Cabernet (2025)

There is a lot to like about this game but I wouldn't recommend playing it in its current state as you can miss out on a lot due to various bugs. For example, I couldn't find Evgeny after he sent me the letter to come speak to him so I had no choice but to let the quest fail. I read it happens if you get both Evgeny and Anastasia's letters at the same time which happened to me.

I honestly don't mind or even care that much about the smaller things, like the way the characters glitch during the walking scenes when you don't control Liza but there are so many ways you can miss out on stuff because of the bugs that it's really not worth it. Hopefully they patch it all up in the near future because I'd like to do a second playthrough but not if there's a good chance I won't be able to achieve the outcomes I want due to random bugs (again).

Also, I am not a fan of not being able to leave a conversation once initiated because I started the second part of Arban's quest for example when I just wanted to buy some delicious blood from her and I couldn't get out but I didn't have the stats necessary for the best options yet. It sucks that the game forces you to guess if you're ready for a quest (stat-wise) or not or use a guide but that might just be a me thing.

I love the idea of this, but the number of bugs makes me want to put it down and maybe check in on it later, after some fixes are hopefully made.

Bugs include little things like visual glitches or wrong dialogue lines playing, bigger things like quest items not appearing and only being able to end quests in one way (limiting roleplaying options), and huge things like getting stuck in rooms and having to reload a save to get out.

As a retired Vampire: The Masquerade player (the pen-and-paper RPG) I always wanted a game like this. A narrative RPG with a lot of freedom to choose my actions to make the unlife of my choosing... and no combat.

I loved Cabernet. I loved Liza and her little world that I could cross in less than two minutes at full bat speed. I loved that I have to create a relatioship with someone just to have a chance to drink their blood or go to the woods to feed on animals if I didn't wanted to hurt humans. I loved the little stories, the voice acting and the way the choices I made could change everything.

I didn't loved the amount of bugs I found tho.

You can read my full review in spanish here.

I really hope they fix the bugs soon after launch.