Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines: 2 - I want to believe, but...

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wrangled tard said:
This is what most nosferatu look like canonically lol, the game looks like dogshit but their version of nos is far more interesting than all of the lookalike ones in 1 imo.
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Bloodlines 1 had pretty disgusting and nightmarish monsters, altho it also had one that would be considered the same as Bloodlines 2, Barbarus the guy you rescue from the Researchers in the Chink corner.
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I dont think (?) that in the tabletop, they were supposed to be that tame, I don't think so, however, I have to say I haven't read up on gen5 because, I think it'll suck, bad. Here is Barbarus by the way.
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Frightened Rabbit said:
I dont think (?) that in the tabletop, they were supposed to be that tame, I don't think so, however, I have to say I haven't read up on gen5 because, I think it'll suck, bad.
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V5 does suck and does tone down the appearance of the nos a bit but even in V20 which actually is good the visual examples of nos are pretty varied, including "human passing" disfigurements. Unlike in VtM:B, most nosferatu don't actually breach the masquerade just by being seen in the tabletop, they just have a flat 0 in appearance.
 
TrainWreckWatcher said:
I honestly am just surprised they haven't canceled it.
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I think the only reason Paradox hasn't given the order to have the game axed is because they've thrown so much money into this pit that they're trying to recoup literally any of their investment. Despite the fact I'm like, half convinced they'd just make more by cancelling the game and trying to declare it a tax write off.

Yeah Paradox really needs to stick to their strengths (autistic map games, and milking said audience with DLC) and not try to publish shit...
 
regalterry said:
The real tragedy here is that there was basically zero need to make the protagonist an elder, or a thin blood as per the previous, equally dogshit version of the game.
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It's because you aren't an empty vessel for the player to dive into, you're a pre-written character and you WILL respect the writer's OC (donut steel).
It feels like Fallout 4 compared to the previous games.
 
Them selling the Toreador clan as a dlc is insulting since they were already in Hardsuit Labs version of the game. The Santa Monica Memories dlc is a stripped version of HSL's the Unsanctioned dlc.
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Atleast they kept Rik Schaffer's music, when they replaced him with the new composer Paradox wouldn't give a straight anwser if his work was going to be in the game or not.

RadBrad did a sponsored walkthrough of the demo. To listen to that guy was torture, but I wanted to see after 8 years what they've done.

The customasation for Phyre is a little reminiscent of the cosmetics from VTM Blood Hunt, the battle royale game that was made. The outfits are still bad because they're designed to be neutral for both sexes.

Each clan has its own level of difficulty, Brujah is Normal, Tremere is Normal, Banu Haqim is Hard, Ventrue is Easy, Lasombra and Toreador difficulty was not displayed. In Hardsuit Labs version they had a difficulty setting as well but it wasn't attached to the clans it was just Easy, Normal and Hard mode.

I see from the demo that in the story the Seattle Prince J J Campbell (Alec Cross in HSL version) was killed and replaced with a new Prince named Ryong Choi, a Ventrue that is controlled by her sire Lou Graham who was the former Prince of Seattle before Campbell (who also was sired by Lou Graham) took over the city.

I believe Ryong Choi was a character that was added in the game by The Chinese Room to please Tencent who owned Sumo Digtal, which The Chinese Room was a subsidiary of before the buyout in July of this year to become independent again.

There is dialogue between Phyre and Fabien that was unnecessary, when they talk about diablerie for a brief moment. They both understand what it is, yet they feel the need to explain it anyway.

I know its for new players that are not familar with VTM lore but if this was a newly embraced Thin-blood as the story originally was it wouldn't have came across as awkward as it does with a 400 year old elder named Phyre and Fabien, who mentions that he has lived in Seattle for 100 years.

TCR said they would cut back on some of the dialogue between Phyre and Fabien since everyone complained about it. Fabien still talks too much it seems.

Fabien: "You got a name by the way?"
The Sleeper: "Hm. Many... but for now, you can call me Phyre."
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After waking up from torpor a 400 year old elder opens a door with a poster on it that says Phyre, and that is how she got her name.
 
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It's telling how little anyone cares for this game even on the Normie parts of the Internet. I doubt it'll make money - it barely even looks worth pirating - but I might treat it like nu-Row or Failguard, see just how long it rots on the shelf of the local Walmart before it hits the $30 "Get this the fuck off our shelves" price.
 
Leaf Wage Slave Jr said:
to stick to their strengths (autistic map games, and milking said audience with DLC)
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Yeah, uh, about that... autistic map games aren't their strength either, they're just peddling crack to addicts who don't have anyone else to turn to.

In short, every department of Paradox is incompetent. I don't know if Swedish game developers are worse than Polish ones, but Paradox is certainly a strong contender in proving the former.
 
