V For Vampire Review

Update: Title of game changed as per developer request.

Looking back through the annals of literary history, few have even come close to the influence and legacy of the great Bram Stoker. On the occasion of the author's 165th birthday, which just so happened to be last week, it seemed appropriate to take a look at a game inspired by arguably his most famous work, Dracula. Taking the form of a physics-based puzzle game, does the new title V for Vampire bring the fright and fun, or should it stay locked in the coffin for another century?

Anyone who has watched a classic flick featuring a vampire (and I don't condone referring to the Twilight series as classics, under ANY circumstances) knows that the creatures are not too fond of light. In fact, under most circumstances, contact with it can lead to their untimely demise. In V for Vampire the whole crux of the game is solving physics puzzles in order to clear out all light sources. Once cleared, the player-controlled vamp can snag a midnight snack of unsuspecting maidens.

As far as puzzle challenges go, this is far from anything overly new or innovative. Most players should be able to figure out each stage in a couple of minutes at most. The trial and error approach to getting out of tight spots can grow wearisome at times, but for the most part stages steer clear of too much monotony.

If there was one thing that V for Vampire does better than anything else, it is charming the player. It's obvious that the vampire avatar has a very lighthearted approach to the circumstances, which also helps disarm the fact that you are helping a monster to potentially maim, if not kill, people. At the end of every stage, Drac will throw on a bib and get ready to feast, and most times a new and amusing animation awaits. Anything from accidentally acquiring chicken pox, getting ambushed by death or even being jumped by an over-attracted meal are just some of the hilarious outcomes possible.

While it doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to puzzling gameplay, somehow V for Vampire manages to be entertaining enough to maintain interest all the way through the campaign. Clocking in at a mere ninety nine cents, the thirty five stage suite of challenges prove to be an amusing investment in an afternoon of fun.

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