2022 is often described as a poor year for gaming as the majority of bigger projects have been shelved until 2023 onwards. Realistically though, if you dig deep and rifle through what has actually launched this year, there is plenty of great stuff. It’s also that period of time when people start making decisions on what their Game Of The Year is. There are many candidates for me, some that are glaringly obvious like Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II and even the excellent As Dusk Falls which I adored. But there is one that I have recently discovered, and it picked me up slapped me across the face and has consumed my life. It is dangerously addictive and has the ability to make hours feel like minutes.

Introduction

Vampire Survivors is my favourite game of 2022 and I can’t see anything brushing my opinion away in the next six weeks, that’s for sure. After smashing in close to 24 hours within four days with no sign of stopping, I was surprised to see this game retailing at just £3.99. The game is currently available for Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. If you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription though, you can grab this as part of the catalogue on all platforms and even utilise the power of the cloud and play on the go. It is the perfect title to sit on the sofa and play with a mobile device which is actually how I’ve managed to get so much time in with it.

The game is described as a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements. When I read the synopsis, it sounded like something that I wouldn’t enjoy so much, especially since rogue-lites can often be extremely complex or a little dull if not executed well. I can assure you though, this is an experience which you won’t want to miss and after early access phases on Windows PC, there has never been a better time to get hands-on.

Gameplay

At the start of your run on the very first level, everything feels slightly calm with just a few bats to dispose of but it quickly becomes a game of survival. The premise of the game if very simple and that is to survive for as long as possible and ideally until the end of a 30-minute run. You almost certainly will not do this straight away as not only do you need to adjust to the pattern of the hordes of never-ending enemies, you need to be mindful in your approach both in movement and when selecting the weapons and abilities each time you level up.

The majority of enemies will drop, blue, green or red coloured orbs when you dispatch them and the more of these you collect, the quicker you will level up. Each time you fill the blue bar at the top of your screen, you’ll be given a choice of three elements. These choices really matter on how well you can last on the ground so choose wisely. There are too many different possibilities to list in my review but for example, you may choose garlic as it will do damage to enemies in your close proximity, or you could pick lightning strikes that rain down around you. Gold collected throughout your runs can be used to purchase permanent power-ups to make you stronger in battle the next time.

Keep Your Balance

You’ll need to balance your attacks with the rest of the offerings that you could pick from, such as the option for more health, armour, faster movements and even weapon cooldowns. You only get one life per run so be cautious, though there are roast chickens to heal your character from time to time, they are scarce, so you need to try and do your best to keep health as high as possible. Every five minutes or so, you may find an almighty barrage of enemies to contend with and it’s the game’s way to keep you on your toes.

The control scheme is super simplistic with everything done with analogue sticks with movement and direction of the projectiles being all you need to worry about. You’ll always want to be on the lookout for an exit route to a cluster of enemies as you don’t want to be stuck in the centre of them.

Graphics & Audio

On the surface, you may look at Vampire Survivors and immediately dismiss it due to its dated and retro aesthetics. I urge you not to overlook the game based on videos and screenshots and submerge yourself in the carnage. It really is one of those classic cases of graphics don’t always make a game, and it is so bloody true with this one. Personally, I couldn’t imagine the game being half as good if it was any different in its appearance, to be honest. For the amount of chaos that erupts onto the screen at once, the development team have done a superb job of illustrating and knitting together the mechanics of the enemy movement with zero issues with the performance.

The number of weapons and power-ups give you a genuine feel that no two runs are ever the same and dependent on what you were rocking projectile-wise, the presentation can also vary. Enemy types draft in at precise moments during the time spent during the game and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses along with appearance making them varied across the board with great illustration. Audio is solid enough with all sound effects hitting the right notes along with

In Conclusion

Vampire Survivors is not only my game of 2022, but it is also my biggest surprise of the year. It has a moreish gameplay loop like I have never experienced before, and it really has the opportunity for endless replayability and longevity. The levelling process and the spontaneous nature of what abilities the game throws at you each time you can make a choice makes for a different experience each and every time.

The inclusion of several starting characters and levels with a huge plethora of enemy types with over 100 power-ups just brings unlimited addiction. The variety of levels is just enough to keep feeding that habit of “just one more go”. Not only this though, but some of these levels have also hidden sections that can be unlocked, more magic can be uncovered the more you play and the chance to use duplicators for more presence of power keeps you reeled in. Even if you die, the sense of deflation almost immediately vanishes as you attempt to spend coins to make yourself stronger and go again!

Jordi’s Game Of The Year 2022

So, there it is then, Vampire Survivors is hand on heart my Game Of The Year for 2022 and may just be on the cusp of becoming my favourite indie title of all time. Do not pass up the opportunity to play this, you have no excuse to give it a miss with Xbox and PC Game Pass and for less than the price of a pint of beer in the UK, I’ll be supporting Poncle and buying this one to keep forever since it is my very first 100% scored game for Complete Xbox.