Free Vampire Survivors: Emerald Diorama update adds SaGa heroes

The bullet heaven phenomenon Vampire Survivors is the gift that keeps on giving, and developer Poncle has decided to deliver another present in the form of an all-new free DLC pack. Titled Vampire Survivors: Emerald Diorama, this new update adds a bundle of characters from the beloved SaGa series, as well as plenty of new weapons, a fresh stage, the ability to control multiple allies at once, and an intriguing new "Glimmer" mechanic inspired by the JRPG series.

Emerald Diorama adds 12 new characters to the Vampire Survivors roster, including the master puppeteer Tsunanori Mido, the tough detective duo Bonnie and Formina, the undercover witch Ameya Aisling, the pop idol mech Diva No. 5 (yes, really), and many more. This is a substantial addition to Vampire Survivors' existing roster of 165 characters (48 in the base game) and will surely unlock some new strategies for you to try.

Characters alone wouldn't make this much of a tribute to Square Enix's SaGa series, though. Poncle has also put in quite a bit of work adding mechanics and ideas from those games. Emerald Diorama includes more than 16 new weapons—but that's not the real story here. These armaments also come with the aforementioned Glimmer mechanic, one of the signature traits of SaGa.

For those who aren't familiar, "Glimmering" refers to the process by which characters in these games learn new abilities and moves. Every time you attack with one of these weapons, there's a small chance that you will learn a new technique, which is similar to the existing Evolution mechanic in Vampire Survivors.

Here's a quick example: When you attack enough enemies with the Pressure Point weapon at close range, you will eventually Glimmer to unlock the "Shenlong Firefist," which has a much longer range. This essentially means that these weapons are great short-term or medium-term investments for your build, since they're likely to eventually Glimmer and become more powerful by simply using them.

Other new weapons that can potentially Glimmer include the Fleuret (which can learn to freeze foes with the Crystalline Carve), the Hecaton Machine Gun (which evolves to blast a giant earth-based projectile at enemies), and the explosive Hyperion Bazooka (which gains the Cosmic Rave, multiplying its output). Taken together, these 16 new weapons, Glimmers, and Evolutions add up to 40 new ways for Vampire Survivors veterans to take out countless shambling enemies.

Besides Glimmering, Emerald Diorama also adds two other JRPG-themed mechanics to keep you guessing. The first is the ability to summon allies and control multiple characters at once, which turns the tables on the game's existing you-vs.-the-hordes dynamic. Tsunanori Mido can summon up to four of her Kugutsu combat puppets to add to her firepower, while Bonnie and Formina bring along their counterpart for a two-pronged attack. We also heard that a certain Dismal King might be able to recruit defeated enemies to his cause in order to make his own horde—but don't quote us on that.

The second new mechanic is Showstopper, which gives you a chance to come back from the brink of defeat. When SaGa characters reach low HP, they obtain a burst of energy that increases their fighting power and decreases their cooldowns, helping them to (hopefully) survive longer.

And as you might expect, Emerald Diorama adds a new stage to the mix in the form of Emerald Wave. It's described as a "diorama of interwoven worlds," so expect plenty of variety. You can also look forward to no less than nine different remixes of songs from 2024's SaGa: Emerald Beyond, so keep those ears pricked for new versions of all your favorite tracks.

Emerald Diorama is a treat for SaGa fans—but even if you aren't as familiar with this venerable JRPG series, it adds in more than its fair share of new mechanics, weapons, and characters for you to try out. It's a great excuse to revisit the bullet heaven game that started it all.

Vampire Survivors: Emerald Diorama is available now on the Epic Games Store.