My first meeting with Stunlock Studios was in the last period of my MOBA fascination. Those of you who will remember that the incredible popularity created by League of Legends had created a boom in the world of MOBA. I came across Battlerite when Heroes of Newerth, Smite and many other games like that were coming out. Battlerite, which gave me more enjoyable moments than I expected, distinguished itself from many MOBAs, especially with its gameplay. After Battlerite, we became an “inseparable duo” with Stunlock.

My adventure, which started with Battlerite, continued with Battlerite Royale, which is also a very entertaining game. But when neither game lasted as long as Smite (yes, Smite), of course, I was distressed. That is, until we introduced a new game called Stunlock V Rising.

V Rising is a game that I have included in my list and have been eagerly awaiting for a long time. I bought the game, whose development I followed step by step, as it entered early access. And I can proudly say that Stunlock Studios did it in its “third leap”.

What is the Truth of the Matter?

We are talking about a production that has managed to attract millions of players despite being in early access. As you know, after the pandemic process, there has been an incredible change in our acting feelings. Stunlock Studios developed V Rising by reading it very accurately. The team, which closely followed the steps of Valheim, which exploded in a short time, made everything Valheim’s promise much more concentrated.

First of all, I want to talk about the theme of the game. As you know, every 5-6 years the bad guys of the games change. I’m guessing you know what era we’re in from the zombie games that have been coming up in a row for a few years now. Starting this year, we are returning to the vampire theme once again with games like V Rising and Redfall.

Yes, in V Rising – as the name suggests – we play a vampire of our own making. Although we play the game from the isometric camera, we can get closer and see our character whenever we want. This, of course, increases the joy of personalizing your vampire. Let me note, though, that you don’t have many customization options for now. But it is also worth underlining that the game is still in early access.

Of course, we are very angry because we have been expelled from our homes, from our homes. Although the game does not have a story mode for now, we can see the reason for the war between vampires and humans thanks to the short cutscene. You step into the world of the game in a short time.

Relentless Hunger

As soon as you rise from the mausoleum, a cruel world awaits you. For this reason, I chose to play alone first. But of course, I’ll talk about my multiplayer experience later in the review.

As you take your first steps in this wild world, the game reminds you that you are a vampire in an instant. You also meet your main food blood and its ability to suck the blood of weak enemies here. The sphere located right in the middle of the screen represents your blood store. When you are gone, you can reach full life once again by using your blood storage.

The foundation of the game is based on this bloodsucking mechanic. When you hover over any kind of monster or human, you see a face just below the life bar. This represents the strength of one’s blood. When you suck the blood of this creature, you can get additional features that are included in its class. For example, when you suck the blood of an animal, you can gain extra speed, and when you suck the blood of a warrior, you can increase your critical chances. There are many different blood types like this, of course.

You have to beat up the enemy whose blood you are sucking up to a certain point – and that’s where the combat mechanics come into play.

The Tip of My Spear

The Stunlock team has transferred all the experience it has developed in the MOBA realm to V Rising. I mentioned above how good the mechanics of Battlerite are. These mechanics also appear directly on V Rising. In fact, some of the skills are so similar to those in Battlerite that I couldn’t hide my surprise while playing.

Your basic attacks can be carried out with the weapons in your hands. All of these weapons have their strengths. For example, you can cut trees much more easily with an axe. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use the axe when fighting. That’s why it’s important to choose the weapon that feels right for you, especially in the PvP mode, which I’ll talk about in a moment.

Your special powers in the game include turning into a wolf, bear, or mouse

Your weapons and crossbow also have secondary firing modes. You also need to use them at the right times, especially when fighting powerful enemies. Otherwise, you can find yourself lying on the ground with your life in an instant.

Your main weapons are accompanied by new spells that you earn as you cut through the main bosses in the game. These spells range from those that allow you to avoid attacks to different variants where you can directly damage the enemy. Some attacks poison the enemy, while others are difficult to snap but are designed to deal high damage when you snap them. So this magic part can be changed depending entirely on your playstyle.

