Gameitall 2004’s PC FPS/RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines had a pretty impressive cult following and for years fans have hoped for another game set in the World of Darkness series. While we do have a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game incoming, the recent release of The Masquerade’s 5th Edition has definitely made the want for a new Vampire game grow.
Now there is plenty of reason for those fans to get excited, as Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs has revealed Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, set to be released in 2020 for PC and consoles. Bloodlines 2 has several key members from the original former studio, Troika Games, working on the title to pick up where the original left off.
For those who are new to The Masquerade, lets fill you in on some of the details. Bloodlines was an adaption of the table-top series from White Wolf Publishing as part of their World of Darkness series (check out our World of Darkness “All on the Table” episode for more on that) and was set in modern-day LA. Starting as a newly converted vampire (a Fledgling), you’re thrown into a conflict among elite vampires.
Bloodlines was praised for its in-depth RPG system which was like that of classic Deus Ex and System Shock, but unfortunately didn’t do well sales wise. However after Trokia Games closed, a dedicated community helped kept the game active, adding content and updating the game to make it a cult classic.
In Bloodlines 2, we’ll have a new Fledgling and a new city to get acquainted with, this time being Seattle. The Developers expressed that they wanted to keep up the same level of agency and detail from the previous game, while focusing more on the strange and lesser-known details about life as a vampire. This includes some new abilities, such as levitation, telekinesis and mist-form, leading up to unlocking bigger abilities such as conjuring up sharp objects made of blood and slowing down time.
The team at Hardsuit is also looking to bring the social aspects of the original back, allowing players to level up their characters in various ways to handle situations. Players can level up in combat abilities and use conventional weapons as well as vampire powers, or use their social charm to talk their way out of situation. While the game will not be possible to have a no-kill run as you’ll have to feed to stay alive, you can attempt to be the most “humane” vampire and avoid as much bloodshed as possible.
Paradox dropped a new Cinematic trailer with the announcement, showing off just a bit of what we can expect from the upcoming sequel, even if it isn’t direct gameplay. So far, the title does seem ambitious, however if done right could be a great RPG experience that will stand out in the crowd.
