Indie studio Dontnod Entertainment, creator of the time-traveling adventure game Life is Strange, announced that its next project is the vampire-themed investigative action-RPG Vampyr.
Taking place in London in 1918, Vampyr stars a vampiric surgeon who must feed on human blood while he comes to grips with his newfound affliction.
Related: Life is Strange limited edition is coming to PC
Vampyr‘s narrative is inspired by historical reports of how the Spanish Flu devastated London in the early 1900s, incorporating supernatural elements alongside period-specific innovations within the field of medical science. As a surgeon, starring character Jonathan Reid weighs his medical knowledge against his thirst for blood, providing the inner conflict that drives the game’s storyline.
Like Life is Strange, gameplay in Vampyr is dictated by player choice. Reid must satisfy his bloodlust by carefully choosing his victims, and his actions will have far-reaching implications.
“You’ll have to kill people, that’s for sure… but how do you decide who?” Vampyr director Philippe Moreau asks. “The information you gather, the things that you see, and the relationships you nurture will all define your decisions. But you will have to feed. You cannot escape that you are a vampire.”
Vampyr also boasts a crafting system that lets players augment their arsenal and create improvised ranged weaponry. Dontnod notes that players can expect “tight, visceral combat mechanics” in addition to open-world exploration sequences. Moreau hints that the medical condition central to Vampyr‘s storyline is more than it initially seems, and suggests that a shadowy organization may be behind London’s outbreak of vampirism.
Developer Dontnod recently wrapped up Life is Strange with the release of its final episode in October. A boxed limited edition is due to hit retail for consoles and PCs in January.
Vampyr is currently in development for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms. A release date is not yet known.
