Over the years in gaming circles, a fun little saying would come up about a cult classic horror RPG. It went something like, “Every time you mentioned Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, someone will reinstall it.” If this turn of phrase sounds familiar, you may have seen it through a meme, a message board, or offhandedly by your favorite streamer. And by that effect, this criminally underrated game would find its way back onto our PC screens. This horror title is the definition of a cult classic that has survived the test of time thanks to its passionate fans. For many reasons, it’s easy to see why: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is an incredible RPG.
Sired into a new life
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is an action horror RPG released in 2004 by Troika Games and Activision (the developer and publisher, respectively). The game takes many influences from the World of Darkness tabletop roleplaying game by bringing players into that world. Bloodlines is canon to the RPG book series, so many of the characters and locations connect to the story at large. Between the vampire clans, abilities, and point system (we’ll get to this later on), you get a taste of the tabletop element adapted into a PC game.
In Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, you take on the role of a new fledgling vampire in Los Angeles, California. As you progress through the game, you discover more about your vampire clan and the inner workings of the L.A. vampires. Greed, corruption, and horror await you as every new mission takes you deeper into the complicated community. But what ties everyone together is the arrival of a mysterious sarcophagus and its connection to “Gehenna,” the vampire apocalypse. Some want the knowledge, others scoff at the legend, and others seek to control its power. It’s up to you as the gamer to figure out who you can trust and who has your best interest at heart.
A world full of darkness
Bloodlines excels in its world-building aesthetic. As I mentioned above, you feel like you’re a part of this world. Exploration is a huge benefit throughout the game. The plot incorporates an open-world mechanic that allows you to complete main and side missions at your own pace. Trust us when we say to take some time to adventure through each neighborhood – they all feel different. The music, the buildings, and the missions transport you into the atmosphere of that community. From the Thinbloods hiding on the Santa Monica beach to the entertainment industry corruption in Hollywood, these touches add texture wherever you go.
And I’d argue that the Ocean House Hotel level is still one of horror gaming’s best levels ever. From the ghostly appearances to the eerie music, Bloodlines wants us to feel scared. The entire game infuses many horror influences throughout the levels, like monstrous creatures and bloody rooms. However, the Ocean House Hotel is pure survival horror realness at its finest. Horror feels right at home in this vampiric RPG.
It’s thanks to the strong supporting cast of characters who elevate this experience along the way. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was ahead of its time with its great voice work and character facial design. Sure, some script lines were cheesy and clunky, but these character moments added to the campiness and offbeat nature of the game. And the visual choice of having NPCs speak directly in first-person, we witnessed their mannerisms and voices up close. Many of Bloodlines’ supporting and minor cast had personality and flair to them. Beyond the nameless NPCs, each character felt different in its own right. For instance, you remembered the likes of sexy vampire Jeanette, the eccentric Smiling Jack, the pompous Sebastian LaCroix, or the cold and cunning Ming-Xiao by the game’s end.
A hero (or villain) is born
One of the biggest standout mechanics in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is its character creation and progression. While the story shifts in its open-world mechanic, the experience vastly changes depending on how the player adapts to the fledgling vampire. For example, choosing to be a vampire from the “Brujah” vampire clan will lead to different conversations and options than if you chose a “Toreador” vampire. And picking a “Nosferatu” or “Malkavian” vampire specifically changes the entire game completely. (A good tip for new players: don’t pick either of these two clans in your first playthrough. They raise up the difficulty considerably and create a new experience of Bloodlines.)
The conversation feature of the game is an earlier version of “The Butterfly Effect” mechanic. Gamers can choose from several different options that lead to various results; sometimes coming from their skill set and level. Choosing to be more aggressive in a chat with a character can lead to good or bad results. In one playthrough, being rude to an Anarch vampire caused her to cut all conversations. Unfortunately, this led to several future missions becoming unavailable! This mechanic adds plenty of replayability, and it can affect which ending you access by the final phase of the game.
However, a good aid is improving your player’s skill set and level. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines incorporates a points system where players can spend earned points to improve their abilities. They can range in many fields, from physical skills (fighting, weapons) to mental (computers, learning) to personal (flirting, dominance). Certain vampire clans are stronger in some areas than others, but the point system alters the direction of where the fledgling can go.
The price of power and pain
Make sure to pay close attention to your vampire’s specific clan abilities. These abilities are the most powerful tools in your arsenal as they pack a punch against humans and supernatural creatures. Whether you’re mind controlling a human or slowing time in a boss fight, these skills come in handy when you’re stuck. And as you progress through the game and grow, they add to the experience of your fledgling. As a vampire, you gotta feed … and you need to feed plenty. Use your abilities, and feed on some blood to regenerate your powers and health.
Though, there’s only so much your skillset and powers can do to help the fighting mechanic. This is where Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines hits a few roadblocks. The weapons melee can sometimes be clunky, and shooting a gun can bounce off the target more than once. You’ll have to keep hitting and shooting to make sure your attack lands its hit. Don’t forget to up those fighting points; you’ll need them as the bosses become more difficult and frustrating. (And oh, do some of the final bosses get monstrously frustrating!)
Still, even the low moments don’t take away from the bloody good time that is Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Just like the vampires, this game has stood the test of time with its beloved cult classic fans. Thanks to this dedicated fanbase, several needed fan patches have been created over the years to fix bugs, restore missing content, and add new elements. And the push to relive this fun has encouraged a sequel to be in development… for many years. Will it live up to the magic that was the original Bloodlines? Who knows. But if you’re looking for a spooky RPG filled with action and a great story, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is a delicious treat you’ll want to sink your fangs into.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is available to play now on Steam / Windows.
Featured Image Credit: Troika Games, Electronic Arts, ActivisionBlizzard
Justin is a fun-loving geek living in downtown Toronto, Canada. He’s an avid TV buff, movie fan, and gamer. He’s written for publications like Entertainment Weekly’s The Community, Virgin, TV Fanatic, FANDOM, The Young Folks, and his blog, City Boy Geekiness.
