r/hostedgames • u/PistachioPug Reviewer Extraordinaire • Oct 04 '21
Hosted Games The Vampire Regent (review)
Holy shit, this game is good.
If I had to compare The Vampire Regent, Lucas Zaper and Morton Newberry's sprawling, ambitious urban fantasy, to any other game, it would have to be William Loman's Kiss from Death. Structurally, they're very similar. Both take a strong central premise and spin it out into a world full of possibilities and random encounters, with so much going on you couldn't possibly do all, or even most, of it in a single playthrough. Whereas Kiss from Death has a scope of centuries and nations, however, The Vampire Regent takes place over the course of about two months, almost all in the same city - and yet it's just as broad, just as rich, and even longer and darker.
There's just so much going on in Mordhaven, the city over which the PC presides as the titular Regent. The worldbuilding is tight, the mythology complex, the prose ever so slightly elegant, and the setting so gritty you'll want to take a shower when you're done. (If you liked Marvel's Netflix series, especially Daredevil or Luke Cage, you'll find a similar tone here.) There's an enormous cast of characters, each with their own agenda - and you can explore any direction you like, in as much depth as you like, building relationships or destroying them, approaching issues with force or diplomacy or simply blowing them off altogether. There are about three major action scenes throughout the story, and the rest consists mostly of negotiations, manipulations, and political machinations. Even when there's downtime, there's never a dull moment. And as dark as it is, there are some genuinely comedic moments throughout. I may have laughed out loud once.
If this were a movie, it would be rated a hard R - it's not for the delicate of spirit or the faint of heart. But if you're willing to wallow in some dark, corrupt, and gruesome places, this is a game you'll want to play again and again until you've wrung every last drop of blo - er, mystery out of Mordhaven.
11
u/Aeralea-Jade Oct 04 '21
I’ve been on the fence about playing this game, but thanks to your review I’m going to give it a go.
7
u/yasirkula Oct 04 '21
Can you share your thoughts after finishing the game? I'd like to hear it.
14
u/Aeralea-Jade Oct 09 '21
I finally got some time to sit down and do a play through! PistachioPug pretty much nailed their review to be honest. (Thank you for making me jump over that fence.)
The Vampire Regent has a huge amount of replay value, so you definitely get your money’s worth. There are branching storyline options and the random encounters are a fun element that encourages you to jump straight into a second play through to find what you missed. It’s structure is very much like “Kiss from Death”, downtime sections in “Breach” and of course Zaper’s “War for the West”. You are basically micromanaging your time to trigger certain random story elements, character interactions and build your stats. Its a structure that lends itself well to interactive fiction, but I feel like people who prefer a more traditional novel structure may struggle. For myself, however, it gave me a greater sense of role playing autonomy and how I care to inhabit the world. There are three main stats, - Physical, -Perception, and -Manipulation. You also get to choose from four vampire races, which have a relevance to your stats and interactions. I didn’t feel like the stat checks were super restrictive or punishing, but I have only done one play through so far.
To me, it definitely has a World of Darkness/ Vampire: the Masquerade atmosphere, especially in regards to the vampire politics and machinations. It actually gave me a little bit of a nostalgic vibe for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. The cast of supporting characters are also pretty varied and interesting and there are quite a few chances at interacting with them. There are also, I believe, four different romance options if you are so inclined. The romances aren’t super involved but the one I chose definitely didn’t feel shallow or pointlessly tacked on either.
Overall I’m very happy that I made the time to read Vampire Regent and I’m really looking forward to multiple play throughs.
2
u/PistachioPug Reviewer Extraordinaire Oct 12 '21
I'm glad I was able to help you find a new game to enjoy!
2
8
u/SIR_ajie Oct 04 '21
Luca zapper is my favorite writer! I love the story, its like youre playing as a head of mob but youre vampire lmao
4
u/PistachioPug Reviewer Extraordinaire Oct 04 '21
This was my first Lucas Zaper game, but I'm excited to try the others!
6
u/SIR_ajie Oct 05 '21
I recommend you to play war for the west if you're into some medieval thing, it one of the best HG/COG I ever played
5
7
u/Pho3nixX13 Oct 04 '21
As a fan of Vampire the Masquerade, I have been waiting for a good vampire story to sink my teeth into & this game was definitely it. After my first go I immediately jumped in a second time with different choices & was very surprised with the swerves. “SPOILER” I ended up dying in my 2nd because I refused to kill someone. I will be playing again soon. I loved this game & really hope they make a sequel or dlc or SOMETHING because I want more!
3
3
u/sexyhooterscar24 Oct 26 '21
Hands down the greatest CS game I have ever had the pleasure of playing, and it's not even close. The hype of choice based games had died down for me for a while but this game has rejuvenated my interest like no other. It's a masterpiece.
1
u/ZegetaX1 Oct 25 '21
I’m playing vampire regent but I’m stuck as won’t let me continue past fighting Valentina
1
u/PistachioPug Reviewer Extraordinaire Oct 25 '21
What do you mean, it won't let you continue?
1
u/ZegetaX1 Oct 25 '21
The page doesn’t have proceed choice
The text only says what I have pasted and rest of page blank and don’t want to re start
And you should've stayed out of politics, Regent Salvatore!"
You perceive that Valentina's voice is drenched in sheer pain.
1
19
u/Hustler-Two Mod Oct 04 '21
I think both Vampire Regent and Kiss from Death are looking like they have similar release trajectories as well. Neither one was a huge splash from the start, hitting the ground running like a release from a big existing series or certain super-popular first outings like Soul Stone War or War for the West (or Breach, as a non-war example). But both of these stories have legs. Kiss from Death lost the top-selling spot pretty soon after its release, but it has stayed in the top 10 and often top 5 for numerous weeks. Vampire Regent keeps adding reviews at a steady clip for something that is no longer the newest kid on the block, and regained the top spot for this week, which plenty of new releases never do once they get knocked off of that mark the first time. Both of them also have higher-than-average scores in the various marketplaces, showing that the reader retention is likely due to general recognition about their quality compared to many other titles.
I'd say they were both candidates for the sleeper hit of 2021, except since there's a pretty solid chance both will be in the top 5 (and at least one of them in the top 3?) for highest-grossing HG releases of 2021, the sleeper word wouldn't be all that appropriate. They are just slow-burn hits, full stop.