V Rising Gives Valheim Vibes... With Vampires

V Rising is a unique multiplayer survival game where you play as a vampire attempting to live long enough to grow your power. There are numerous ways to craft and build tailored to your specific playstyle. The result is a tense dance of action and strategy as you make your way through each phase. Despite it's setup, V Rising has many familiar elements for survival fans to launch into. Most notably, the title takes massive inspiration from Iron Gate AB's epic release, Valheim.

Rather than a direct rip-off, it is worth viewing V Rising as a logical evolution in the survival template laid out by Valheim. If you can pry yourself away from the tenth Norse world for just a moment, you will find a great deal to enjoy in the life of a vampiric warlord.

V Rising's Core Gameplay Loop

V Rising employs a top-down camera view that emphasizes the tactical nature of the experience. Being a vampire comes with its own set of quirks. Sunlight will burn you to a crisp, so movement is extremely limited during the daytime. You must lurk in the shadows and plan your next move for when the action intensifies in the evening -- Dusk opens up a vast array of mission types and objectives.

Initially, your main task will be to hunt down various human targets for their precious blood. Blood is needed to bolster your strength and level up. When you amass enough power, you can raid villages, attack bandit outposts, and engage supernatural entities in thrilling combat.

Each objective you complete awards you with resources for crafting and building. A huge component of gameplay progression is erecting the most formidable fortress possible.

As with any survival game, the real challenge emerges in online play. Facing off against other players or working in tandem to take down massive PvE threats is where the bulk of enjoyment comes from in V Rising. Although the game is PC only, the community of players is thriving, and lobbies are easy to find.

Valheim's Core Gameplay Loop

Valheim places you in the role of a Viking warrior forced to do the bidding of gods from Norse mythology. The game features a third-person camera with an over the should viewpoint. Each task involves displaying your might by taking on vicious creatures and claiming guarded resources as your own. Earning the favor of the gods requires you to build your war chest in multiple ways.

Crafting armor and weapons is the first step to improving your survival odds. With some decent armaments at the ready, you can craft castles and ships to help you gain a foothold. The longboats you create can also be used in light combat encounters while traveling.

Each of Valheim's mechanics is far more enjoyable in the presence of other people. Multiplayer is pure co-op goodness at its finest. Not only is each quest fun, but the demanding challenge is offset by the support of allies.

The Overlapping Similarities

V Rising and Valheim both employ real-time combat that tests your reflexes and survival instincts. The action scales and intensifies according to the number of players on the server at any given time. The co-op in each title becomes far more important the farther you progress.

V Rising and Valheim also feature the same hybrid design that combines survival and base-building gameplay. Surviving long enough results in the construction of impressive castles that reflect all your arduous work. Combat between rival castles makes up a sizeable portion of the endgame content.

Each title features the standard cost of 20 dollars to get started. Since the cost of entry is the same, you can judge each title on its merits without worrying about securing a better deal between the two.

Although Valheim and V Rising are remarkably similar, both titles are a wonderful time in their own right. Rather than choose between each game, fans of the sub-genre can cycle between both as new content gets released.

Why Valheim Is Worth Playing

Valheim has a vibrant community of players eager to help newcomers get up to speed. The abundance of wikis, resources, and allies makes it easy to jump right into the newly added season feature. Since Valheim launched in early 2021, there is already a ton of immersive content.

The Norse mythology theme provides a fresh spin on the survival and action genre. The bestiary of foes you face and the mystical tools at your disposal will keep your imagination in awe. The accessible controls ensure your focus remains on the gameplay in front of you.

Why V-Rising is Worth Playing

V Rising brings a different approach to the formula that works so well in Valheim. The vampiric trait of avoiding daylight adds a new layer of depth to the decision-making process. The unique supernatural capabilities of vampires also make for an impactful move set.

A vampire's thirst for blood is the perfect attribute to base a survival game around. The idea of bolstering your strength so you can build an empire fits the vampire mold like a glove. While Valheim features many of the same elements, V Rising presents them as a more cohesive package.