Among the many unnerving horror genre game trailers showcased during today's Inside Xbox was a rather unexpected guest, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. Most are probably unfamiliar with this game, as the first installment released back in the early 2000s and wasn't incredibly popular. That said, those that fancy themselves tabletop gamers may recognize Vampire: The Masquerade as a tabletop roleplaying system, so its transition into the world of video games is sure to be quite the treat, especially considering the premise behind the world of White Wolf's TTRPG incarnation, World of Darkness.
For those unaware, White Wolf's World of Darkness is a tabletop roleplaying system similar to Dungeons and Dragons, but it is set in modern day and features all sorts of eldritch horrors. In the base game, the player is a typical human, and the focus is less on combat as it is on role play and survival, but in one of the expansions, which Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is based off of, the player can choose to be a vampire instead, introducing a whole world of intrigue, politics, and gnarly eating habits to the table. What makes World of Darkness in general so great is the huge emphasis on the individual character it has, including systems to support character development.
World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade
The tabletop roleplaying game, World of Darkness, is rather unique compared to other more mainstream TTRPGs. It is clear that the main focus of this is storytelling, and the books all recommend that game masters try to create character driven stories rather than story driven characters. This is a subtle difference, but a story driven character exists for the sake of the story that is unfolding, whereas a character driven story is one that bends around the characters that are part of it, making them the true spotlight of the game and the tale.
Among its many expansions is Vampire: The Masquerade, which introduces vampires to the fold. Though the base game is about pretty much any kind of dark and foreboding creature the GM can think up, this supplement provides solid rules regarding how vampires work and details their society in a deep way. Vampires are sorted by large groups known as bloodlines, clans which determine their powers and tendencies, and coteries, which represent the "chosen family" of the vampire and in the tabletop setting usually is the party of Player Characters. All of this translated over to the first Bloodlines game and will no doubt make an appearance in the upcoming sequel as well.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
The original Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines released in 2004 exclusively for PC, and featured a ton of really cool ideas. Unfortunately, Troika Games', the developer, ambition was far bigger than its resources and technology could account for, and the game was ultimately a flop. When it finally did release, many things were left unfinished and unpolished, and the game sold a remarkably low number of copies at its release. All of that said, many consider it to be an amazing game despite its many technical flaws, and fans of the original still play and upkeep it themselves.
Like the tabletop roleplaying variation, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesfocuses heavily on choices, allowing players a huge array of gameplay styles to choose from. Players can be violent and approach situations guns blazing or opt to instead use stealth. That same situation could also be handled with diplomacy or domination, or perhaps avoided altogether. The point is, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines had incredible ideas, but its scope was simply too great to be accommodated at the time. That's what makes the upcoming next generation sequel so exciting.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
The trailer shown during the recent Inside Xbox, while creepy, gives a good sense of what kind of world the player will be in during their time with Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. This is a dark setting in which morals are lacking and things are always a shade of grey rather than black and white, and even aspiring "good" characters are forced to face the reality of vampirism and what it makes them do. Hard choices will certainly abound in the game, and players will need to think hard about who they want their character to be.
Players will pick a clan at character creation. Although there are a total of thirteen in the lore of the game, it is more than likely that not all of these will be offered initially. Depending on which clan the player chooses, they will gain access to a certain set of powers. For example, members of the Nosferatu clan use the powers of nightmares to terrorize their enemies, whereas the Gangrel clan represents the beastly side of vampirism. This choice will affect not only how the player approaches combat and social interactions, but also how the rest of the world perceives them.
The reason why the sequel is so exciting is because it offers a chance for what may consider a flawed masterpiece to drop that flawed prefix and be something truly amazing. With next generation graphics, powerful game engines and technology, a solid understanding of the gaming market, and development by the team at Hardsuit Labs, this game has the potential to be something truly great. Fans should definitely keep an eye out for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, which should be releasing on both PS5 and Xbox Series X as well as PC, to see if Hardsuit Labs is able to pull off this monumental task.
What's more, the game is set for release in 2020, meaning it will more than likely be a launch title for the next generation systems. That means that fans should be able to experience Bloodlines 2 this holiday season when the PS5 and Xbox Series X finally release. Until then, fans will have to simply wait, but hopefully more information surfaces about the game and how it will play soon.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2Â releases this holiday season alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
