Buddy Vampire Review

Buddy Vampire is the kind of game that lends itself to dropping in on for brief sessions throughout the day. Not so much because it's dependant on timers or freemium based restrictions, but simply because there's not a huge amount to do. This is fairly typical of a virtual pet type of game. This time round, as the name suggests, the 'pet' isn't a fluffy, adorable animal, it's a vampire. Players can choose the gender and name of the vampire, before regularly feeding it blood, giving it a shower, or simply wandering around its home.

A fairly low maintenance creature to look after, Buddy Vampire is pretty straight-forward. A series of meters demonstrate the vampire's needs. Every now and then, it needs a dose of blood to boost its energy levels. Other times, it might need a shower or to brush its teeth. In these two instances, a form of mini-game comes into effect. The former simply requires tapping a number of bubbles while the latter involves performing a brushing style motion with one's fingers.

Besides such menial tasks, the vampire can also play the piano. It's possible to create random tunes, but benefits are rewarded for playing a tune that a bat outside of the house plays to the night dweller. These benefits offer up bats which can be used to purchase new clothes for the vampire or backdrops to the house.

More interactive elements stem from the entertaining arcade games that seek to keep the vampire, and the player, suitably happy. One is a simplistic form of shooter, while the other is a much more satisfying physics puzzle game. Each offers enough to keep one interested for a time, with the added bonus of bats to use elsewhere.

As is customary for a virtual pet game, new bonuses are gradually unlocked through regular use, such as levitation and teleportation. Buddy Vampire is certainly a slow burning title and unlikely to keep all players hooked. For those who want to nurture something that isn't as fluffy as the rest, however, it has a particular warm spirit to it.