We've got two fully new additions to Xbox Game Pass this week in the form of Kiln and Vampire Crawlers, and the reviews for the latter have just gone live. As expected from the dev behind Vampire Survivors, they're pretty great!
This turn-based deckbuilder spin-off has caught our eye for some time, especially since the reviews for the Xbox demo have been so positive, and now we're fully expecting to get hooked by the full version when it arrives today.
Here's what some of those reviews are saying about Vampire Crawlers so far:
Windows Central (4.5/5)
"Vampire Crawlers is a masterclass in what I call the 'sophomore pivot', when the creators of a very successful and beloved first game have to pull off a second title for a rabid fanbase. Poncle has taken the addictive and dopamine driven DNA of Vampire Survivors and successfully reshaped it into a tactical first-person deckbuilder. The "just one more run" magic is fully intact."
Destructoid (9/10)
"Vampire Survivors' addicting, screen-filling, dopamine rush gameplay lives on in Vampire Crawlers, where the perspective is now first-person and fights are card-based, but the roguelite itch is scratched just as well as ever."
Push Square (8/10)
"There's so much to like in Vampire Crawlers; it's fast-paced, tactical, and super satisfying. We heartily recommend it, but beware its terribly addictive nature."
GameSpot (8/10)
"This deckbuilding spin-off to indie roguelike Vampire Survivors is every bit as gripping as that original outing, bringing both familiarity and freshness wrapped up into a first-person dungeon-crawling adventure."
The Sixth Axis (7/10)
"I don't need games to be life-changing, but I do need a bit more mechanical depth than what Vampire Crawlers has, and while you can craft some incredibly entertaining combos as you play, and each new characters offers new cards, the core concept remains the same throughout. I think this is a solid dungeon crawler, if not fantastic."
Looking at the Metacritic averages, Vampire Crawlers currently has an 89 for Xbox, 82 for Switch and 80 for PC based on a handful-or-two of reviews for each platform, with PC being dragged down by a 5/10 from the folks at PC Gamer.
It's not all positive, then, but the majority of critics seem to be impressed with this one, and the good news is that it's available for just £9.99 / $9.99 if you don't happen to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
Not long to go now — Vampire Crawlers is set to launch at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST later today!