I do believe its one of those I want a remake of. Badly.
Set in the modern Los Angeles. Vampire Bloodlines is a dark and gritty take on the world of the undead. If you have played Deus Ex, you'll love this to death.
[img_inline width=300 height=225 Caption="Ah the lovely lovely humour." align=left]http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542903423106535650/58DEAF27A2AD0DB6B8C5C8211EAEBE60A87E7C55/[/img_inline]
Ah the story. Fittingly as an RPG, it of course makes sense that the story would be the best part of the entire game. The game tells the beginnings of a feldgeling(newly turned vampire) and his/hers rise to power through alliances and rivalries. You are "sired"(turned) into a vampire through some sexy time with a vampire. The 'Prince' of LA, Sebastian La Croix, is less than pleased with the situation and has the "sire" killed but, spares you. Soon, you'll find yourself running errands for him to earn your place in the Vampire world. However, the game wouldn't be complete without the interesting cast of characters and amazing scripted sequences which take place in the game.
Nicely crafted with amazing characters and superb locations. The game will take you to Santa Monica, Hollywood, Chinatown and Downtown; all hubs lovingly crafted and interesting NPCs in each of them. The characters ranging from La Croix, the obnoxious and arrogant vampire to Jack, your 'guide' in the game, all the voice acting is well-done and adds to the charm of the game.
The game is certainly deserved of its mature rating. Its refreshing take is admirable if not down-right brilliant. Over the course of the entire game, I fought a giant bat, a serial killer and wandered in a mental hospital of a mansion. Also worthy of note is that I killed a vampire hunter... for a stripper.
[img_inline Caption="This house was scary! D:" align=right width=300 height=225]http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542903423047742253/748D4ED0B9D84852596461315EE687A8E6403580/[/img_inline]
The story varies a little depending on which Clan(type of vampire) you choose. I personally went with Toreador, the smooth talking and seductive types and on my second play-through, I chose to play Malkavian[footnote]Though it was because I was told they were the most interesting and entertaining clan. They weren't kidding. :3[/footnote], the psychotic vampire Clan whose members have lost all traces of sanity. The game adapts to your choice of Clan and thus the dialogue is also changed to suit your characters mindset. And while this may seem like a minor and purely cosmetic difference at first, it will help you gain access to places not seen before. As a Toreador, you can talk you way into restricted areas and while as Malkavian, you can see secret pathways which can be utilized to their fullest potential.
A personal recommendation though, do not play through as Malkavian during your initial playthrough. It makes making sense of the story close to impossible and the dialogue options are tough to translate into sane talk.
The gameplay mechanics are quite flexible and cater to a variety of tastes. There are several Clans to choose from. You have from the snobby, elitist Ventrue to the misshapen and despised, Nosferatu. Each clan has special abilities known as Disciplines. Disciplines work on the same principal as magic spells. Allowing you to perform supernatural feats such as running faster than an average human or summoning animals to do the Vampires bidding. Unlike magic spells, your Disciplines don't use a mana pool. Indeed, they use a blood pool instead. Your blood pool. So apart from the standard health bar there's also a blood bar. Which will deplete over time if you don't drink blood from time to time[footnote]Or frequently if you apply the Clan Quest Mod [http://www.moddb.com/mods/vtmb-clan-quest-mod/downloads/clan-quest-mod-21]. This mods adds a few improvements to the game, making the game even more unique and hard.[/footnote]. If you don't, you'll get closer to the Beast. The Beast is the inner vampire. A beast which makes no distinction between friend and foe and will kill for blood. Literally. So it's also wise to invent XP into Humanity. Thus keeping your chances high of not becoming a Beast of the night. Lest you violate the Masquerade.
[img_inline Caption="I'll bite. Looks like a Half Life reference." align=left width=300 height=225]http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542903423047730647/F22ABECF5A6D39886DE1964695AC352B7D9B790A/[/img_inline]
The Masquerade is a set of rules which every vampire must follow. This adds a twist in the tale. You must remain as human amongst civilians, however you are allowed to use your Disciplines in a combat area. If you desire blood, do not drink in front of civilians. You can also hire hookers, take them to a dark place and suck their blood. However, do not suck civilians(hookers or otherwise) dry. This will kill them and will result in loss of Humanity. Yet another way to get closer to the Beast, too much of a good thing is bad for you too.
Like any RPG of the modern era, you earn Experience Points by completing tasks and it is completely upto you on how you choose to complete. As you progress, you'll unlock side quests which are at times impossible to complete because of wrong choices in stats. And there are a few puzzles which will prove more than frustrating if your character doesn't have the sufficient skills for the job. Probably the most frustrating puzzle sequence would be when I had to wander in the sewers of LA. Not only I had to deal with the same type of enemy with every corner I turned. This level needlessly drags on and on.
