All right, I know that the title is a bit of a mouthful and that it is based on a white wolf pen and paper/ LARP RPG, but, seriously, give it a chance guys. Given the other alternatives to vampire games like Bloodrayne (which was an okay action game series, but I never felt like I was really a vampire) and the Legacy of Kain (which had a great storyline... except for Blood Omen 2..., great puzzles... except for Blood Omen 2 and Defiance, but again, I never entirely felt like a vampire as much a victim of fate).... And after putting two sets of parenthesis in one sentence I sort of lost my train of thought for a minute... hang on... it'll come back eventually...
(several hours later)
Ah, there is is. Anyway, Bloodlines is pretty much the only vampire game that I've played that has actually gotten me to think in the mindset of a vampire living in any time period let alone the modern day in which a single fuck-up (doing anything that is obviously supernatural in a "Masquerade" zone) could mean the difference between survival and getting turned to ash by the rest of vampire society (or the many, many vampire hunters that will come after you, you stupid git). Now, just how did Bloodlines make me feel like a vampire? Well, there are the powers at your disposal, and how they affect your combat experience.
But before I can get into that, I have to go through one of the game's more lackluster elements: character creation/customization. Okay, you have two options for character creation: 1. go through a brief questionnaire (which is good for new-comers or those who want to get a little more immersed into the game), or 2. skip the quiz and go straight to your character sheet (good for people familiar with White Wolf's pen and paper RPG or those who just want to get into the game quickly). After that, your only options for character customization are whether you're male or female and which vampire clan you were "Embraced" by. Oh, sure you can buy some new "armor sets" (by which I mean light clothing, heavy clothing, light leather, heavy leather, and kevlar), but you don't get to decide their appearance any more than your own. But really, this is a minor annoyance.
Now while I have only played as a Tremere (mage), Brujah (straight-up fighter), and a Malkavian (a lunatic with a knack for spreading his/her insanity), I think its safe to say that each of the clans can make you feel like a vampire, no matter what kind of vampire that you want to be. If you want to be the kind of vampire that leaps into the fray in a blur with the strength of the Hulk, then you should go with a Brujah. If you want to sneak around in the sewers and try to stay hidden at all times, then you might want to go with a Nosferatu. If you want to bend mortals to your will, then you'll want to be a Ventrue. If you want to mingle with mortals and charm their chokers and heavy necklaces off, go with a Toreador. If you want to leap around and howl at the moon, go with a Gangrel. Or, if like me, you just love driving people insane, then the Malkavians are for you. Each clan has its own unique set of special abilities and specialities. So, as long as you're not cheating, you will never have the same experience playing as a Brujah that you would as a Ventrue or Toreador (and while some of the clans do share common abilities, I can guarantee that the Malkavian experience will always be... unique... to say the least). Oh, and the level-up system is deep and intuitive, but I'll let you work it out on your own.
Now onto the combat, this area is a bit of a mixed bag. The melee combat is very effective and fun, and no matter what level you're at, you'll generally feel like you have an edge above everyone else (even on the few occasions that you actually don't). The stealth aspect works well whether you are sneaking up behind a thug to stealth kill him (the stealth kill animation changes based on what melee weapon you have equipped) or if you are simply stalking your next meal in a street corner (though, a word of warning, before you try to take a drink, make sure that no one can see you... unless you seduced the person first... and that no one is likely to walk by). However, one aspect that does fall a bit flat is the gunplay. Now, while you do have the option of using guns, you probably won't because even when I tried maxing out my firearms stat, the things still didn't pack as much of a punch as melee weapons and they were highly inaccurate (why would a vampire be affected by recoil?). But, really, I can't actually fault the game for this because the developers actually went to the trouble of having one of the NPCs warn me about this during the tutorial, so clearly, guns weren't really meant to be used that much.
Now, if to this point, Bloodlines has been sounding like a lackluster game, then just wait a minute. The storyline, while fairly linear, does have enough wiggle room to make it feel like you're making an impact, which, for me, is truly what makes an RPG an RPG. When I play an RPG, I want to feel like my choices would have some impact on the world (especially with the NPCs eventually realizing and congratulating your rapidly growing stature in vampire society). Bloodlines takes place in modern day L.A., and while many of the buildings do resemble actual buildings in LA, they still give off a certain vibe. Just what kind of vibe? Well, that's hard to pin down exactly. Sometimes its oppressive and claustrophobic, sometimes its sleazy and filthy, and at other times its elegant and semi-stylized. But don't worry, the setting never feels schizophrenic (even when you are playing as a Malkavian), it's just that the developers wanted to give the different parts of the city a different feeling. The only problem that I have with the LA setting, is that the few areas of the city that you are allowed to explore are just too damn small. Now, while the game doesn't necessarily have to be a sandbox, if you're going to set a game in a large city, you need to make the in-game city at least FEEL big. But honestly, if my only complaint about their setting is that it there isn't enough of it, then the developers have done a good job with what they presented.
As for the story and characters. Well... without giving too much away, the story revolves around secret vampire societies (the Camarilla, the Anarachs, and the Sabbat) and an impending vampiric apocalypse (the end of all vampires, not all vampires taking over the world). There are plenty of nice twists and turns to keep the story interesting, and the characters are all well-rounded and imaginative enough to keep the game interesting no matter how many times you play it (especially when you try different approaches when dealing with the game's cast of hundreds).
