As the sun goes down and a glint of moonlight starts to peek through, blood-thirsty vampires begin to lick their insatiable chops. The ghoulish horror villains have been around since the dawn of cinema (Nosferatu) and have since become a popular mainstay in film (Twilight), television (True Blood), and of course, countless video games.
Made popular by the 1986 NES game Castlevania, vampiric video games have continued to flourish over the past 35 years. As gaming consoles and gameplay technology continue to advance, so too does the harrowing interaction between slayer-players and evil bloodsucking vampires. It's time to highlight the best of the bunch.
10 Darkwatch (2005)
Published during the halcyon gaming year of 2005, it's easy to overlook Darkwatch, Capcom's highly engaging first-person vampire shooter for PS2 and Xbox. Fusing horror, steampunk, and western genres, the game centers on 19th-century gunslinger Jericho Cross.
When Cross is bitten by and morphed into a vampire, he is recruited by a powerful monster-hunting sect to fend off a scourge of supernatural entities. Gaming options allow a player to pursue paths of good or evil, with Jericho's vampiric powers limited to the nighttime.
9 InFamous: Festival Of Blood (2011)
Another juicy vampire game to sink your teeth into includes InFamous: Festival of Blood, the 2011 PS3 game revolving around the character of Cole McGrath. When Cole's blood is poured into the corpse of a vampire called Bloody Mary, the ghoul reanimates and returns the favor by biting Cole and turning him into a vampire.
Armed with a makeshift stake, Cole must fight his way to safety and find the sacred weapon the Barbed Cross. The game drew positive reviews for its elaborate story and excellent gameplay.
8 Buffy The Vampire Slayer (2002)
The second-earliest game on this list belongs to the 2002 release of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the extremely fun and wildly popular Xbox game that currently boasts a solid 79 Metascore.
Praised for its stellar story, multiple gameplaying modes, and top-notch action, the EA game weaves narrative exposition from the beloved TV series into its plotlines. The story was written by horror novelists Christopher Golden and Thomas Sniegoski, as well as Richard Hare. The 3D action-adventure has no shortage of baleful bloodsucking beasts to slay.
7 BloodRayne 2 (2004)
Developed by Terminal Reality for PS2, Xbox, and PC consoles, Bloodrayne 2 takes place 60-70 years after the events of the first game in the series. The intense hack-and-slash action game is for every Resident Evil fan who wants to viciously waylay vampires rather than zombies.
The game centers on Rayne, a headstrong, independent, and powerful heroine who sets out to kill her vampiric father, Kagen. On her quest, Rayne slays several of Kagen's ghoulish offspring by using her trademark twin arm blades, spiky silver steel stiletto heels, chain harpoon, and various guns and explosives.
6 Vampyr (2018)
For a newer vampiric 3D RPG to try out, look no further than Dontnod Entertainment's Vampyr. Released in 2018 for Microsoft Windows, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, the story focuses on Jonathan Reid, a doctor who becomes a vampire and desperately tries to balance his medical duties with his insatiable bloodlust.
While traveling through 1918 London, Jonathan attempts to uphold his Hippocratic oath and treat victims of vampire bites while suppressing his primal urge to feast on human blood. The moral dilemma Reid faces is bolstered by above-average gameplay and a third-person POV.
5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard (2012)
In the action-packed open-world RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard, users have the option to play as a vampire or a vampire hunter. The story revolves around the return of an ancient vampire sect known as The Volikhar, and the outfit called Dawnguard that is out to stop it.
No matter which side fans choose to fight for, special perks, armor, and weapons are afforded to each. Crossbows are used to hunt vampires, while vampires can harness lycanthropic skills to use on their behalf.
4 Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999)
Of the six franchise entries to date, Soul Reaver is the best game in the beloved Legacy of Kain series for vampire hunters to check out. Released in 1999 for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows (and Dreamcast in 2000), the second game in the series holds a whopping 91 Metascore.
With a rich backstory full of unique vampire lore, the sweeping storytelling follows Raziel, a ghostly vampire who can enter both the physical and ethereal realm and solve a slew of interrelated puzzles between the two planes of existence.
3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
As one of the best-reviewed titles of the past five years, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an absolute must for fans of vampire video games, especially the DLC addendum, Blood and Wine. The action revolves around Geralt of Rivia, a Monster Hunter (aka Witcher) out to find his adopted daughter from a deadly spiritual onslaught.
With a quiver of cool weapons and magical spells to boot, players must slay baddies (including vampires), complete quests, collect gold coins, and interact with several characters en route to exploring three possible story endings.
2 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (1997)
One can't conscionably conduct a vampire video game list without the inclusion of at least a single Castlevania title. While the entire series ought to be considered, the 1997 release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the place to start.
With a sterling 93 Metascore, Symphony of the Night has long been hailed as one of the best video games of all time. The story picks up four years after events in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, and injects exciting new gameplay with role-playing elements and nonlinear level designs.
1 Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines (2004)
Other than Castlevania, Vampire: The Masquerade series is considered the definitive vampire video game franchise ever made. While all are worthy of trying, Bloodlines is the highest-rated of the bunch.
Set in 21st-century Los Angeles, Bloodlines allows players to choose one of seven vampiric clans. The first and third-person RPG with rich character backstories allows players to imbibe scores of human blood, acquire special skills and unique abilities, a cache of weaponry, and engage in hand-to-hand fisticuffs.
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