2004 was a difficult time for smaller titles to come out. With Metal Gear Solid 2: Snake Eater and Halo 2 having come out, it was a show of competition. And with such, Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines didn’t get the attention it wanted. Having only sold roughly 100,000 copies, it was whisked under the carpet and mostly forgotten. Those who didn’t forget were the ones that played it, as the roleplaying game made sure it was a heavy rpg, and it left a lasting impression to the rpg player community. Then, weirdly enough, fifteen years later Paradox Interactive came forward with a sequel: Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2:
While the name is a mouthful, the preview for the game is looking well beyond where it had last been since. In both graphics and intensity. What is the intensity? A massive event called the “Mass Embrace”. This “Mass Embrace” is a rather bloody night where a countless number of vampire fledglings are born. The main character being one of them, who’s been born without the approval of the higher ups and is brought before the court of said higher ups.
But before the player can recount what happened that night, the court is firebombed and the player is launched into the World of Darkness alone. Well, Seattle to be precise. Though this Seattle is different as the game has a fictional take of what part of it would look like if the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 had destroyed part of the city. So it’s new, it’s different, and it might not be the same Seattle that some people may know.
Of course, Paradox wanted to make sure that this game is a true descendant of the cult classic, so the roleplaying portion of the game is extremely focused on. Players won’t be able to choose which Vampire clan they’re apart of, but they will be able to choose everything else about their character. This includes their background, which can later lead to certain choices affecting specific aspects of the game. Characters will also start out as a “thinblood”, or a Vampire that can’t use the full effects of their powers in the inevitable combat.
All this and more, including a full game sidequest, is heading this way in the upcoming Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 game. While there is no official release date, there is a release time of Q1 in 2020. This game will be available for PC, PS4, and XBox One upon its release. For more information, check out the Bloodlines 2 website here.