Scout, the Berserker, and the Paladin. There are plans for more characters down the pipeline, though having a solid launch is at the forefront of the developers immediate scope. Even still, there is a great deal of variance in game play between the three. The Scout favoring agility and evasion, the Berserker favoring sheer force (even at the cost of his own life), and the Paladin favoring survivability and sustain. Each character has an individual skill tree playing to these strengths and they also unlock artifacts you can equip that are unique to each character as well.

Don't miss out on Classic Mode, where it all began.

Though Classic Mode harkens back to the original rendition of the game, offering a much more linear experience, the real meat is in Survivor Mode. Pick your character, and equip Constellations (star signs that are modifiers to your run),artifacts (up to three trinkets that boost your stats) and a starting weapon. In Survivor Mode, you will find levels to be vast in their own way, providing a ton of pathing options , although enemy AI is really quite basic at this stage (Though, some of the bosses movements and mechanics are quit entertaining, and unique!). Due to the sheer volume of enemies that can accumulate, this might not be such a bad things, however. Once you understand the maps, you’ll find they’re also quite consolidated, requiring you to memorize paths and escape routes to be really successful. Some levels also incorporate unique mobility options, such as zip lines, as well.

Using a mixture of mobility and planning, make a strategy accordingly. Later levels are ruthlessly unforgiving. 

Controlling your Survivor is about as straight forward as it comes, thriving on both controller and keyboard and mouse. All survivors come equipped with both a Blood Ability that you are able to use as you accumulate enemy kills and a Special Ability often linked with some form of mobility aid like a dash or ground stomp. One of the wildly interesting and somewhat amusing selling points of Vampire Hunters, is the sheer amount of firepower you arm yourself with. While by default all of your weapons are set to auto-fire, you can opt to manually fire them, as well as your secondary weapons. I was pleased to see they even gave the choice to do so, but it offers a much greater scope of flexibility. Overall, for how much you will have going on, you can have everything set to be self sufficient, or manage as you see fit. It works well both ways.

One of the MASSIVE bosses that can spawn. I was blown away with the scale of Draryu.

Visually Vampire Hunters as a real treat, utilizing a more simplistic graphical style. Combined with some of the vivid and interesting locations you’ll be slaughtering enemies throughout, it works well to provide some individualized flavor, as well as lessen the load to render the sheer swarm of foes you’ll find hot on your tail. Additionally, the musical score is one I found quite impressive, pulling from a whole slew of inspiration. You’ll likely finding yourself tilting your head, finding some of the music paying homage to titles like Castlevania and Doom. Overall, it works very well, and made my time in game enjoyable.

While it could likely use a little refinement, once you get a feel for the main screen, it offers you a whole lot of information.

While there is a lot of good to be said about the work that Gamecraft Studios has put in here, that's not to say there couldn’t be some improvements made. While the main menu of Survivor Mode isn’t the worst thing, it can feel overwhelming and confusing to newcomers, as can the layout for Skill Trees and Universal Upgrades. All artifact and weapon unlocks are per character, which I found to be slightly lacking. Especially when it comes to weapons. I felt they likely should have been shared amongst your present roaster of characters. However, the currency to unlock them can be easily enough acquired, once you get your feet wet. As with many Survivor-Style games, you won’t be equipped to be successful out the gate, and unlocking weapons, artifacts, and mastering each characters skill tree is vital in making progress.

Reaching the 30 minute mark unleashes sheer chaos.

Overall, if you are a fan of Survivor-Style games, and want to try something a touch more technical and intensive that just walking around (or standing still) and letting the screen explode in a technicolor dreamscape, Vampire Hunters will most definitely fit the bill. Combining a smart mixture of FPS mechanics and addicting play, you’ll find yourself immersed in some wildly fun and challenging game play that is easy to pick up, hard to master, but insanely rewarding. While not perfect, there are still plenty of adjustment and plans being made as the title nears launch. There’s more than enough solid game play present to hold replay value, leaving players all the more reason to go for “just one more run”.

Vampire Hunters is currently available in Early Access for $14.99 USD on the Steam Marketplace.