If you're wondering what Bloodlines 2 could have been, an iconic VTM modder has discovered new cut content

It's well known that Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 had a messy development. Publisher Paradox removed original developer Hardsuit Labs from the project in 2021, replacing it with The Chinese Room. However, the complete restart led to a messy finished product, and the game was roundly disliked on launch, including by our own die-hard VTM fan and news editor, Lauren Bergin, who gave it a middling 5/10 in her Bloodlines 2 review. However, modder Werner 'Wesp5' Spahl has uncovered gameplay and assets of the original concept, and it lowkey looks better than the final game.

If you're wondering where you know the name Wesp5 from, it's probably because he created the 'unofficial patch' mod for the original Bloodlines game, fixing bugs and implementing reams of cut content, including quests, levels, characters, dialogue, and more. It's safe to say that this fella loves VTM.

Now that Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2 is here, he's got to work quickly. Mere months after the RPG's release, Wesp5 has published videos showing characters, maps, unused locations, and the gameplay of two whole levels on his YouTube channel. While it's cool to see character models and concept art, by far the most interesting insight is into how Hardsuit's vision of the game would have played.

Wesp5 shows us 8 minutes of gameplay set in a warehouse location, which includes combat and some pretty impressive visual effects as your character seems to lose their grasp on reality amid the flickering lights of the creepy building. There's plenty of feeding, an office party (although no energy vampires here), and some semblance of a boss fight.

The hospital level is even longer, lasting a full 16 minutes. This dives deeper into the horror aspect of blood-sucking monsters, with the spookiest vibes and plenty of jumpscares. There are also time-traveling flashbacks to the hospital's pre-war activities. Obviously both levels are unfinished and need a layer or two of polish, but the hospital in particular has voice acting and everything in there.

The whole thing looks and, more importantly, feels more like the original Bloodlines than the game The Chinese Room put out did, but who's to say Hardsuit Labs could have pulled it off. There were clearly problems elsewhere in the development process, but it would have been nice to have a bit more of that classic RPG-ness in the game we eventually received.

That said, there is a silver lining. If Wesp5 has already found all this cut and canceled content, could he be working on a mod to implement it into the final version of the game? It's a long shot, considering how different the canceled game looks in terms of tone, gameplay, and style, but I'm going to cross my fingers that this master of modding can still conjure up something magical for Bloodlines 2.