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It has been a long time since 2004’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines hit consoles. Based on a tabletop roleplaying game, the transfer to videogame quickly pulled in a cult audience. This popularity has since grown, and with fans clamouring for more, will Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 do the Undead Justice? We take a look at the upcoming title below.
Development
The game has not had an easy ride, thus the long wait from the original to the sequel. The first game was a commercial failure, despite good reviews. Since then, it has grown into a cult title. When the original intellectual property became the property of Paradox Games after an acquisition, the long-awaited development was green-lit. However, it has been delayed multiple times to improve gameplay.
What is certain is that it will follow a similar style of gameplay to its predecessor. Set in a first-person perspective, switching to third for specific attacks, players control a vampire character they create themselves.
What makes the game shine is that people must also pick a character they were before their avatar became a vampire, which informs their bonuses and character in the game. These range from police officers to baristas and criminals.
As a vampire, players can join one of five clans to further enhancing their abilities. They must also keep themselves concealed from the human population, with penalties added if they use their abilities in front of others.
Vampires in Popular Culture
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Bloodline 2 enters a popular culture marketplace that is crowded with vampires. Console and PC gaming itself is filled with titles, from games like Chant to Lies of P. Not only this, but it seems that every day a new streaming drama arrives with vampiric themes aplenty. Even the iGaming sector has got in on the bloodsucking act, creating a slot with jackpot prizes named Immortal Romance. This is one of many licenses that slot games now use, and with bonus rounds to entice returning customers, it opens fans of the undead up to a new realm of gaming.
Recent Updates
The last update from Paradox Games came in early June. It had been a long time between updates, with many fans wondering if the game was in limbo. With the team working on other franchises, many suspected the game may have been cancelled entirely. However, the development team has announced that more will come in September so that they can provide the best experience possible. Thus, some of the pre-order editions have been actively refunded. Digital versions can be refunded if purchases wish.
The studio may be treading carefully after several high-profile games flopped and received commercial criticism for being released unfinished. Refunding titles suggest they still have a long way to go, and saying updates are coming in September also hints at this. However, the fact that they care about the game seems very positive. The title looks like it will be well worth the wait so you may want to hang onto those purchases.