Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is an upcoming action role-playing video game published by Paradox Interactive. A sequel to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (2004), the game is part of the World of Darkness series and based on the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. It was originally developed by Hardsuit Labs, but in February 2021 the publisher announced that production had been moved to another developer.

The game follows a human in 21st-century Seattle, who is killed and revived as a "thinblood" vampire with relatively weak vampiric abilities. It is mainly played in a first-person perspective, alternating to third-person for contextual activities. The player assigns their character one of three disciplines—unique and upgradable powers—before joining one of several vampire clans. It is planned to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gameplay

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is presented mainly from the first-person perspective, alternating to third-person for contextual activities such as specific attacks.[3] Before the game begins, players create a vampire character, and can select a character background that informs who they were as a human, such as a barista (the default background, with no bonuses), career criminal, coroner, or a police officer, with each offering different dialog and interaction options with the game world. The player character's pronouns are chosen independently from their selected body type.

After starting the game, the thinblood must choose from one of three upgradable disciplines (vampiric abilities): Chiropteran (gliding and summoning bats), Mentalism (levitating objects and people), and Nebulation (summoning mist to attack, conceal oneself, or transforming into mist to move through small spaces). The thinblood can eventually join one of five vampire clans, after which they have access to its specific disciplines and upgrades in addition to their original disciplines. Although some disciplines overlap clans, no two clans share the same combination. Clan Brujah can enhance their physical strength for high damage (Potence), and their speed (Celerity); Tremere can use blood magic combatively (Thaumaturgy) or enhance their senses (Auspex); Toreador also possesses Celerity, and can command the adoration and devotion of others (Presence);[9] Ventrue can deflect or absorb attacks (Fortitude), and control the will of others (Dominate); and Malkavian also uses Auspex, and can debilitate their victims' minds (Dementation). Further clans are planned for inclusion post-release.

The player can engage in side missions away from the main story, some of which can be discovered through exploration. The player possesses a mobile phone and can text non-player characters to obtain information leading to other missions.[5] Enemies and opposing forces can be dealt with violently, avoided through stealth or even seduced with sufficient abilities. Additionally, there are five factions with whom the player can ally themselves. Factions are shaped by ideologies instead of abilities and determine who is friend and foe to the player. They can join multiple factions simultaneously, remaining loyal or working against them from within, and some factions will refuse to work with the player depending on their actions.

As a vampire, the player character needs blood to survive, and can feed on humans, taking some or all of their blood; it can also be obtained from rats and blood bags. Heightened vampiric senses can be used to sense resonances in the blood of human victims, indicating their current emotional state, such as fear, desire, pain, anger, or joy. Feeding on specific resonances grants temporary enhancements to the player, for example increasing their melee strength or seduction ability. Repeatedly feeding on a particular resonance can grant permanent enhancements called merits. Vampires possess an inherent ability called Soak that provides resistance against ranged attacks; they also can absorb some damage before their health starts to deteriorate. Their supernatural physical abilities allow them to inflict greater damage on humans.

Players are penalized for using certain vampiric abilities in front of witnesses; exposing their existence as a vampire eventually alerts the police. Repeatedly violating the masquerade results in human civilians choosing to avoid the streets entirely, and the player being hunted by other vampires. The player character has points representing their humanity. Some actions cost humanity points such as killing innocents. A lower humanity score brings the player character closer to becoming a mindless beast.