Vampyr is the latest game released by developer DontNod Entertainment that blends Victorian horror with typical RPG elements. Players assume control of Jonathan Reid, a doctor turned vampire who attempts to uncover why he was transformed. As you play through the campaign, you will need to acquire blood in order to level up various abilities and attributes of Jonathan. This is Vampyr’s version of experience (XP), but unlike other RPG this title weaves XP gathering into the very fabric of the story.
There are multiple ways to earn experience, but the best way to obtain a lot of blood is by drinking from the various NPCs in the world. Almost every character can be killed to gain XP, but doing so will require a few steps. The first is to actually discover and talk to them in one of the four major districts. You cannot outright kill someone in the streets, as they need to mesmerized and taken into a dark alley. Every NPC has a mesmerize level that can be seen in the top left corner of the screen or on their character card when you’re using the vampiric sense.
If you have a mesmerize level that’s the same or above the one listed then you can instantly mind control that person, lead them to a shadowy area, and kill them for experience. The amount of XP you gain will be determined by how healthy they are and how many hints you’ve uncovered. All of this information will be listed on the character chart in the menu. Most NPCs will offer between 1,000 and 3,000 XP, but some can grant players upwards of 5,000 points.
However, killing an NPC will have dramatic effects on the world and that person will be gone for good. Thankfully, if you’re going for a no-kill playthrough then you can earn experience by completing quests or killing enemies. This will be a much slower method and the lack of experience will make Vampyr much harder. Enemies will continue to level up and do more damage as the game progress, regardless of what your rank is. Because of this, we recommend being a maximum of 7 levels under your foe’s rank.
Feeding on NPCs will make this much easier since you’ll have more XP to level up and make Jonathan more powerful. There are no other ways to obtain XP in the game outside of fighting, completing quests, and feeding on people. If you’re determined to keep Jonathan from hurting anyone, make sure to complete every side quest available – especially since the difficulty ramps up in Chapter 5. The last thing you want is to be stuck in a boss fight and be woefully underpowered.