If you have ever looked at a decrepit gothic ruin and thought, “I could really do something with those rising damp issues if I just had a few immortal servants,” then Mehuman Games might have heard your prayers. Vampires: Bloodlord Rising has officially fluttered into Steam Early Access, and it is promising a lot more than just a quick snack on a passing villager.
Set in the moody, Balkan-inspired land of Sangavia, the game puts you in the boots of Dragos, a surviving vampire after an attack with a serious inheritance problem. Your master, Vorago, has sacrificed himself to hold off the Inquisition, leaving you to rebuild a fallen empire from the literal dirt up. It is an interesting cocktail of survival crafting, action-RPG combat, and castle management.
A Power Fantasy with a Learning Curve
The first thing you will notice is that being a creature of the night is actually quite a lot of work. This isn’t just a “hack and slash” affair. Feeding isn’t optional, it is your fuel, your health, and the literal currency used to power the “Castle Core” to unlock new regions.
The highlight of the early experience is undoubtedly the traversal. There is something inherently satisfying about leaping off a cliff and shifting into bat form to soar over the lands It adds a layer of verticality that many open-world survival games lack. However, don’t let the wings go to your head; the Inquisition is remarkably good with a crossbow, and the combat can be quite punishing if you try to button-mash your way through a group of shield-bearing fanatics.
DIY Dracula: The Castle System
There’s no shortage of Vampire themed games on Steam but where the game tries to separate itself from the pack is the castle-building and servant management. You aren’t just building a house; you are building a dominion. You can scout villages for potential “recruits,” checking their skills and even their bad habits (yes, some of them steal from you) before turning them into your eternal followers.
Keep in mind that these servants do the heavy lifting, gathering timber, limestone, and mud—allowing you to focus on the “Bloodlord” side of things. It is a clever way to mitigate the “grind” that often plagues the survival genre, though the UI can be a bit of a maze at times.
Early Access Growing Pains
As with any title launching in Early Access, there are a few splinters in the coffin. The “Arcane Tree” skill system feels like it is still finding its feet, and the onboarding process can leave you wandering around the marshes wondering which specific type of “Sacred Wood” you need for an altar.
Availability and Access
Vampires: Bloodlord Rising is available in early access on Steam for only $23.99au at the time of writting this. Requirements are fairly low for your PC and although it’s not optimised for the handheld experience I had no problems playing the game on a Lenovo Legion Go S (windows). You do have to play with the visual settings a little bit but once you find the sweet spot it’s a very comfortable title to play on the go and looks great on the 8 inch display.
The Verdict (For Now)
If you enjoy the satisfaction of seeing a towering fortress rise from a pile of rocks, there is a lot to love here. It is a sophisticated genre-mix that prioritises atmosphere and strategy over pure action. Just be prepared for a bit of a “work-in-progress” feel as the developers iron it out. I would say that while it’s in early access this is a great opportunity to get behind the game in its grass roots and support this ambitious studio.
For those willing to grow with the game, Vampires: Bloodlord Rising offers a compelling, moody sandbox that actually makes you feel like the master of your own dark destiny. Just remember to be home before sunrise, the Sangavian sun is particularly unforgiving this time of year.
