Hi everyone! I’m Philippe Moreau, Vampyr‘s game director. Today, I’ll be running through the combat system we have in our new game.

For the uninitiated, Vampyr is our upcoming action RPG set in the flu-ridden streets of London, 1918. All manner of dangers prowl London during a bout of the lethal Spanish flu. From vampire hunters to mutated abominations, Jonathan Reid will face foes as well as friends on his mission to discover the truth behind his new affliction and the origin of the deadly plague.

Armed with an array of conventional melee and ranged weaponry, attack and dodge enemies to fill up Jonathan’s Blood Gauge, which is required to unleash powerful vampire attacks.

From impaling enemies on a spike to draining them of blood at a distance, as Jonathan’s Blood Gauge fills during a combat situation, his Vampire affliction will start to overtake his more human side, unleashing destructive spells and abilities against those who try to stop him.

A nonlinear skill tree will unlock through experience gained and will open up more powerful attacks and abilities. Jonathan is able to equip these abilities in any order, effectively allowing you to create your own archetypes to match your play style. Play aggressively and deal greater damage, or more securely, focusing on crowd-control and keeping enemies at bay.

Skills can be evolved two different ways. For example, Spring, a skill that allows you to rush instantly to a distant enemy, can be developed to either deal area-of-effect damage or grant temporary invincibility. The choice is yours!

Combat difficulty can be affected by player actions out of combat. Feeding on civilians provides a huge XP boost, which will make combat situations easier — but that comes with caveats; an increased danger on the streets, and narrative consequences for the world’s citizens, to name a few.

Full brawls are not the only options open to Doctor Reid — he can also stalk his prey, or even utilize his vampire speed and agility to avoid combat entirely.

Players will have to investigate and determine who to feed from, and who to spare, conscious of their need to increase their strength. Jonathan’s Vampire impulses will always be working against his human side.

Take up the plight of Jonathan Reid when Vampyr launches on PS4 next year.