sisslethecat
Here’s the moment we’ve been waiting for: a first real look at VTM Bloodlines 2 gameplay. While the footage shown during the PC Gaming show was a bit short, a new extended gameplay trailer released almost immediately afterward. Showcasing a number of characters we’ve seen in both the pre-rendered trailer from a few months ago and in clan artwork, as well as some startling witty dialogue about being dead. I’m so stoked.
Man, there’s a lot to dissect here. First of all, we totally saw classic Bloodlines goofy dancing in the corner at the 1:52 mark, right? Anyway, it’s fun to see how the years have influenced this series, now that it’s a series. I feel like there’s a lot of BioShock and Deus Ex 3/4 DNA here. That isn’t a criticism, I love those games, it’s just interesting to see the influence in comparison to the original game’s combat (which was clunky as hell). Vampire abilities have a distinct Plasmid vibe about them, and combat zooms out into third person to show off your character (who otherwise won’t be seen — they’ve previously confirmed that there won’t be a third person mode like the original). We also hear what very much sounds like Grey DeLisle (Batman: Arkham‘s Catwoman) and Roger Jackson (American McGee’s Alice‘s Cheshire Cat), but that’s just playing it by ear since we don’t actually know yet. This transitions us into what looks like an early mission.
The mission sees us, under order from what appears to be the owner/operator of Atrium (presumably this game’s version of The Asylum and Jeanette Voerman), dive into the homeless section of the city. Of course, that goes hand in hand with those that wish to hide in amongst them — the Nosferatu clan, one, in particular, is our target. We can see our new ability to scale walls, as well as use a shotgun, machete, and baseball bat in combat, which is bloody fun looking. Catching up with our target we get to see a return of dialogue choices — and it really is a classic 2000s RPG list, no Fallout 4 “good, mean, ambivalent, joke” system. The options for this particular conversation range from understanding but firm, demanding and cruel, angry and vengeful, and neutrally following orders. It’s very exciting, and I can’t wait to see what differences will show up with different clans (the Malkavians famously had a multitude of goofy and bizarre options).
All of this is so very exciting, and I’m going to be picking over this trailer for days trying to find more info. We’ll, of course, let you know when more gets shown (or told). Vampire – The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 releases Q1 2020 across PC (Steam/Epic Games Store/GOG/etc), PS4, and XBO.