[img_inline width=300 height=225 Caption="Thankfully. If you're smart, you can talk your way outta this one." align=right]http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/vampire-bloodlines/ss-005.jpg[/img_inline]
As I mentioned, the game shows off some amazing scripted sequences. None more so than in a level in which you have to investigate a haunted hotel. This level is incredibly tense despite the fact that there's little to no chance of dying. I don't recall to have used the quick-save button as much as I did in this particular level. As to the auto-save function, well it isn't as generous. If you die further in a level, do not despair if you find yourself at the beginning. It is notably annoying if you're at a boss fight and you die. Didn't quick save before the fight? Too bad! Back to the start of the level you go! Yeah, it gets really frustrating.
[img_inline width=200 height=300 Caption="This guy is so awesome. So much win." align=left]http://img.search.com/thumb/e/e3/Vampire-bloodlines-vampirepose.jpg/240px-Vampire-bloodlines-vampirepose.jpg[/img_inline]
Some missions are more restricting than others however. There are a few missions which will specifically ask of you to be stealthy and not kill anyone at all. Admittedly a hard task for anyone who chose to invest their XP in Social or Strength but its certainly doable. And it applies the other way around if you've invested your XP to Stealth and there are quite a few enemies around. The game does lose a bit of its charm when it abandons the scripted sequences and layouts for a more direct approach. To put into perspective, its like someone brought you cake daily but then started bringing cupcakes. The game then later leans on mindless and ,at times, frustrating combat. The Doom-style adoption with the long maze like levels along with horde of enemies in the way to kill, it certainly loses a great deal of charm it built during the first few hours. It's not to it's bad, it's just that the sudden transition from a strategy game to a straight up shooter games seems odd at time and indeed leads to frustrating moments.
Speaking of frustration, the game is riddled with bugs. Very annoying game breaking bugs. Or so I hear since I never faced them. Here's another point I would like to highlight: The community. I was very surprised that there was a very dedicated fan base with 'unofficial' patches being released to fully rid of the game of its bugs. I highly recommend downloading either of the patches in order to enjoy the game without the needless frustration coupled with the vanilla version of the game. [footnote]Currently, there are two patches available. The 'Unofficial' Patch [http://www.patches-scrolls.de/vampire_bloodlines.php] and the True Patch(link is NSFW) [http://www.tessmage.com/forum/index.php/topic,58041.msg81562.html#msg81562]. Both of 'em do an amazing job at fixing the problems of the game and even improving on it.[/footnote]
Of course, what do you do when you're not killing people and sucking blood? You can go to clubs and dance! All the easier to seduce and suck blood of innocent people. Or you can go to shops and buy weapons all the more for making killing people a bit easier. You can also buy bloodpacks to make living a bit easier. In case there is not viable food source around, you can use blood packs to regain a bit of your health and Blood.
[img_inline Caption="Just dance!" width=300 height=250 align=right]http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/567/567009/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-20041117033437102_640w.jpg[/img_inline]
I do have a bone to pick with the graphics. In the trailer [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL90iPahGko] it makes a point of it that is built on the now-extremely popular Source Engine of Valve. What they don't tell you is that this game was the first game to make use of the engine. Even before Half Life 2 was completed. What's the problem? The many graphical marvels evident in Half Life 2, such as the facial animations, are not visible in Bloodlines. Since it uses an earlier build of the Source Engine, the animations are wonky. The walking style of the male is disturbingly feminine and only the mouth and eyes are animated, giving a stiff look. Even the physics of Half Life 2 were not successfully replicated, with your character having the tendency to slide forward when stopped. It is known that the game was supposedly finished six months before Half Life 2 but was stalled for release due to contract limitations. No game is bug-free, however, a game supposedly done should not have as many problems as this game does.
Another notable area in which this game excels in is the sound. The music and sound effects provide the perfect ambience. The haunted hotel level I mentioned earlier? It had one of the best atmospheres I had ever witnessed in a horror game.
Conclusion: So what is this? This is a dark, witty, gritty take on the Vampire World. The story is superb, the voice acting marvellous and the game itself? Spooky and a very enjoyable experience overall. I recommend downloading one of the patches linked below before playing it though. Saves you a whole lot of grief. Trust me. APPROVED.
[sub]Firstly, comment! And feel free to critique. :3
Secondly, if you have any suggestion on what game/anime/movie I should review next, you can post your suggestions and I'll try my ever best to entertain the requests.