Krokodil Overdose said:
Tremere (a wizard who became a super vampires by eating 3rd generation vamp) is considered to be 5th or 6th generation (i forget which.) Player characters are, if memory serves, generally 9th or 10th generation.
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This is categorically false in every way. The Clan Tremere inner Circle themselves are all either fourth or fifth generation. (Clanbook: Tremere 2nd Edition) In one published chronicle, you encounter Tremere and he immediately takes you apart and puts you back together using that Antediluvian shit without killing you. (Transylvania Chronicles 1 or 2.) It's noted in one supplement that the secretary in the Vienna Chantry is 300 years old and seventh generation. (Caine's Chosen: The Black Hand.)
 
Tactical Wizard said:
This is categorically false in every way. The Clan Tremere inner Circle themselves are all either fourth or fifth generation. (Clanbook: Tremere 2nd Edition) In one published chronicle, you encounter Tremere and he immediately takes you apart and puts you back together using that Antediluvian shit without killing you. (Transylvania Chronicles 1 or 2.) It's noted in one supplement that the secretary in the Vienna Chantry is 300 years old and seventh generation. (Caine's Chosen: The Black Hand.)
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Thanks, I got that lore all blended up in my head. Point stands tho that 3rd gen are antediluvians and lower gen elders are still one step shy of God mode
 
Frightened Rabbit said:
It is very rude for The Chinese Room to bring a corpse to gamescom 2025 and start sodomizing it right on camera!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=LEsWEA7YWiwThe TLDR is, it looks even worse than what I could expect, not just that, but it's so bad that not even the gaming journos can hide their own disappointment, which is funny to me.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZE7XHHus11whttps://youtube.com/watch?v=a1ntgOZXQVUWhat I expected from people that sell you clans as a preorder bonus, in a game that isn't even a RPG.
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Wonderful. Its about as much "An RPG" the Metro Series, or Dishonored is an RPG.

And I bet big money its going to lean into the "Dishonored" style of "RPG" and Punish you severely for enjoying the fun parts of being an undead monster just like how that game punished you for using any weapon at all other then the stealth knockout move. Even Metro punished you for using the games combat mechanics or being a dick, but not as severe as Dishonored. It was still annoying to get to the end though and discover that the world still ends because I shot one too many red line fanatics.

They deserved it for being filthy Commies!

No nuance at all. I am fully expecting this here, with the added bonus if you don't side with the commies you get the bad end most likely. All choices other then "Blue Ending" or "Red Ending" being an illusion of choice and based solely on some arbitrary key decision points that don't affect the world until the end credits and are based solely on how many bodies you rack up in a playthrough.

In short, lazy, uninspired world building and writing, that should be applied to an action shooter like Call of Duty rather then a venerable RPG like World of Darkness.
 
Ok going over the world premiere footage for giggles. You have to start out eating security guards, not terribly fond of that but oh well. Although the effect of hitting someone and having them bounce of the wall is pretty cool. The main character has a weird Transylvania euro accent, it's just as stupid as it sounds. Surprised how much I don't hate the voice in your head though. Fabian is going for the grizzled detective angle and so far I appreciate that. He's giving off ray chase vibes and I can't quite figure out if I know his voice.

Environmental design is peak if nothing else. They legit did a good job making the abandoned looking environments feel fresh and interesting. This might be worth buying for that in all honesty. I don't think I've seen anything this broken down and desolate look so good. Lot of collectables to examine. Lot of ambient diologue from stuff like radio hosts and cops. There's health and damage potions... Huh. First major fight is all about killing a bunch of gouls that are trying to start shit with cops. I can get behind that.

So apparently our character was asleep sense 1924... Cool concept. I don't hate the dialogue but I don't care for the female voice. Some fun writing about our character surviving wars in Spain, England, Poland, Austria and that when nobody knows who's in charge the knives come out


So there is customization. it's not super expansive facial features wise but you can wear glasses and look somewhat badass. There's tats, eye color, hair types, hair color, piercings. ( Yeah the elder vampire really wants to get their freak on and have kiss face paint lol ) There are clan specific diologue options. Gameplay looks fun, stealth kills are quick and clean. You can't pick up weapons with your hands but you can liberally throw shit with your mind. Guns are like limited use power ups you fire then throw at people. Doomslayer punching everything to death is supported if not encouraged. ( This I like)

30 to 40 mins in I think I've seen enough to know id enjoy it. It probably isn't going to live up to the name bloodlines. But eh. Doomslayer euro trash vampire here I come.



mindlessobserver said:
No nuance at all. I am fully expecting this here, with the added bonus if you don't side with the commies you get the bad end most likely. All choices other then "Blue Ending" or "Red Ending" being an illusion of choice and based solely on some arbitrary key decision points that don't affect the world until the end credits and are based solely on how many bodies you rack up in a playthrough.
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Im hoping with the various "character appreciated you saying that" diologue choices will factor more into player choice then killing a bunch of fag commie gouls and vampires.


