Dontnod Entertainment, the studio behind Life is Strange and the newly released Vampyr, have released a new trailer for their latest title. Although the game is already out, this is an “Accolade Trailer”. In it, Dontnod Entertainment highlights the many positive reviews which the game has received.
It’s certainly true that Vampyr has received generally positive reviews; as the many scores which appear at the end of the trailer attest to. However, it’s also worth stating that the game’s reviews have not all been uniformly positive. Most averaged around 7-8/10, citing excellent writing and characters but much poorer combat. It’s fair to say that Dontnod Entertainment does not include the more critical reviews in their Accolade Trailer, though that’s not to say that the game hasn’t received plenty of positive feedback from reviewers.
In addition, while Vampyr’s reviews may not have been perfect, the game certainly seems to have sold well. The game topped the UK retail charts for its first week, beating God of War, FIFA 18, and Detroit: Become Human, all of which had previously held the best-selling spot in recent weeks. A game certainly doesn’t need perfect reviews to do well with gamers.
The Future of Dontnod Entertainment
Dontnod Entertainment is a studio with a strong pedigree of developing story-driven games; most notably Life is Strange. Feedback on Vampyr’s story was generally very positive. Most of the criticism surrounding the game was directed at its combat system and difficulty; both factors which Dontnod Entertainment has far less experience developing. The studio recently unveiled its next game, just a couple of weeks after Vampyr’s release. The game, entitled “Twin Mirror”, seems to herald a return to less combat-centric and more narrative gameplay, closer to the style of Life is Strange. Although relatively little has been revealed so far, it seems to be emphasizing the right parts of the game. Namely, story and character development.