Released on PlayStation 4 in 2018 and developed by Dontnod Entertainment, Vampyr is an action RPG set in a plague-ravaged version of London where everyone is miserable and you are the problem. You play as Dr. Jonathan Reid, a physician-turned-vampire forced to balance saving lives by day and draining them by night, all while the city slowly collapses around you.

The core hook is choice, and the game actually commits to it. Every citizen has a name, a routine, and consequences tied to whether you help them, ignore them, or drink them dry for power. Combat is serviceable but intentionally secondary to the moral tug-of-war, where gaining strength often means making the city worse. It is less about reflexes and more about living with your decisions.

Atmosphere carries the experience hard. Foggy streets, dimly lit hospitals, and a heavy, oppressive tone sell the setting well. The dialogue leans serious, sometimes grim, but it fits the world, and the soundtrack does a lot of quiet lifting to keep things tense without constant combat.

Vampyr is a single-player experience with no online features or servers involved. It rewards patience, exploration, and restraint far more than aggression. If you are looking to buy retro games on Retro Games eXchange and want something story-driven with actual consequences instead of empty choices, this one is worth sinking your teeth into.

1. Moral choice system where killing NPCs directly affects the world and difficulty.
2. Story-driven action RPG with heavy emphasis on dialogue and investigation.
3. Dark, plague-era London setting with strong atmosphere and world-building.
4. Skill progression tied to how ruthless or restrained you choose to be.
5. A rare RPG that actively punishes you for taking the easy path to power.