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If you woke up
delirious and found
out you were a
vampire right now- in our modern,
mostly urban
environment – what kind of vampire
would you be? It’s this question that
led to the original PCgamebeing
such a cult hit.
Based on a
tabletop RPG
system (World Of
Darkness), the
setting for the
Vampire: The
Masquerade series
is already developed,makingit the
perfect place to forge your own
personal story. The world is a
modern one where the supernatural
is very real and hides in the
darkness. And, in the case of the
vampire clans, it’s pulling the strings
of the human world from those very
same shadows.
Whereas the original game was
limited by technology in 2004, this
sequel promises to deliver more fully
on the promise of living that dark life
as a vampire of your own creation.
The trailer sees the player chasing a
hoodedvampire figure through back
alleys and the
underground,
using vampiric
powers to push
past enemies as
they remain in
pursuit. While just
a CG trailer, it
showcasesthe kind of powers you
can expect: telekinetic control of
objects as you pull a large hammer
into your hand; very strong
hand-to-hand combat; stunning an
enemy by summoning bats; and, of
course, feasting from the neck ofenemies, presumably restoring
some of your own health as you do.
One of the really cool things about
the vampires you create in World Of
Darkness is the way they can be so
different, and draw on an array of
interesting powers to build skillsets
that feel really unique.IN THE FAMILY
There are big differences between
the vampire clans: there’s the
artistic, sexy Toreador, the magic-
wielding Tremere, and the more
unhinged Malkavians, to name three,
and your choice affects how your
character plays. Generally in the
system you can spec to have all
kinds of powers, and even focus on
solving problems with social skills as
opposed to violence, though all
vampires will need to feed at some
time or another. The clans are part
of the Camarilla, the biggest vampireBring on the
fresh blood
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 emerges from the shadows
YOU JUST
CAN’T EXPECT
VAMPIRES TO
PLAY NICE.The way your choice of clan
affects your character
means you need to pick the
right one for your playstyle.team talk
“The saying goes
that if you mention it,
someone will reinstall
it. Bowled over by
nostalgia watching the
sequel announcement,
I can’t wait to sink
my teeth into this
follow-up. 2020 may
seem a way off but
that’s plenty of time to
reacquaint myself with
the lore... and play the
first game again.”
Jess Kinghorn
Staff Writer