In Cabernet, you slip into the undead skin of a vampire who must find their way in their new “life.” But this doesn’t come without a bit of horror and intrigue.
There are quite a few vampire games across all genres – whether action RPGs like “Vampire: The Masquerade” or more arcade-like rogue-lites like “Vampire Survivors.” However, profound story games often have the greatest allure in the vampire setting – and Cabernet hits this nail on the head with its unusual art style and great narrative.
As part of the “Steam Next Fest,” Cabernet is also in the spotlight – and checking out the demo is definitely worth it.
A first impression of the game is given by the trailer:
What is Cabernet about? In Cabernet, you slip into the skin of Elizaveta Morozova, most commonly known as “Liza.” She lives at the end of the 19th century – at least until the game begins. The very first sequence is her burial.
But of course, that is just the beginning of the journey, as some time later Liza awakens in a small cell. Her clothing is dirty, her whole body feels numb, and there seems to be a wound on her shoulder that she cannot immediately see.
Anyone who has ever experienced a story like this knows what lies ahead: Liza discovers some bizarre occurrences. In the mirror, she can no longer see her reflection, and her perception seems to have somehow improved.
She must accept her new existence as a vampire.
That is not so easy, as she was previously a doctor – even one of the first academically successful women in this field – and harbors a great urge to help humanity. Viewing other humans as food and indulging in their blood is anything but attractive at first.
Cabernet, the name of the game, is, by the way, the code word vampires use when they talk about blood. In a vampire-run bar, one would order a glass of “Cabernet” – so the human guests don’t realize that one is indulging in a sip of red life juice.
A vampire lady you slowly shape
Although so far – as with most Steam Next Fest games – only a demo is available, this one manages to create an exciting setting and explain most of the game mechanics in just a few minutes.
For even though Cabernet is fundamentally a “visual novel,” there are some elements that are rather unusual for this genre. You collect experience points with Liza and specialize in different skills.
Even during her burial, you can decide what words the uncle finds for Liza and influence her knowledge abilities. Should she be skilled in the arts? Does she have a flair for literature? Is she a woman of science or does Liza understand the nuances and intrigues of politics?
Which of these skills you gradually develop determines what dialogue options are available to you.
If you have Liza somewhat versed in politics, you can subtly threaten other vampires by repeatedly hinting that you might report any wrongdoing to the high-ranking countess.
If you have focused on science, you can often investigate your condition as a vampire more closely and try to figure out why you don’t cast a reflection or why sunlight is no longer the best idea.
Your skills and their use ensure that you can collect experience points and level up – and in the process, receive more skill points to further specialize in one or two areas.
However, your decisions have even more consequences. Depending on how Liza acts or thinks, her morality changes. Most dialogues ensure that she either collects points in “humanism” or “nihilism” – whether she continues to try to uphold human society or fully indulges in her new desires as a vampire.
And because that’s still not enough, you also have individual relationship indicators with all the different characters in the story that reveal how much a character currently trusts you or how much you can count on them when things get tough.
But even aside from these mechanics, Cabernet has a lot that sets it apart from other games of its kind. All dialogues are voiced, the art style is quite extraordinary and incredibly fitting for a world of the 19th century – and music and sound also impress.
Who is the demo for? Basically for anyone who has a bit of a vampire fetish and just can’t get enough of the bloodsucking nocturnals. A good story with small psychological horror elements should be more important to you than brutal action. You should also be proficient in the English language. While you can activate German subtitles, there is no German voiceover.
Even though Cabernet surely doesn’t reinvent the vampire genre, it is a refreshingly thoughtful world that you will want to learn more about.
I will eagerly await the full release of Cabernet this year. It combines all the elements of a good story with moral dilemmas, greedy vampirism, and a sympathetic main character that can still be shaped according to one’s own ideas.
