Therapy can be an uncomfortable subject, with many of us thinking we don’t need it. It’s raw, painful, and sometimes feels like it isn’t helpful. But if you stick with it and allow yourself to participate, you can come out with hope for the future. Vampire Therapist brings this concept to the undead, with a vampire taking up the role to help others of his kind find peace. The journey is long and the problems are beyond human comprehension. That doesn’t mean they cannot find peace with a bit of help.
Vampire Therapist is a psychological visual novel by Little Bat Games with dark comedy sprinkled throughout. You play as Sam, a 250-year-old American Vampire from the Wild West era. After going through his fair share of struggles, he grows a desire to help other vampires as a therapist. He gets his chance when an ancient European vampire agrees to help Sam nurture his talents. Sam travels to Europe to start a journey of self-discovery for not just his patients, but himself as well.
Therapy is unique to every individual and Vampire Therapist doesn’t hold back. While there may be some comedic elements in the beginning, it’s soon clear that Sam and his clients are struggling. No one is immune to problems which is a major theme of the game. As funny as some moments are, no problem is too small or insignificant. Everyone needs help and the journey starts with properly understanding the issue at hand.
While vampire therapy is unique and Little Bat Games emphasizes this isn’t actual therapy replacement, the portrayal is amazing. None of the therapy sessions change the clients overnight and you have several sessions with them. Slowly but surely, Sam breaks down the resistance and gets his clients to come to terms with their beliefs. Success is almost guaranteed because you always say the right things, but it’s still a good portrayal of how therapy works.
Sam’s therapy revolves around tackling cognitive distortions and there are many distortions to work with. Identifying and tackling distortions becomes a key part of treating clients. At first, you generally tackle their world views but must narrow down their distortions to address the real issues. Eventually, you must choose certain distortions to focus on to tackle the problem in-depth.
This means that there are several factors to consider and you worry about choosing the wrong option. Fortunately, you have plenty of assistance and choosing the wrong option is rarely fatal. You can make several saves to back yourself up but you can’t put yourself in an unwinnable situation. Advice is frequently dispensed and you can try as many times as you like. Real therapy doesn’t work like this but this is meant to be a visual novel exploring several themes. The inability to fail makes you more likely to take risks and test your knowledge.
Even if you aren’t someone who feels like they need therapy, you can likely relate to some of the struggles you hear. These characters have issues dialled up for the purposes of the game, but some conflicts are relatable. You shouldn’t implement the solutions for yourself since they are directed towards supernatural beings. But it’s hard not to relate to someone who might feel that their life feels like a waste or no one recognizes their talent.
All of this comes together to make a story about self-discovery engaging and interesting. You understand why you are wrong, get several tries, and aren’t afraid to take risks. Along the way, you can enjoy the story and listen to Sam when it’s his turn to learn something new. The low-risk environment ensures you aren’t struggling to understand the depths of someone’s issues. Instead, you experience and learn along the way, understanding why your choices aren’t correct.
The visual design of the characters is beautiful, from regular humans to immortal vampires. They are chiselled, muscular, feminine, gaunt, or whatever the character is supposed to be. Each design is carefully drawn and lets you see their facial features accurately. Characters react with genuine warmth, shock, and surprise. The voice acting is also well done if sometimes taken a bit too far with some stereotypes. But everything comes together to give you a clear view of the characters you are seeing.
While some of the therapy sessions contain sensitive content, Vampire Therapist handles it well. Even the jokes, when they do appear, are well-timed and funny. The open nature of the game makes it easier to accept that everyone is different and has their own experiences. Just because you are different doesn’t mean that you can’t come to an understanding.
The game isn’t perfect however, the mini-games don’t have the best explanation or a clear objective. Sometimes you might know what to do but you are never told how to get there. For example, there is a neck-biting game where you drain blood from a consenting person. But what veins you should target, along with any obstacles, is never covered in detail. Meditation doesn’t have any instructions and that may confuse you, forcing you to stay in a mini-game longer than expected. Fortunately, the core of Vampire Therapist is solid but the mini-games feel like they need more refining.
Vampire Therapist draws you in with an interesting concept and keeps you with an intriguing story. Everyone’s growth is interesting to watch and interacting with therapy is enjoyable. The whole experience is eye-opening and fully involved. It may creep into sensitive topics at times, but Vampire Therapist at least gives you a new way to think about yourself.
Victor played Vampire Therapist on PC with a review code.
