It's taken almost 21 years, but the long-overdue sequel to Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
is almost here. A new trailer has been released for Bloodlines 2, and the sequel appears to capture at least some of the distinctive style that made the original so memorable.
Still, it has to be said that Bloodlines 2 has a lot to live up to. It may not have been the biggest-selling video game (especially since it was released in November 2004, the same month as Half-Life 2, a game that was both highly anticipated and at least equally successful). Due to a troubled production, it wasn't the most polished release, either. Bloodlines was released incomplete and came with many bugs.
But despite all of that, Bloodlines still has an extremely devoted following. In fact, the game has received a huge amount of unofficial support thanks to its fanbase. Many patches have been released that have not only improved the game's performance but have even added additional content.
A rich world
There are several reasons why Bloodlines has such a strong appeal. The first was its world. Set in nighttime Los Angeles, you get to explore many locations that have a strong sense of style and atmosphere, ranging from a gothic nightclub to a haunted hotel that owes more than a nod to The Shining. It's an easy world to get sucked into.
This world also included some interesting politics. Instead of presenting a black-and-white world of good and evil, Bloodlines instead includes several distinct sects working towards different agendas. It is up to the player to decide who to work with and who to trust. These choices are crucial enough to affect the game's ending, with some fates for the player's character being far better than others.
Lastly, a big part of the game's appeal is, of course, getting to play as a vampire. Especially as there are several ways to do this, thanks to the game's distinctive clans. For example, you could play as a Brujah and play with a lot of strength and intimidation. Or, if you prefer the more charming and seductive style of vampire, you could play as a Toreador instead. You could even go for something more monstrous and play as a Nosferatu. The seven playable clans gave Bloodlines both a lot of character and variation, helping to encourage replays.
Having just replayed the game (available on both Steam and GOG.com), it's safe to say that it still holds up. It's not perfect, but it has a lot of appeal, especially for vampire fans. It'll be interesting to see if Bloodlines 2 will have the same strong appeal.