Frightened Rabbit said:
I did expect them to produce a complete dumpster fire that would commodify and flanderise the universe but, I actually didn't expect them to sink so low as to make the Nosferatu, the literal aberrations whose first and most notable feature is their monsterish looks, look like a random cripple.
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If I was met with this guy on the street, I wouldn't scream in terror and ask for God, I would avert my gaze and think he just got caught on a nasty fire while living in a dilapitated shack somewhere.View attachment 7805431
Same shit with this guy, if he just covered the bat ears, he would look like a fat crackhead, not like an abomination, this doesn't make me scared it just makes me switch to the other street.
You would expect them to keep the same mechanical depth the Nosferatu had since, it would mean playing and engaging with the game in a completely different manner just by having a single noticeable change but, I should also expect the same studio who called the Bloodlines 1 Malkavians "A disgusting portrayal of Schizophrenic people." to flanderize and babify any sense of uniqueness on the Nosferatu.
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I think that's actually a directive from the IP. I've noticed that the recent visual novels have a dude that literally just looks like a hobo.
 
If the mongoloids writing this had any sense, they could have very easily made "An Elder has awoken" into a compelling storyline and make it work into the setting. If an Elder did awake, in a new era after having been asleep for centuries, every Prince of the Camarilla and the Sabbat too for that matter, would immediately descend on them to destroy the threat to their power base.

And absent a power base of your own, you would be overwhelmed by shear numbers. So instead shortly after you awake, some street wise thin blood you spare on a whim swiftly fills you in on the state of play in the modern world. You don't really understand things like electricity, cars, airplanes, guns or flamethrowers, but you do understand power politics. You decide to take the thin blood under your wing (For now) because you need some sort of guide. You then swiftly discover that without a power base of your own even your considerable skills will be exhausted against the onslaught that would come.

Enter basic game mechanic akin to the Masquerade mechanic. But in this case it would be a "Super sayan" mode where you can unleash your full abilities any time you want. But do it too often and you risk a game over (just like Masquerade violations). Include story mandated checks so anyone trying a playthrough to game the system is forced at certain story beats to reveal their full power. Partly because its narratively cool and also as a subtle warning that there could be consequences if you engage cheat mode too often. Then put an achievement at the end for every player who never reveals their real power level in a playthrough except as required by the game.

Normal RPG Power progression can be explained as the elder "Pretending to be fledgling and going through the ignominious process of gaining strength, for now." Or maybe under the influence of a cursed artifact. Something. The games overarching goal being the Elder slowly building up their power base up to the point where they have a final confrontation with the ruling establishment of the city to supplant them and announce their presence.

Alas, I am not a game writer. I have the wrong skin color and political affiliations.
 
mindlessobserver said:
Normal RPG Power progression can be explained as the elder "Pretending to be fledgling and going through the ignominious process of gaining strength, for now." Or maybe under the influence of a cursed artifact. Something. The games overarching goal being the Elder slowly building up their power base up to the point where they have a final confrontation with the ruling establishment of the city to supplant them and announce their presence.
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Such a game wouldn't really work as an action RPG, but it would make a fantastic setting for a Crusader Kings style strategy game.
 
Frightened Rabbit said:
I did expect them to produce a complete dumpster fire that would commodify and flanderise the universe but, I actually didn't expect them to sink so low as to make the Nosferatu, the literal aberrations whose first and most notable feature is their monsterish looks, look like a random cripple. You would expect them to keep the same mechanical depth the Nosferatu had since, it would mean playing and engaging with the game in a completely different manner just by having a single noticeable change but, I should also expect the same studio who called the Bloodlines 1 Malkavians "A disgusting portrayal of Schizophrenic people." to flanderize and babify any sense of uniqueness on the Nosferatu.
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Watering down the ugliness of the Nosferatu and the scariness of Malkavians sucks. The Nosferatu curse gives lots of interesting aesthetic options for different ways they could look inhumane, and if they really insist on watering it down then they could present a contrast of a Caitiff with the Curse vs their elder grand-sire who has a much more intense grotesque appearance, or they could have someone who is a good-looking ghoul or human at the beginning of the game but they get embraced halfway through.

As for the Malkavians it's people wanting to remove the edginess and soften the brutality of the setting, and people wanting to make the curse something comedic or erotic or bland. Giving unstable people with narcissism and hallucinations access to disciplines shouldn't be like a episode of PG-13 TV.
 
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