In Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova, the townspeople fear the Black Death is reemerging when nine people die under mysterious circumstances within a week’s time. Travel with a fellow inspector on orders of His Excellency of the Imperial Court of Vienna to investigate who – or what – is threatening the village of Kisilova.
I’m not a huge fan of vampires, really. I’ve read the Twilight series, but, if I had to choose, I would probably be Team Jacob rather than Team Edward – I think werewolves are way cooler than vampires.
When I first heard the title of Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova, I wasn’t convinced I would like the game. But, once I read the description and saw it is based on the first documented case of vampirism, I was a little more intrigued.
Being the nerd that I am, I had to research to see if it actually was based on a true story. I was excited to see that the storyline of the game is consistent with the historical reporting of vampires, and that the village of Kisilova is in Serbia. Having been to Serbia, that somehow made the story more real for me.
I was eager to take a look at the game and the historical elements of the story (I know, I really am a nerd). The game begins with some backstory explaining that the villagers of Kisilova are panicking following the mysterious deaths of nine people in just a week.
The imperial leaders fear it’s the return of the Plague, which had so recently wiped out the majority of the population. His Excellency orders you and another inspector (named after the priest called in to investigate the real-life vampirism) to travel to Kisilova and investigate the deaths.
The graphics are crisp and clear and the cut scenes are well animated. The colors are muted as it seems to be perpetually overcast to match the mood of the town. The music and effects coordinate well with the story and are pleasant enough to not be overwhelming or annoying.
However, the voice-overs are one reason I couldn’t give Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova 5 stars – while all of the characters spoke perfect English, there was a crazy mix of accents. Some sounded British, one sounded almost Bostonian, and I couldn’t even tell you what the medicine woman’s brogue was. Needless to say, I felt the voice acting left something to be desired.
The hidden object scenes are not overly cluttered or busy and the objects are easily found. Each board requires some interaction of moving things to reveal an object or putting things back together.
I was a little disturbed by the disembodied doll, but I liked feeding the mouse some of the apple. The scenes are fun and quick and hints are readily available in casual mode if you get impatient.
The mini-games are varied and tie well to the storyline – for example, guiding the ferry across the river to reach the other side or re-organizing books on a shelf to find a certain one. I found them quick and easy, some required a bit more forethought than others, but I was able to avoid asking for any hints.
I should learn my lesson to not judge a book by its cover or a game by its title. I was initially hesitant to try Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova, but I’m glad I took the time to play. The game is well put together and time flew by while I was playing. I enjoyed the slight challenge of the HOS and mini-games while not being overwhelmed or frustrated. I definitely want to go back for more!