Are we human, or are we dancer? New Vampyr webisode debuts today

As part of its four-week webseries, DONTNOD has released another episode to the mix. Entitled Episode III: Human After All, the video shows the importance of the setting’s citizens and how feeding on them affects the story and gameplay.

In Episode III: Human After All, DONTNOD reveals how integral each district’s citizens are, both in terms of gameplay and narrative. Players will need to gain XP for Jonathan Reid to evolve new powers and grow stronger, but the most lucrative way to earn this is not through quests or defeating enemies in battle. Instead, the most effective way to get stronger is by killing and feeding on the various citizens living within the game’s four districts. Players are able to increase the XP earned from each citizen by curing their illnesses and gaining more insight into their lives and emotions – but the price can be a heavy burden to bear.

As explained by Stéphane Beauverger, Vampyr’s narrative director, players will hear the dying thoughts of every citizen they choose to sacrifice. This gives a bittersweet poignancy to every death, as DONTNOD wants players consider to these citizens not as nameless blood bags, but as individual lives lived, complete with loved ones and a rich history. In addition, each dead citizen will erode the status of the district they belonged to; too many deaths will result in the population evacuating the area and causing them to be overrun by Skals – and worse.

One more episode will be released next Thursday, but in the meantime, check out the video above, read up on Ron’s E3 impressions, and stay tuned for more news here on Gaming Trend.