Experience "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2": a game brimming with genuine ambiance, intriguing lore, and a somber ambience - yet, regrettably, not delivering an enjoyable gameplay experience.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the original tabletop RPG, offers a dark vision of Seattle that remains true to its roots. Developed by Hardsuit Labs, published by Paradox Interactive and White Wolf Publishing, the game showcases a city filled with quirky weirdos and pompous villains typical of a secret vampire society.
The game's atmosphere is authentic and immersive, with moonlit streets, moody fashion, derelict mansions, and art deco apartments that transport players into the heart of the game's world. However, the interior level design leaves much to be desired, making it difficult to determine where to go next in story missions.
Sneaking around is an alternative option, but the stealth system is crude, and the dim-witted enemy AI often forces players into open combat. Combat itself is awkward and not empowering, with the player frequently getting attacked from behind due to limited peripheral vision. Unlockable bloodline powers, such as mind control and boiling a target's blood until they explode, aim to even the odds, but they feel fiddly to deploy in chaotic melees.
Drinking blood from stunned enemies to fuel powers disrupts the flow of fights and often strains logic. Traversal in the game is built around moving like a normal person to avoid tipping off humanity, but the controls for this are rough around the edges. Jumps don't transition into glides as smoothly as they should, and it's easy to misjudge their distance.
The game features two playable characters: Phyre, an ancient vampire, and Fabien, a disembodied 1940s vampire detective. Phyre's age and demeanor allow players to feel detached from the politics, while Fabien's youth and modern interpretation of the world help players understand the complex world-building. Conversations with various characters offer multiple dialogue options, affecting their opinions of the player.
The boss fight at the end of the demo requires using cheap tactics due to the boss's strength. The boss is resistant to most supernatural abilities, but some do make him stumble or pause, allowing for brief attacks. Sprinting around the arena, hiding behind pillars, and exploiting poor enemy pathfinding are common strategies to win the fight.
Despite its flaws, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 functions with a minimum of bugs. The game takes the tabletop lore seriously, with concepts like the Camarilla and the Masquerade being core to the story. Climbing is hampered by the first-person perspective and a lack of clarity around the best routes up buildings.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is due to launch on October 21 this year. While the game's flaws do not add up to a disaster, it remains to be seen whether these issues will be addressed before its release.
