Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova
Gameplay 9
Graphics 8
Sound 7

Exploring an 18th century town hot on the heels of a vampire makes for an interesting hidden object game and the abundance of mini-games are also very entertaining. The story is fairly straightforward, but the locations are varied and managed to keep us hooked right to the end. The bonus chapter is also an unexpected highlight and definitely adds value for money.

Gameplay: The main story is a little short, but remains fun throughout and the bonus chapter is a big plus.

Graphics: Nice artwork and plenty of great locations.

Sound: Good overall, but the sound effects really stand out as great

Summary 8.0 Great
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova

Developer: Organic 2 Digital Studio | Publisher: Artifex Mundi sp. z o.o. | Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Adventure / Casual / Hidden Object | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Forget Dracula and Transylvania, for the true origins of the vampire legends take a trip to the small Serbian town of Kisilova. It was there where a peasant named Petar Blagojevich was accused of becoming a vampire after his death in 1725. Nine of his fellow villagers were said to have fallen ill and died shortly afterwards, all of them claiming on their deathbeds that it was the doing of Petar. It is this setting that Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova uses as a basis for its story and location, casting players in the role of Imperial emissaries who are sent to investigate the town and stop any more deaths.

Since it takes place in 18th century Europe and players get to explore a remote that is said to be terrorized by a vampire the game has a nice creepy atmosphere. Apart from the vampire the game is actually surprisingly free of supernatural elements, which makes it even more interesting. The game features 62 hand-painted areas and while it has been out for a couple of years already before landing on Steam the artwork still holds up well. The locations, which includes graveyards, churches, secret rooms, dark forests and plenty of others, all look great and contribute to the mysterious atmosphere of the game. The locations are also varied enough that exploration does not feel like a chore and there is always something new around the next corner. Most of the scenes also feature some form of animation, whether it is bugs scuttering about or trees blowing in the wind, which is always welcome.

Since most of the town has fled their homes in fear that the vampire outbreak might actually be the plague again there are not a lot of folks to talk to. You do get to question the few that are left and the voice acting is for the most part pretty good. There are a couple of lines that sounded a bit wooden to us, but overall the audio is good. The game actually features plenty of background music, but all the tracks are kept moody and low-key to add to the creepy atmosphere. A special mention should also go to the sound effects as all of them are great.

There is more to Kisilova than just wandering around talking to the locals and completing hidden object scenes though. The game also features 36 mini-games that range from laughably easy to quite tricky. They complement the 21 hidden object scenes nicely and offers plenty of variety. The mini-games also fit in nicely with the overall style and atmosphere of the game, so they definitely don’t’ feel like they were tacked on as an afterthought. The hidden object scenes are relatively easy as they are not very cluttered and contain a fairly logical collection of items. Some objects in these scenes must be moved around to reveal the objects you are looking for and you also need to use certain objects on other ones which makes things a bit more interactive.

The game features three difficulty settings and is straightforward enough that players of all skill levels should have no trouble completing the story. The “Regular” setting has hint and skip buttons that recharges faster, active zones are marked with a glimmer, hidden object scenes are all marked and have no miss-click penalties, and locations with available actions are all indicated on your map. Playing on “Advanced” adds a miss-click penalty to the hidden object scenes, removes the indicators for active zones and the hint as well as skip buttons recharges much slower. Finally, on the “Expert” setting locations with available actions are no longer indicated on your map. Since there is a logical flow to the game and very little backtracking it only takes a couple of hours to complete the main story.

The version of Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova that is available on Steam is actually the collector’s edition of the game and comes with a host of bonus content. Players can unlock photos of how the town that is believed to be Kisilova looks today and there are even two video interviews about the town and vampires. Also included are some nice concept art, but the highlight is the bonus chapter that takes place a few years after the main storyline. It features one of the original investigators returning to Kisilova and discovering a new threat that has to be dealt with. The bonus chapter is actually fairly lengthy and features plenty of new locations along with puzzles and hidden object scenes, making it well worth checking out.

