Vampyr, the London-set gothic game from Dontnod, casts you as a creature of the night during the darkest days of the city’s Spanish Flu epidemic. As a vampire, you have access to a variety of blood-soaked abilities that will aid you in your travels around the most dangerous districts of the city. You’re not the only fanged beast hanging out in London, so you’ll need to be prepared to hold your own against vampires, vampire hunters, and other less obvious threats.
Vampyr’s skills are split into two categories: active and passive. Active skills include specialist attacks, defensive abilities, and ‘ultimate’ moves, while passive skills reflect your health, stamina, and how many items you can carry.
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Your abilities and skills can be upgraded by spending XP, earned through the completion of quests, killing of enemies, and drinking the blood of major characters. While the former two activities will provide a steady stream of experience points, the latter offers a massive boost that provides enough points to upgrade numerous skills in one go. The trade-off is that murdering a key character for XP can send a district into disarray, so you need to carefully consider if the potential fallout is worth the experience gain.
Active skills
Autophagy
- Base skill – You drain your own blood to heal normal and aggravated damage instantly.
- Upgrade option 1 – You trade more blood to heal yourself instantly and gain an additional boost on your health regeneration.
- Upgrade option 2 – You trade the instant health gain for a greater regeneration.
Defensive
Coagulation
- Base skill – You will block your target’s blood in their veins, making them defenceless.
- Upgrade option 1 – Your control of your target’s blood is now stronger, and the time you control it is increased.
- Upgrade option 2 – The target’s blood now will burst out of their body, flowing towards your mouth to feed you without touching your prey.
Blood Barrier
- Base skill – You create an invisible barrier, absorbing direct damage until it fades or is destroyed.
- Upgrade option 1 – When your barrier disappears it explodes and deals damage to anyone nearby.
- Upgrade option 2 – You create an invisible barrier, absorbing direct damage until it fades or is destroyed.
Aggressive
Claws
- Base skill – A close-range strike that will cut through all living creatures in front of you.
- Upgrade option 1 – You cut through the flesh of your prey so deeply that you now gain blood with each hit.
- Upgrade option 2 – You have learned to use your claws’ strength and now strike your prey with a stunning effect.
Bloodspear
- Base skill – You throw a spear made of blood which can pass through enemies in front of you.
- Upgrade option 1 – You throw a large blood spear which can pass through enemies in front of you. This massive projectile will deal greater damage than before.
- Upgrade option 2 – You concentrate to create three small blood spears which can hit all enemies facing you. Compared to the base ability, range and individual damage is reduced.
Shadow Mist
- Base skill – Place a cloud of shadows at the target’s feet or yours. The cloud will explode after a short time causing heavy damage.
- Upgrade option 1 – The shadow explosion has increased range and damage.
- Upgrade option 2 – The shadows will pool in a single place. All targets within this area are struck constantly by slithers of darkness, causing them to bleed. The vampire will directly absorb the blood from the wounds.
Tactical
Spring
- Base skill – You perform a supernatural move to your target and cause damage upon landing.
- Upgrade option 1 – You concentrate your blood in your hands and feet to increase the impact on your target. If your target is already stunned, you embrace them automatically.
- Upgrade option 2 – You concentrate your blood in your feet to increase your impact upon landing, and deal damage around you.
Shadow Veil
- Base skill – Drain your stamina to fade into the shadows and become invisible to most enemies. Moving in this state will drain more stamina. You will exit the shadows if you attack or dodge, or when your stamina is empty.
- Upgrade option 1 – You gain damage and stun bonuses if you leave the shadows.
- Upgrade option 2 – The fog sticks to you and you are now able to dodge while using Shadow Veil. You will exit the shadows if you attack or when your stamina is empty.
Ultimate
Rage
- You lose control and let the Beast take over for a short time. The Beast teleports itself to all enemies around you and strikes them with furious blows.
Abyss
- You create a Shadow Vortex at your target’s feet. Coming to life, the Shadows interrupt an enemy in the area and inflict tremendous damage.
Blood Cauldron
- You focus your power to boil your target’s blood, causing it to violently explode, dealing damage to the target and anything nearby.
Passive skills
Body
Body Condition
- Increase your health (levels 1- 10).
Physical Prowess
- Increase your stamina (levels 1- 10).
Blood
Blood Capacity
- Increase your blood capacity (levels 1- 10).
Big Thirst
- Increase your blood absorption when using Bite in combat (levels 1- 10).
Bite
Fast Regeneration
- Increase your Life regeneration when using Bite in combat (levels 1- 10).
Hard Biting
- Increase the Damage inflicted when using Bite in combat (levels 1- 10).
Science
Medical Bag
- You can now carry 3 serums on you (levels 1- 10).
Cartridge Bag
- Increase the number of Bullets you can carry (levels 1- 10).