Playing into that is the story’s
non-linear structure. Created by Brian
Mitsoda, writer of the original game,
the idea is that the narrative is based
around your interaction with the city’s
various factions. You’ll be able to move
between groups, double-cross them,
and more – and, of course, they’ll
react to your actions.Rush of blood
These factions move in a world of
extremes, of haves and have-nots.
While the elite sup from wine glasses
of blood in penthouse apartments,
fanged thugs fight brutal skirmishes
in the dark corners of the city. It’s
a culture primed for a new crop of
vampires – including you – to disrupt.
And perhaps not for the better.
Bloodlines was revered for its dark
and complex moral choices, and this
sequel looks to be painting in similar
shades of grey-to-black. Being the
good guy isn’t necessarily going to
be an option.
“We give players the opportunity
to play the game the way they like to
play it. But let’s be real: vampires will
never be knights in shining armour,”
says Schlutter. “At their core, they
are parasitic. They feed on humanity.
You are not a hero here. But you
can choose your preferred flavour
of evilness. And there are certain
characters and situations in the game
that will remind the player of their own
humanity - or what is still left of it.”
Being an evil parasite does have
its perks, though. For one, you’ll get
to choose an arsenal of supernatural
powers to aid you, such as flight or
summoning swarms of bats. Each has
an offensive application in combat,
but also affects how you traverse the
world. Turning into mist, for example,
allows you to flow into the lungs
of your enemies and choke them
from the inside out – gross! – but it
also means you can travel through
vents and ducts to reach otherwise
inaccessible locations.
Relatively untested developer
Hardsuit Labs will have its work cut
out realising this grand vision, and all
the player agency that comes with it.
But, importantly, no one could say this
project doesn’t embody that same
boundless ambition that made the
original Bloodlines such a memorable
piece of gaming history. QThe original Bloodlines, released
all the way back in 2004 on PC, was
the kind of wonderful, ambitious
mess that’s impossible to forget.
Incomplete, buggy and a commercial
flop, it nonetheless endures as a
cult classic to this day thanks to its
narrative depth and the sheer amount
of agency and choice it granted
players. Now, 15 years later, a new
team is hoping to recreate its Gothic
magic with a full-fledged sequel.
The series takes place in the setting
of the Vampire: The Masquerade
tabletop role-playing game, a world
like our own save for its secret
society of bloodsuckers acting in the
shadows. This new entry sees you
joining them after a ‘Mass Embrace’,
a deliberate turning of a large number
of ordinary people – a practice usually
forbidden. As an unaligned ‘Thin Blood’
you’ll explore Seattle, developing your
powers and ultimately deciding which
of the ruling vampire clans you want to
throw your lot in with.
As in the original, the core idea is
freedom of choice. “Players should
feel like a predator of the night, a
powerful vampire,” explains Paradox
lead producer Christian Schlutter. “In
which way they feel powerful though,
if through brute force, seduction,
political intrigue or deception, that is
completely up to them.”Vampire: The
Masquerade
- Bloodlines 2
An ancient horror rises again
Robin Valentine
PUBLISHER PARADOX INTERACTIVE DEVELOPER HARDSUIT LABS
ETA 2020COAST TO
COAST
The first game was
set in LA – so why has
the action moved to
Seattle for the
sequel? “Both
Hardsuit Labs and
Brian Mitsoda are
based in Seattle and
it is always easier to
write about what you
know. But that is only
half of the reason for
the setting,” says
Christian Schlutter.
“Seattle is a city with
a rich and sordid
history, a city which
was, to a great
extent, built on
criminal endeavours.
This is something that
works very well as a
backdrop for a noir
vampire story.”“Players should feel like
a predator of the night, a
powerful vampire”
Writers for the game include former games journalist Cara Ellison and RPG veteran Chris AvelloneMore Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 027
PREVIEW