Being a fan of both the Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell series which this game has drawn comparisons too. I was eager to try out this game however after having a go at both the demo and actual game versions of this I have realised how bad this game is.

The player is put into the shoes of a Black Ops Special Forces unit tasked with combating the Vampires or “NightStalkers” as they are called in this game. However, Do not expect to achieve this goal through any sought of actual combat and are restricted to hiding in the shadows as you sneak through the boring linear levels.

Any attempt to actually kill any vampires(even with a perfect shot to the head) is answered with the Vampire speeding in your direction killing you in one hit and forcing you to witness your character be bitten in a unskippable scene that becomes pain painstakingly repetitive.

Although being able to kill the Vampires is only one element of gameplay I found the impossibility of killing them an annoyance as your are restricted to simply hiding and praying. If the premise of pure stealth aimed at avoiding your enemy then this could be a game you enjoy, However if your like me and prefer taking it to the enemy with stealth kills and High Tech equipment(which you can actually use without dying) like a real super spy then this isnt the game for you.

Vampire Rain is a stealth action game in the mold of Splinter Cell except with vampires. While the concept may seem awesome, the actual game itself is decidedly average, although nowhere near as bad as the critical mauling it has received from nearly every segment of the gaming press may suggest. There is nothing that's critically wrong with the game. It's just that the game doesn't try to be anything more than functional and given its one big quirk (more on that in the next paragraph) it has suitably been doomed to failure.

The gameplay mechanics of Vampire Rain should be familiar to anyone who has played a Splinter Cell title. The main protagonist here is a carbon copy of Sam Fisher and the game itself moves and looks like a high definition version of one of the Xbox Splinter Cell games. Unlike Splinter Cell however, the focus here is purely on stealth. The vampires, or nightwalkers as they are called here. are unstoppable with regards to regular weaponry. Only certain UV enhanced weapons are able to kill them and these are rarely available and unsuitable for head on combat. Nightwalkers are also incredibly fast and agile so getting spotted invariable means a quick and brutal death. This particular design decision has been a sore point for most reviewers of the game, but I see it as one of the game's few redeeming qualities. Taking away combat as an option really makes you focus on being stealthy, and there is a lot of strategy (and tension) involved in finding a safe path with which to navigate through a level. Certain sections of the game can get challenging (mostly due to some checkpoints being too far apart), but the game never feels overly cheap and most levels can be beaten with minimal trial and error.

Unfortunately nothing else about the game stands out. As mentioned previously the graphics are mediocre, and the story is pretty bare bones with poor voice acting. The game is of decent length and you're given the option of redoing levels for a better grade but I honestly didn't find much incentive to do that. There are also a few multiplayer options, but the lobby always seems to be completely deserted and I was never able to find a match. This is especially unfortunate as most of the achievement points are tied to the multiplayer aspect of the game.

In all if you LOVE the stealth genre and you're not expecting much in terms of graphics and story then this game is meant for you (and the price is pretty cheap to boot). Everyone else will find little to motivate them to sit through the challenge the absolute focus on stealth imposes.

This game isnt as bad as you might think if you play it as a shooter then yes it is impossible but its really a puzzle game and a fun one at that.

So if you are looking for a shooter this isn't the game for you but its a good add on for any puzzle/vampire fan.