Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, the sequel to Troika Games’ 2004 cult-classic, is set to release some time in the latter half of 2021. Bloodlines 2 is being developed by Hardsuit Labs, though its release date has been pushed back twice due to staffing issues, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a delay in receiving PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S development kits.
Despite the delays, hype is still strong among fans of the original game, with the hope being that Bloodlines 2 will be polished enough to live up to its predecessor. While speculation is high, one of the aspects of the game that is under particular scrutiny is character creation.
In the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, character creation took part before the game began. This followed the system employed in the tabletop RPG, where players would start as vampires from the first session. In Bloodlines’ character creation, players were first given a choice of seven Clans. This choice, along with gender, defined the character’s appearance, which couldn’t be customized further.
After that, players were asked to spend points on the games’ various Feats, Attributes, and Abilities. While this system remained true to the tabletop RPG, it was less friendly to new players who didn’t feel confident enough in their knowledge of the lore and gameplay to make these decisions. Fortunately, the amount of points spent at character creation were relatively minor, and players could adjust their character as they saw fit as the game went on.
Unlike in the original Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, players won’t be choosing their Clan at the start of the game. Instead, players will first customize their human character, choosing appearance, background, and gender pronouns. In the opening minutes of the game the player will be turned into a specific kind of vampire called a Thin Blood. Thin Blood vampires are normally of the 14th or 15th generation since Caine, and represent the weakening of the vampiric powers in the bloodlines.
Unlike other vampires, Thin Bloods don’t immediately show the characteristics of the Clan that sired them. This means that players will remain a neutral party through the first part of the game. They will also have access to one of three Disciplines in Bloodlines 2, which represent their weaker vampiric powers. However, players will not be stuck as Thin Blood characters for the entire game.
At a certain point, players will be given the opportunity to join one of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2‘s five vampire Clans. The idea behind this is to give players a chance to get to know the various Clans before making a decision. Joining a Clan will give the player character access to new Disciplines, as well as cause them to take on the physical or mental traits of that Clan.
The lore of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is tied to the latest edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop RPG. This means that it’s almost certain that players will gain their increased powers through the act of Diablerie. Diablerie involves a vampire drinking the blood of another vampire, to the point that the victim suffers the Final Death. It is one of the few ways to lower a vampire’s generation, and increase their powers.
Once considered a heinous act in vampire society, Diablerie has become more common as a reward for Thin Bloods who’ve served their Clan with distinction. The victim in these cases is generally a vampire who has been sentenced by their peers to the Final Death, the punishment for committing a grievous crime.
As an RPG, particularly one based on a tabletop game, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 should be all about living through the character. The best way to do is this is to make sure that players are invested in their character, which begins at character creation. The vampires of Bloodlines 2 are a powerful, predatory race that feeds on humanity, and that feeling needs to be delivered through the character.
In order to succeed in creating this power fantasy, Hardsuit Labs need to make sure that the player characters feel both unique and extraordinary. This means that a well-rounded, deep character creation system is a must, allowing players to fully customize their Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 character, and their experience along with it. Whether the game can achieve this is a question that only time can tell. Although no final release date has been confirmed since the latest delay, fans are still holding out hope that Bloodlines 2 will release before the end of the year.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 is slated to release in late 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
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