Thirdly, if you would like to look up an old review, visit the Remains of the Day Group [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Remains-of-the-Day] for the review index, likewise if you would like to remain up-to-date on the reviews posted, join it![/sub]
Set in the modern Los Angeles. Vampire Bloodlines is a dark and gritty take on the world of the undead. If you have played Deus Ex, you'll love this to death.
[img_inline width=300 height=225 Caption="Ah the lovely lovely humour." align=left]http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542903423106535650/58DEAF27A2AD0DB6B8C5C8211EAEBE60A87E7C55/[/img_inline]
Ah the story. Fittingly as an RPG, it of course makes sense that the story would be the best part of the entire game. The game tells the beginnings of a feldgeling(newly turned vampire) and his/hers rise to power through alliances and rivalries. You are "sired"(turned) into a vampire through some sexy time with a vampire. The 'Prince' of LA, Sebastian La Croix, is less than pleased with the situation and has the "sire" killed but, spares you. Soon, you'll find yourself running errands for him to earn your place in the Vampire world. However, the game wouldn't be complete without the interesting cast of characters and amazing scripted sequences which take place in the game.
Nicely crafted with amazing characters and superb locations. The game will take you to Santa Monica, Hollywood, Chinatown and Downtown; all hubs lovingly crafted and interesting NPCs in each of them. The characters ranging from La Croix, the obnoxious and arrogant vampire to Jack, your 'guide' in the game, all the voice acting is well-done and adds to the charm of the game.
The game is certainly deserved of its mature rating. Its refreshing take is admirable if not down-right brilliant. Over the course of the entire game, I fought a giant bat, a serial killer and wandered in a mental hospital of a mansion. Also worthy of note is that I killed a vampire hunter... for a stripper.
[img_inline Caption="This house was scary! D:" align=right width=300 height=225]http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542903423047742253/748D4ED0B9D84852596461315EE687A8E6403580/[/img_inline]
The story varies a little depending on which Clan(type of vampire) you choose. I personally went with Toreador, the smooth talking and seductive types and on my second play-through, I chose to play Malkavian[footnote]Though it was because I was told they were the most interesting and entertaining clan. They weren't kidding. :3[/footnote], the psychotic vampire Clan whose members have lost all traces of sanity. The game adapts to your choice of Clan and thus the dialogue is also changed to suit your characters mindset. And while this may seem like a minor and purely cosmetic difference at first, it will help you gain access to places not seen before. As a Toreador, you can talk you way into restricted areas and while as Malkavian, you can see secret pathways which can be utilized to their fullest potential.
A personal recommendation though, do not play through as Malkavian during your initial playthrough. It makes making sense of the story close to impossible and the dialogue options are tough to translate into sane talk.
The gameplay mechanics are quite flexible and cater to a variety of tastes. There are several Clans to choose from. You have from the snobby, elitist Ventrue to the misshapen and despised, Nosferatu. Each clan has special abilities known as Disciplines. Disciplines work on the same principal as magic spells. Allowing you to perform supernatural feats such as running faster than an average human or summoning animals to do the Vampires bidding. Unlike magic spells, your Disciplines don't use a mana pool. Indeed, they use a blood pool instead. Your blood pool. So apart from the standard health bar there's also a blood bar. Which will deplete over time if you don't drink blood from time to time[footnote]Or frequently if you apply the Clan Quest Mod [http://www.moddb.com/mods/vtmb-clan-quest-mod/downloads/clan-quest-mod-21]. This mods adds a few improvements to the game, making the game even more unique and hard.[/footnote]. If you don't, you'll get closer to the Beast. The Beast is the inner vampire. A beast which makes no distinction between friend and foe and will kill for blood. Literally. So it's also wise to invent XP into Humanity. Thus keeping your chances high of not becoming a Beast of the night. Lest you violate the Masquerade.
[img_inline Caption="I'll bite. Looks like a Half Life reference." align=left width=300 height=225]http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542903423047730647/F22ABECF5A6D39886DE1964695AC352B7D9B790A/[/img_inline]
The Masquerade is a set of rules which every vampire must follow. This adds a twist in the tale. You must remain as human amongst civilians, however you are allowed to use your Disciplines in a combat area. If you desire blood, do not drink in front of civilians. You can also hire hookers, take them to a dark place and suck their blood. However, do not suck civilians(hookers or otherwise) dry. This will kill them and will result in loss of Humanity. Yet another way to get closer to the Beast, too much of a good thing is bad for you too.
Like any RPG of the modern era, you earn Experience Points by completing tasks and it is completely upto you on how you choose to complete. As you progress, you'll unlock side quests which are at times impossible to complete because of wrong choices in stats. And there are a few puzzles which will prove more than frustrating if your character doesn't have the sufficient skills for the job. Probably the most frustrating puzzle sequence would be when I had to wander in the sewers of LA. Not only I had to deal with the same type of enemy with every corner I turned. This level needlessly drags on and on.
