Stunlock Studios is back again with another dev update for their upcoming open-world vampire title V Rising. This time, the update focuses on one of the unique features of the game in V Blood, and how it relates to the Drac man himself.

According to V Rising‘s lore, when Dracula was slain, it rained blood for seven days and seven nights. The result caused death and destruction for many, and those that survived the onslaught were gifted and cursed at the same time. Over time, the descendants of those exposed to the rain grew and evolved in power. But also fed their own lust for power, no matter the cost.

This is where V Blood comes in. Referred to as “a cornerstone of the V Rising experience”, these units hold untapped power for the player to use, making them a priority for you to hunt down. Players will be able to track these units via the Blood Altar in their castle for future consumption.

“Hunting for blood is essential for a vampire, so we wanted tracking down and defeating V Blood units to be a central part of the core loop,” says Stunlock Studios creative director Martin Lövgren. “The blood altar guides the player to their prey but doesn’t dictate how or when they should pursue them. We feel this strikes a beautiful balance between guidance and player autonomy in a way that feels natural to the vampire experience.”

Obviously, because these units are more powerful than regular units, they need to be shown as visually distinct from other units. Art director Johan Wahlbäck refers to the balance needed to ground the units in the qualities that relate them to their regular versions, but while also giving them a “unique flair”. This involves reuse of animation rigs and keeping the basic silhouette of the unit, but tweaking things such as colour, visual effects and sound to differentiate the V Blood units.

Hit up the link above to read more about V Rising‘s unique way to power up your vampire, as well as details on the aftermath of their recent beta test. V Rising is currently in development for PC via Steam.