So really, if you like RPGs, BUY THIS GAME NOW IT IS AWESOME. And if you don't like RPGs, you should probably check it out anyway because, who knows, this might just be the one to cause an epiphany. Also, please let me know if you think this was a good review. If not, then please post some constructive criticism.
(several hours later)
Ah, there is is. Anyway, Bloodlines is pretty much the only vampire game that I've played that has actually gotten me to think in the mindset of a vampire living in any time period let alone the modern day in which a single fuck-up (doing anything that is obviously supernatural in a "Masquerade" zone) could mean the difference between survival and getting turned to ash by the rest of vampire society (or the many, many vampire hunters that will come after you, you stupid git). Now, just how did Bloodlines make me feel like a vampire? Well, there are the powers at your disposal, and how they affect your combat experience.
But before I can get into that, I have to go through one of the game's more lackluster elements: character creation/customization. Okay, you have two options for character creation: 1. go through a brief questionnaire (which is good for new-comers or those who want to get a little more immersed into the game), or 2. skip the quiz and go straight to your character sheet (good for people familiar with White Wolf's pen and paper RPG or those who just want to get into the game quickly). After that, your only options for character customization are whether you're male or female and which vampire clan you were "Embraced" by. Oh, sure you can buy some new "armor sets" (by which I mean light clothing, heavy clothing, light leather, heavy leather, and kevlar), but you don't get to decide their appearance any more than your own. But really, this is a minor annoyance.
Now while I have only played as a Tremere (mage), Brujah (straight-up fighter), and a Malkavian (a lunatic with a knack for spreading his/her insanity), I think its safe to say that each of the clans can make you feel like a vampire, no matter what kind of vampire that you want to be. If you want to be the kind of vampire that leaps into the fray in a blur with the strength of the Hulk, then you should go with a Brujah. If you want to sneak around in the sewers and try to stay hidden at all times, then you might want to go with a Nosferatu. If you want to bend mortals to your will, then you'll want to be a Ventrue. If you want to mingle with mortals and charm their chokers and heavy necklaces off, go with a Toreador. If you want to leap around and howl at the moon, go with a Gangrel. Or, if like me, you just love driving people insane, then the Malkavians are for you. Each clan has its own unique set of special abilities and specialities. So, as long as you're not cheating, you will never have the same experience playing as a Brujah that you would as a Ventrue or Toreador (and while some of the clans do share common abilities, I can guarantee that the Malkavian experience will always be... unique... to say the least). Oh, and the level-up system is deep and intuitive, but I'll let you work it out on your own.
Now onto the combat, this area is a bit of a mixed bag. The melee combat is very effective and fun, and no matter what level you're at, you'll generally feel like you have an edge above everyone else (even on the few occasions that you actually don't). The stealth aspect works well whether you are sneaking up behind a thug to stealth kill him (the stealth kill animation changes based on what melee weapon you have equipped) or if you are simply stalking your next meal in a street corner (though, a word of warning, before you try to take a drink, make sure that no one can see you... unless you seduced the person first... and that no one is likely to walk by). However, one aspect that does fall a bit flat is the gunplay. Now, while you do have the option of using guns, you probably won't because even when I tried maxing out my firearms stat, the things still didn't pack as much of a punch as melee weapons and they were highly inaccurate (why would a vampire be affected by recoil?). But, really, I can't actually fault the game for this because the developers actually went to the trouble of having one of the NPCs warn me about this during the tutorial, so clearly, guns weren't really meant to be used that much.
Now, if to this point, Bloodlines has been sounding like a lackluster game, then just wait a minute. The storyline, while fairly linear, does have enough wiggle room to make it feel like you're making an impact, which, for me, is truly what makes an RPG an RPG. When I play an RPG, I want to feel like my choices would have some impact on the world (especially with the NPCs eventually realizing and congratulating your rapidly growing stature in vampire society). Bloodlines takes place in modern day L.A., and while many of the buildings do resemble actual buildings in LA, they still give off a certain vibe. Just what kind of vibe? Well, that's hard to pin down exactly. Sometimes its oppressive and claustrophobic, sometimes its sleazy and filthy, and at other times its elegant and semi-stylized. But don't worry, the setting never feels schizophrenic (even when you are playing as a Malkavian), it's just that the developers wanted to give the different parts of the city a different feeling. The only problem that I have with the LA setting, is that the few areas of the city that you are allowed to explore are just too damn small. Now, while the game doesn't necessarily have to be a sandbox, if you're going to set a game in a large city, you need to make the in-game city at least FEEL big. But honestly, if my only complaint about their setting is that it there isn't enough of it, then the developers have done a good job with what they presented.
As for the story and characters. Well... without giving too much away, the story revolves around secret vampire societies (the Camarilla, the Anarachs, and the Sabbat) and an impending vampiric apocalypse (the end of all vampires, not all vampires taking over the world). There are plenty of nice twists and turns to keep the story interesting, and the characters are all well-rounded and imaginative enough to keep the game interesting no matter how many times you play it (especially when you try different approaches when dealing with the game's cast of hundreds).
So really, if you like RPGs, BUY THIS GAME NOW IT IS AWESOME. And if you don't like RPGs, you should probably check it out anyway because, who knows, this might just be the one to cause an epiphany. Also, please let me know if you think this was a good review. If not, then please post some constructive criticism.
