It was nearly surreal awakening as an historic monster in Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 and getting my first style of blood. Phyre the Nomad, a semi-customizable character with a hard and fast backstory, has been asleep for 100 years when she wakes up in trendy Seattle – and I really feel like I have been excited about this recreation nearly as lengthy. From its announcement in 2019 by way of a number of delays, growth woes, a form-of soppy cancellation, and an nearly full reboot beneath The Chinese language Room, lastly taking part in it allowed me to begin to reply my large query: was it price waking up from an everlasting slumber for? To this point, I am cautiously optimistic.
First issues first: The Chinese language Room isn’t the studio I might have drafted to make a sequel to one of the crucial beloved cult hit RPGs of the early 2000s. They made a reputation for themselves with what are generally disparagingly known as “strolling simulators” and linear first-individual horror video games like Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and Nonetheless Wakes the Deep. However that is genuinely a free-roaming open-world spectacle, albeit on a modest-sized map, when you get out onto the town streets. It’s not simply smoke and mirrors.
I used to be impressed with the extent of freedom my vampire needed to climb up utility ducts and hearth escapes, leap from rooftop to rooftop, glide down moody alleyways, and naturally interact within the time-honored vampire custom of dropping a really good distance with out taking any fall harm. It’s not secure to do all of these items in entrance of Seattle’s many mortal residents, although, as it’ll begin to refill a Masquerade meter that can lead to a recreation over if you happen to cling round or depart too many witnesses.
I discovered that system to be a bit too forgiving within the demo – you may chow down on somebody in the course of the road and so long as you run away quick sufficient, you’ll undergo no penalties – but it surely’s good to see a nod to one of many setting’s most basic guidelines: people cannot be allowed to know that vampires exist.
THIS BITES
Dropping in for a pleasant, sticky hemoglobin smoothie has two predominant functions in Bloodlines 2: people function cellular therapeutic potions and recharge your vampiric disciplines – particular skills tied to every vampiric clan. This is not actually a survival recreation within the sense that your bloodthirst will not naturally enhance over time. However I felt like I wanted to feed usually sufficient that it by no means turned one thing I might ignore, which is nice.
There’s an attention-grabbing blood resonance system wherein characters feeling a sure emotion – concern, anger, or lust – might be inspired to take pleasure in it relying in your clan, which provides you foreign money for unlocking sure disciplines while you feed on them in that elevated state. As a Toreador, I cherished seducing somebody right into a darkish alley earlier than taking a chunk, and it creates a sense that your vampire has a well-liked sort of mortal to prey on. You may as well feed in fight on enemies which are close to loss of life, which is a bit on the forgiving facet attributable to how briskly it’s. I did not really feel like I used to be placing myself at severe danger by pausing for a snack.
The fight might be the weak hyperlink right here, a minimum of from the handful of hours I have been in a position to play. I will permit for the chance that I simply have not gotten the cling of it but. However I ran by way of the entire thing as a blood mage Tremere, a brawling Brujah, and a seductive Toreador – that final one, together with the Lasombra, being a part of a day-one DLC that comes with the Premium Version. And in every case it felt like melee fight specifically was a bit imprecise and chaotic. I attempted it out with mouse and keyboard in addition to a controller, and the latter was undoubtedly higher. However I discovered myself actually wishing for extra of a “onerous” lock-on. It’s additionally just a little disappointing that you may solely use weapons, together with weapons, by the use of telekinesis. I get that Phyre is older than trendy firearms, however being a vampire with candy-ass twin pistols is an iconic vibe that simply is not featured in Bloodlines 2. Kate Beckinsale would weep.
In equity, fight was by far the weakest a part of the unique Bloodlines, so I will not maintain that towards it an excessive amount of. Issues do begin to decide up as you unlock extra disciplines, together with your core clan line being the most cost effective when it comes to talent factors, and cross-clan disciplines with a key phrase like Celerity that your clan focuses on getting a average low cost. However there’s nothing stopping you from studying any self-discipline you need apart from out-of-clan, non-affinity disciplines being very costly.
As a Tremere, I might lure enemies into a gaggle by boiling a goal’s blood, putting a curse on him to show him right into a risky blood bomb, then hitting him with a telekinetically-thrown bottle to make him explode and take out a complete room without delay. That is completely sick nasty superb the primary couple instances, but it surely does get just a little repetitive. It feels extra like a gimmick than a playstyle. The Brujah and the Toreador are a bit extra like conventional melee fighters, which I ended up vibing with higher in the long term. Toreadors additionally get a neat blink means, and the facility to briefly flip an enemy to your facet with a kiss.
WORLD OF DARKNESS
The place The Chinese language Room has all the time excelled, although, is in environment, and there is not any exception right here. Neon-lit alleys, spooky warehouses, and decadent lodge suites are dripping with small particulars. I actually applaud the best way the reticle modifications when exploring as properly, letting you recognize there are undiscovered secrets and techniques close by with out merely telling you the place they’re. That method, looking the darkish corners continues to be a enjoyable problem, however I also can fulfill my interior obsessive completionist that when the circle turns again right into a dot, I’ve discovered all the pieces there may be to seek out.
The story is compelling and stuffed with memorable characters, in addition to high-notch voice appearing for the primary solid. We do not know initially why Phyre has all of a sudden been woke up or what’s up with the mysterious image on her hand limiting her powers. However the Prince of Seattle has not too long ago been assassinated, there is a unfastened canon vampire Sheriff ripping out spines, and, oh yeah, a Malkavian police detective residing inside our head.
Fabien, who’s each half the onerous-boiled movie noir hero till you discover the fangs, by some means ended up sharing Phyre’s mind meat. Sure flashback sequences are performed from his perspective, technically making Malkavian the ultimate playable clan. To this point, these segments do not embody fight. All of his disciplines are geared towards fixing mysteries, like the flexibility to compel somebody to inform him what they’re leaving out of their testimony. I discovered him to be an attention-grabbing change-of-tempo.I did not actually know what to anticipate from Bloodlines 2 given the lengthy, shadowed path it took to lastly relaxation in my undead talons. However main with a properly-written and properly-voiced thriller story that lets me discover my city searching floor with cool motion skills has me intrigued to say the least. I do not love the fight thus far, and the Masquerade system appears a bit too forgiving. However I am thirsty to spend extra time with it. It’s a really totally different type of recreation from the unique, however I dare to hope it might be one thing genuinely particular. Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will likely be launched to stalk the evening on October 21.