When Paradox Interactive acquired the World of Darkness IP in 2015, it clearly had big plans to turn the tabletop game setting into a video game monster. It’s had some success in the area with visual novels like Coteries of New York and RPGs like Swansong. Over the weekend, it announced a new AAA title that, like the vampires at the center of the story, is rising from the grave.
What Is Vampire: The Masquerade?
Vampire: The Masquerade is a tabletop role playing game created by Mark Rein-Hagen in 1991. It was the first game set in the World of Darkness, an urban fantasy and horror setting where fans play monsters like vampires, werewolves and more. The setting’s most current edition recently released an updated Werewolf: The Apocalypse book to compliemnt the most recent edition of Vampire released in 2018.
Vampire took insipiration from modern vampire media such as Interview With The Vampire and The Hunger. Players are vampires existing in a dark reflection of the modern world hiding their existence behind a tradition called the Masquerade. Characters hail from different vampire lineages called clans and play involves navigating the intrigues of immortal monsters and trying to hold on to their dwindling humanity.
The game proved to be hugely influential. Media like Blade and True Blood incorporated the intrigues of vampire bloodlines and hiddedn supernatural worlds into their stories. The game also tried to reach a wider audience though it had mixed successes on this front.
The Troubled History of Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
The original Bloodlines was a first-person action RPG released in 2004. It followed the adventures of a new vampire in Los Angeles and offered many features that were new at the time to RPGs. The game developed a cult following even though its initial release required multiple patches and fan modding to make it complete.
Bloodlines 2 was announced in 2020 but then struggled to be completed. Paradox announced it was parting ways with the original developer and it seemed like it was a dead game. Then earlier this year, the company offered refunds for those who pre-ordered that version of Bloodlines 2 and said more news would be coming about the game in September.
What’s New In Vampire: The Masquerade 2?
Paradox partnered with The Chinese Room, creators of indie hits Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. While they are keeping the Seattle setting that was originally announced, the implications are that its an all-new game.
Early interviews with developers have said players will start as an elder vampire rather than the Thin-Blood of the original announcement. This shift lets players quickly explore their vampiric powers while also dropping them in the heat of political intrigue that make Vampire a classic game.
Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 is now slated for a 2024 release. A gameplay reveal is expected in January of 2024 with a full release currently expected in Fall 2024. The game is being developed for Playstation 5, Xbox Series S/X and Windows PC.
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