Summary
Vampires are among the most famous and popular creatures to feature in books, movies, TV shows, and video games. Though theycan be the protagonist of the story, they are more often depicted as alluring but dangerous monsters that lure their victims into their awaiting arms to drain them of every last drop of blood.
There are many RPG and action games thatfeature these bloodthirsty creatures of the night, either as the player character or the creatures they must hunt, but what about horror, where they originally found their routes in tales such asCarmillaorDracula? They are lesser in numbers, but their rarity only makes them stand out more.
One that may have flown under the radar of many vampire fans,Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachiis seemingly inspired by the classicblack and whitesilent movie, featuring the titular antagonist with his iconic appearance intact.
The player character, James Patterson, is traveling to the vampiric heart of the world, Transylvania, specifically the castle Malachi where his sisters wedding is being held, only to find it is very devoid of joyous nuptials on arrival. The game pivots away from what should have been a peaceful family celebration into James’s fight for survival as the forces of hell and the undead are levied against him to terrifying effect, cultivating in a showdown with the almighty Count himself.
Everyone who is anyone knows the name Buffy, the iconic vampire slayer who began her career first in a movie, before becoming the star of the popular monster of the week TV show of the same name. It was met with much fame and acclaim by fans all across the world, who still enjoy it to this day. A video game tie-in was only inevitable, with one of them being the 2003 horror action game,Chaos Bleeds.
Taking place during the fifth season of the show and featuring thefamous and popular antagonist from the showknown as the First, players have the option to don vampire-killing gear or a set of fangs, as it features many playable characters from the show, including Spike. For those missingBuffy the Vampire Slayerand in the mood for an action-packed survival horror vampire game, there is little better to fulfill those needs thanChaos Bleeds.
The wild west and vampires are two different things that one wouldn’t necessarily expect to work well together, butDarkwatch: Curse of the West(AKADarkwatch) makes it work, and excellently so. Playing as Jericho Cross, a gunslinger who hasbecome one of the creaturesof the night, he joins the monster-hunting organization known as Darkwatch to put a stop to the evil machinations of the vampiric lord Lazarus.
Featuring plenty of gunslinging action, a menagerie of horrific monsters,Darkwatchis an excellent entry into the vampire horror genre. There is also a rather in-depth morality system which determines what powers the player can tap into, more evil choices leaning into his vampiric side, with those powers involving blood and fury.
EachDark Picturesgame took players to different locations to face off against different threats. In the first two games,Man of MedanandLittle Hope, thethreats were hallucinationsbrought on by exposure to a hallucinogenic substance, or by a survivor’s overbearing guilt.House of Ashesintroduced a tangible and outright terrifying threat, as strange creatures with sharp fangs lurked in the shadows, ready to strike.
While searching for a cache of chemical weapons hidden in an isolated settlement in Iraq, the military squad falls into a sinkhole, right into an underground civilization lost to sand and time. Parts of the ruins remain intact, as though the bloodthirsty creatures that landed there thousands of years ago. In a shocking twist, it turns out the vampires are not of this world, as they are a race of aliens that feast on blood. This puts a whole new spin on vampires, which are usually closer to humans.
ConsideringResident Evilhas been all about viruses transforming people into flesh-hungry zombies orutterly inhuman monsters, lycans and vampires are two creaturesResident Evilplayers never thought they would see in one of the entries of this long-lasting survival horror franchise, and yet they are exactly what creatures they had to contend with inResident Evil Village.
Though not the main focus of his game, Ethan Winters exploration of Castle Dimitrescue and his encounters with the bloodthirsty ladies within was the highlight of the game, and the parts fans remember most fondly. Beautiful and downright terrifying, Lady Dimitrescu and her three daughters showed just how deadly vampires could be. Killing them was no small feat, especially when Lady Dimitrescu revealed her true, monstrous form. Fans will likely never see these mythological creatures return to the series, but it is what makesVillagea stand-out entry in the franchise.