[img_inline width=300 height=225 Caption="Thankfully. If you're smart, you can talk your way outta this one." align=right]http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/vampire-bloodlines/ss-005.jpg[/img_inline]
As I mentioned, the game shows off some amazing scripted sequences. None more so than in a level in which you have to investigate a haunted hotel. This level is incredibly tense despite the fact that there's little to no chance of dying. I don't recall to have used the quick-save button as much as I did in this particular level. As to the auto-save function, well it isn't as generous. If you die further in a level, do not despair if you find yourself at the beginning. It is notably annoying if you're at a boss fight and you die. Didn't quick save before the fight? Too bad! Back to the start of the level you go! Yeah, it gets really frustrating.
[img_inline width=200 height=300 Caption="This guy is so awesome. So much win." align=left]http://img.search.com/thumb/e/e3/Vampire-bloodlines-vampirepose.jpg/240px-Vampire-bloodlines-vampirepose.jpg[/img_inline]
Some missions are more restricting than others however. There are a few missions which will specifically ask of you to be stealthy and not kill anyone at all. Admittedly a hard task for anyone who chose to invest their XP in Social or Strength but its certainly doable. And it applies the other way around if you've invested your XP to Stealth and there are quite a few enemies around. The game does lose a bit of its charm when it abandons the scripted sequences and layouts for a more direct approach. To put into perspective, its like someone brought you cake daily but then started bringing cupcakes. The game then later leans on mindless and ,at times, frustrating combat. The Doom-style adoption with the long maze like levels along with horde of enemies in the way to kill, it certainly loses a great deal of charm it built during the first few hours. It's not to it's bad, it's just that the sudden transition from a strategy game to a straight up shooter games seems odd at time and indeed leads to frustrating moments.
Speaking of frustration, the game is riddled with bugs. Very annoying game breaking bugs. Or so I hear since I never faced them. Here's another point I would like to highlight: The community. I was very surprised that there was a very dedicated fan base with 'unofficial' patches being released to fully rid of the game of its bugs. I highly recommend downloading either of the patches in order to enjoy the game without the needless frustration coupled with the vanilla version of the game. [footnote]Currently, there are two patches available. The 'Unofficial' Patch [http://www.patches-scrolls.de/vampire_bloodlines.php] and the True Patch(link is NSFW) [http://www.tessmage.com/forum/index.php/topic,58041.msg81562.html#msg81562]. Both of 'em do an amazing job at fixing the problems of the game and even improving on it.[/footnote]
Of course, what do you do when you're not killing people and sucking blood? You can go to clubs and dance! All the easier to seduce and suck blood of innocent people. Or you can go to shops and buy weapons all the more for making killing people a bit easier. You can also buy bloodpacks to make living a bit easier. In case there is not viable food source around, you can use blood packs to regain a bit of your health and Blood.
[img_inline Caption="Just dance!" width=300 height=250 align=right]http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/567/567009/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-20041117033437102_640w.jpg[/img_inline]
I do have a bone to pick with the graphics. In the trailer [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL90iPahGko] it makes a point of it that is built on the now-extremely popular Source Engine of Valve. What they don't tell you is that this game was the first game to make use of the engine. Even before Half Life 2 was completed. What's the problem? The many graphical marvels evident in Half Life 2, such as the facial animations, are not visible in Bloodlines. Since it uses an earlier build of the Source Engine, the animations are wonky. The walking style of the male is disturbingly feminine and only the mouth and eyes are animated, giving a stiff look. Even the physics of Half Life 2 were not successfully replicated, with your character having the tendency to slide forward when stopped. It is known that the game was supposedly finished six months before Half Life 2 but was stalled for release due to contract limitations. No game is bug-free, however, a game supposedly done should not have as many problems as this game does.
Another notable area in which this game excels in is the sound. The music and sound effects provide the perfect ambience. The haunted hotel level I mentioned earlier? It had one of the best atmospheres I had ever witnessed in a horror game.
Conclusion: So what is this? This is a dark, witty, gritty take on the Vampire World. The story is superb, the voice acting marvellous and the game itself? Spooky and a very enjoyable experience overall. I recommend downloading one of the patches linked below before playing it though. Saves you a whole lot of grief. Trust me. APPROVED.
[sub]Firstly, comment! And feel free to critique. :3
Secondly, if you have any suggestion on what game/anime/movie I should review next, you can post your suggestions and I'll try my ever best to entertain the requests.
Thirdly, if you would like to look up an old review, visit the Remains of the Day Group [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Remains-of-the-Day] for the review index, likewise if you would like to remain up-to-date on the reviews posted, join it![/sub]