Would it be the level of the vampire?

V Rising uses the “gear score” system we know from Destiny 2. As you strengthen your equipment, the number in your head grows and you can unlock new main bosses. Each new boss gives you different abilities, some of which can unlock craft recipes or new systems that you can add to your castle.

Speaking of your castle, let’s talk about another important mechanic of the game. Do not think that we have thrown this magnificent system out of the window because of the quality of the combat mechanics…

I haven’t decided what to do here yet

If you’re someone who goes into the finest detail in every game you can base on, V Rising is for you. Your castle, which you first build from wooden walls, can turn into a structure of pure marble in a short time. Your castle, which you can decorate with wall details, floor details, windows, mirrors and many marble structures, is not only a shelter but also a pleasure point for you.

Especially in collective groups of friends, I recommend that you leave the design to the friend who knows his job. We were very pleased with the result…

Of course, you can fill the castle with machines that can process various raw materials. This helps you both to increase your level by crafting and to unlock more craft options. Your castles also serve as a hiding spot from the sun, the fiercest enemy of vampires.

A Climate of Complete Chaos

The development team that managed to design the world of V Rising in a way that makes it feel very lively. Each region has its own enemy types, and you can find interesting events between these enemy types from time to time. For example, you can witness a group of vampire hunters fighting skeletons while crossing the road. A false skill shot can even involve roadside wolves in combat.

Of course, you need to collect the materials required for Craft from this living world. On the other hand, at this point, especially in the first levels, you may get a little bored. Because in order to collect materials, it may be necessary to go to the same places and fight the same enemies all the time. This is a big problem, especially for those who want to play the game as single player.

Unfortunately, single-player problems don’t end there. Although the single player mode has been officially added to the game, the game still does not seem to offer this support.

Let’s start with the simplest problem, “server time”, for example. V Rising has a time lock system that we know from mobile games and that westerners call “time gate”. Everything that is craft in it can be produced in a certain period of time and there is no way to accelerate this process, unfortunately. For example, even if you catch a servant yourself, you have to wait for him to transform for about 1 hour. Some craft options take about 10-20 seconds, while others can take 5-6 minutes.

You do not have any problems because this system progresses with server time in online games. This means that even if you exit the game on multiplayer servers, the process continues to continue. But if you have opened a solo game, this period does not progress because the server closes the moment you leave. So when you send your servants on 24-hour missions, you shouldn’t turn off 24-hour V Rising…

We know that the studio is still working on this single-player mode. However, during the process of writing the review, I did not want to pass without mentioning this issue because it was a serious problem.

War of the Vampires

Let’s come to the multiplayer system, which is the most meaty, juicy and beautiful part of the game. To be honest, I don’t like to play games with different groups. But V Rising’s community and the community’s communication with each other is also very good. And there’s only one reason for that: “voice communication.”

Me and my personal assistant Serdar

It is an incredible pleasure to be able to communicate by voice with the people you come together while traveling in the open world. The feeling of the “living world” I mentioned above is almost to the next level with this system. You can witness people arguing among themselves, and you can see vampires taunt each other as they pass by on the road. For this reason, I recommend choosing the PvP mode, especially on multiplayer servers.

The Vampire’s Worst Enemy: The Sun!

Another mode that comes up when you enter the multiplayer option is the PvE mode. In this mode, vampires cannot harm each other, nor can they attack each other’s castles or servants.

V Rising’s PvP mode reminded me of the pleasant moments I spent in Rust in these aspects alone.

The Final Word

If you’re looking for a game for your group of friends right now, one of the rare games you can get without hesitation is V Rising. Although it is not the most refined work that Stunlock Studios has ever produced, it is certain that it will promise you pleasant minutes.

We will make a full detailed review of the game after it leaves early access. But for now:

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