Hands-on with Vampire Survivors+ for Apple Arcade

Coming out of Apple’s Games Showcase in July, we bring you another hands-on preview, this time of an updated version of the fan-favorite game that has been a smash hit since its 2022 release. Vampire Survivor From Poncle. The game has been available (for free) on iOS for some time, but in this new Apple Arcade version, Vampire Survivors+, It’s ad-free and comes with two DLC expansions that previously had to be purchased (Foscari Trends and Legacy of Moonspell), plus some additional perks that we’ll introduce below.

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What is Vampire Survivors?

Bite-sized bullets

Vampire Survivors is a roguelike bullet hell shooter (think Enter the Gungeon). Its popularity declined in 2022 and it was relatively unknown until January 2022, when it attracted over 30,000 concurrent players on Steam. Gameplay is mostly automatic, with weapons attacking on their own as you move around the map and kill monsters, and the end goal is to survive each wave while collecting more powerful weapons, power-ups, experience gems, and loot. All of this takes place in stages inspired by the Italian countryside, and monsters are summoned by a character based on Count Dracula.

Its fast-paced, addictive gameplay (I can attest to that, having tapped away at it for at least 45 minutes) has made it a beloved game for many years, and it even led to a TV show being announced last April. The game is currently available on macOS, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOS (with ads), PS4/PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

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Vampire Survivors+ is a complete iOS package

Light, smooth and great fun

In the showcase, Vampire Survivors+ It was running on both a 13-inch iPad Pro (with the powerful M4 chip) and an 11-inch iPad Air with an M2 chip (which is what I was using, as you can see in the photo above). First impressions are that the game appears very smooth and there was no frame rate drop that I experienced when playing the current version of the game on an iPhone, although this is likely due to the iPad’s M2 chip and Liquid Retina display (but it’s great to see that developers are taking advantage of it).

Vampire Survivors+ includes the base game with over 50 playable characters and 80 weapons, plus the Legacy of the Moonspell and Tides of the Foscari DLCs, with more updates planned. This new version also allows up to four players to play together on the same device. You can see the guy on my left playing. I played using the touch controls (which were very responsive) and had plenty of fun, but plugging in a controller and partying up with friends really opens up the game. If I didn’t have to check out the other games in the showcase, I could have easily spent all my time gunning and looting with my event buddies.

Vampire Survivors+ is coming to Apple Arcade for iPhone and iPad on August 1. It includes the Legacy of the Moonspell and Tides of the Foscari DLC, as well as a multiplayer mode that supports up to four players. Future updates are planned, but will only be available in the Apple Arcade version of the game.

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