Although Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova will be a little on the easy side for veteran fans of the genre it still offers a very engrossing and enjoyable experience. The story is perhaps not as deep as we would have liked considering the source material, but it is still very entertaining. We have no qualms recommending it to fans of the genre, but newcomers will probably enjoy it the most.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 128 MB VRAM
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: 10.6.8
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 128 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: 10.6.8
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 (32/64bit)
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 128 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 (32/64bit)
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space

Related posts

Streets of Rogue

Streets of Rogue

Streets of Rogue is a deceptively simple-looking game, but scratch beneath the surface, and you'll find plenty of depth. It has a large selection of character classes, each with its own unique playing styles and a procedurally generated city in which to cause chaos. The number of mission objectives is somewhat limited, but the ways in which you can accomplish them are almost limitless. Overall, Streets of Rogue is a highly addictive game with a ton of replay value. Gameplay: Streets of Rogue is hugely addictive and packed with things to do. Graphics: The visuals are simple but not without charm. Sound: The soundtrack is excellent, and the sound effects are really good, too.

Oxide Room 104

Oxide Room 104

Oxide Room 104 is a horror title that drops players into the terrifying Night Soul Motel and challenges them to escape unscathed. However, death lurks around every corner, and the decisions players make will determine what ending they will receive. While the game is set almost entirely in the motel, it has a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve that boost the replay value considerably. Oxide Room 104 is definitely a title all horror fans will enjoy, but Silent Hill players, in particular, should not miss out on this one. Gameplay: The game is creepy and tense, while the penalty for dying ensures that players can't become too complacent while exploring. Graphics: Some textures and animations could have been better, but overall the game looks great for an indie title. Sound: While the voice acting could have been much better, the music and sound effects are great.

Euphoria

Euphoria

Euphoria is a dark and twisted visual novel with plenty of explicit and over-the-top sex scenes. However, while it may seem like a pure nukige title, it also has a storyline that draws you in right from the start while continually going in unexpected directions. It's definitely not a title for the faint of heart or easily offended, but if you can appreciate a good story and put up with some rather unsavory elements, then it's worth checking out. Gameplay: Very twisted and filled with plenty of unsavory stuff, but the story is also dark and compelling. Graphics: Plenty of uncensored CGs, but the backgrounds are limited, and there are no animations. Sound: A dark and moody soundtrack and full voice acting for all the female characters.

>observer_

>observer_

Observer is a slow-paced, cyberpunk themed thriller from the same developers that brought us Layers of Fear. Despite the change of setting, Observer shares a lot of similarities with LOF, especially during the surreal hacking sequences where you invade the thoughts of other people and experience their worst fears. The incredibly detailed visuals and gripping environments make Observer a game that is hard to put down, but the slower pace and lack of control beyond observing your surroundings and scanning things might deter the action crowd. Overall, it is a title that all fans of the cyberpunk genre will enjoy and it offers an enthralling experience despite some technical issues. Gameplay: There is little to do apart from exploring your surroundings and scanning things for clues, but the game remains engrossing nonetheless. Graphics: The abundance of post-processing effects might be a bit much for some players, but there is no faulting the highly detailed visuals. Sound: The soundtrack is just as tense as you’d expect from a title like this and it is great to hear Rutger Hauer lending his vocals to the lead character.

Surgeon Simulator 2013

Surgeon Simulator 2013

One thing is for sure, Surgeon Simulator 2013 is not going to appeal to everyone. I had a blast with the unwieldy controls and the accidental mishaps is just as entertaining as finally nailing the surgery. A lot of patience is required if you want to become good at this game, but it is worth the effort. Gameplay: Either utterly brilliant or utterly frustrating depending on how patient you are. Graphics: Good in a gory and darkly humorous way. Sound: Has a nice synth-laden soundtrack.

Shadowhand: RPG Card Game

Shadowhand: RPG Card Game

Shadowhand is another entertaining, addictive, and polished solitaire-based game from Grey Alien Games, creators of the very enjoyable Regency Solitaire. It shares some similarities with its predecessor, but the story is brand new, and the gameplay offers enough new additions and tweaks to ensure that it feels fresh. Luck plays a significant role in the game, which is unavoidable for the genre, but careful planning and using the right items can help a lot. This means the game is much more strategic than you might think, and we can heartily recommend it to fans of the genre. Gameplay: The solitaire-based gameplay is addictive, as always, but the addition of duels and other elements makes it even better. Graphics: The art and design of the game look great, and everything feels very polished. Sound: Sadly, there is no voice acting, but everything from the music to the sound effects is top-notch.

Leave a comment

17 − three =