Bloodlines 2 is the killer Vampire The Masquerade game we've waited 21 years for

A lone, long-forgotten radio sits in a dusty, rundown room, conspicuous in its modernity. I approach it, curious, pushing the on switch tentatively - this is 2024 Seattle, they didn't have weird, talking machines when I stalked the earth. "Hello Seattle, this is your 2am weather and traffic update," a voice informs me. "We're still under a severe storm warning, and it's cold, cold, cold out there." It takes me a moment to recognize the dulcet tones of Jason Carl, brand manager for the World of Darkness and LA By Night's iconic storyteller. "Now let's make a note of these important reminders, because multiple things are happening at once" - one of Carl's most iconic lines from the aforementioned live play. I feel myself break into a smile, and, honestly, I shed a little tear. I've been waiting for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 for years, and this tiny, easily missed interaction suggested my faith in The Chinese Room hasn't been for nothing, even if sometimes it's felt like I've been clinging to a rose-tinted reverie.

I'd be a liar if I said I didn't have my reservations about Bloodlines 2. The original vampire game, while absolutely busted, remains a cult classic, revered post-release as one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Its vanilla version is a buggy, often unplayable mess, yet its cast of characters and dry '00s humor carry it. Its success is hard to replicate, largely because it wasn't successful - by most metrics, Bloodlines was a bit of a flop, yet it's also one of the most beloved PC games ever.

Bloodlines 2, then, has massive shoes to fill. In many ways, it could be the perfect sequel - free of bugs, narratively strong, innovative with its gameplay - but it's being held up against something that's entirely flawed but uniquely idolized; how do you compete with something so rose-tinted and beloved? Having spent more than ten hours pouring over Bloodlines 2's introductory quests, though, I'd say that The Chinese Room has captured the essence of what makes a good Vampire: The Masquerade game, and amped it up to 100. Now sit back, relax, and, in the immortal worlds of Jason Carl, let me tell you a vampire story.

You are Phyre, a recently resurrected Elder who is "older than the United States by 150 years." Thrust into a dystopian, snow-covered world, you've got a mysterious mark on your hand and, perhaps more urgently, the voice of a very chatty Malkavian detective stuck in your head. You and Fabian, your spiritual partner in crime, are tasked with finding out who has dared to carve runes into your flesh, while navigating the chaos of a Seattle at war. What could possibly go wrong?

As Phyre steps out into the snowy streets of Seattle (it's "cold, cold, cold," after all), you're hit with a dark, dreary sting as the soundtrack kicks in. I ask myself aloud "is this the Downtown music from Bloodlines?" but it carefully navigates away into its own melody. It's a welcome blast from the past, engulfing Seattle in the same sense of moodiness as Troika's Downtown and Chinatown.

We pass through Seattle's version of the latter while searching for Fabian's body. Where LA's Chinatown felt in many ways more down to earth, Bloodlines 2's reimagining is reminiscent of the neon grime we see in Cyberpunk 2077. Lighting up the streets in shades of blue and purple, it's absolutely gorgeous. Homelessness is rife, sidewalk cleanliness clearly isn't a priority, and even the denizens themselves seem relatively intent on giving you a piece of their minds. It's hostile, it's oppressive, but most of all, it feels like a city where vampires could roam free.

And there are a lot of Kindred in Seattle. In the wider Vampire: The Masquerade universe, every city has its specific allegiance, and those that don't often find themselves in a permanent state of civil war. Since we last saw LA, it's transitioned from LaCroix's Camarilla-led metropolis to a free state, then seen Vannevar Thomas' attempted takeover (shout out to the ever-brilliant Bryan Dechart), then a return to an Anarch-led city. Seattle is on the brink of a similar war, with the demise of the recent Prince putting the Court on red alert, while the Anarchs take to the streets and cause havoc.

Our first interaction is with Lou Graham, the veiled woman we've seen in all of the game's trailers. Fabian advises me to be careful: she's old, she's powerful, and she doesn't take shit. Every conversation is its own unique choice-making exercise, with voicelines changing depending on your clan. Graham, for example, isn't particularly friendly towards my Tremere, but is relatively polite to my Lasombra. It takes me several goes to navigate her complex personality, but honestly I could listen to her saying "trailing gore and Dior" over and over again.

Similarly, my interaction with Ryong Choi is just as precarious. Graham's prodigy and the acting Prince of the city, Ryong doesn't care for flattery: she's straight-laced and wants solutions, not flirting. Flanked by Tolly, a particularly flamboyant Nosferatu, earning the favor of Seattle's court isn't easy, but it's a fun political game to play. Each character perfectly embodies their respective clan and its ideals, while having their own personalities. It's an impressive feat of worldbuilding and character writing, almost comparable to Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 - every member of the cast feels complex and of this world. Lou, while alluring, is a monster. Ryong decapitates an Anarch as you walk into the room, dressed in a slick suit. While their outward appearance oozes sophistication they, like you, are a slave to The Beast. They're animals in their own way. That's what Vampire: The Masquerade is all about, and that's what The Chinese Room has absolutely nailed.

I'd be remiss not to mention Fabien, though. The idea of an omnipresent voice in your head could get tiresome real fast, but Fabien perfectly balances his role as a simple hint-giver and lore-dumper while being a true Malkavian. Renowned for their scatteredness and bizarre quips, he describes a computer as a "very fast telegraph system staffed by idiots," and a television as a "fairground nickelodeon that doesn't cost a nickel, and it sure doesn't make you smile." As someone who's played a Malkavian both on tabletop and in Bloodlines 1, there's an odd sort of clarity to how they see the world.

You, however, are not Malkavian (well, for the most part, you do step into Fabien's shoes on occasion). Instead, you're given the option of choosing between six clans: Banu Haqim, Brujah, Lasombra, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue (note, however, that Lasombra and Toreador require the Shadows and Silk DLC). Having tried out all six of them, they all play differently, leaning into the Clan's tabletop identities. The Tremere, for example, can boil an enemy's blood or, alternatively, make them explode (it's a lot of fun), while the Toreador are agile killers, darting around the battlefield and landing blows faster than the speed of light while entrancing their foes.

Similarly, the Ventrue use mental domination to set foes upon one another from afar, overlapping slightly with Toreador, but maintaining their own identity. The Lasombra can ensnare people using their shadows but also pack a punch, like the Brujah. While the Banu Haqim are the designated assassin class, they can borrow the Tremere's blood magic. Just like in the tabletop RPG, where a clan's overarching disciplines (or skill trees) overlap, you can see similarities in their approach to combat, but also notable differences.

While the discipline track is linear (you unlock one, then another, then another) you can borrow from other clans' skill trees. A Toreador, for example, can learn the Brujah's Lightning Strike for five ability points as it's from the Celerity discipline that overlaps across both clans, but has to pay ten to learn any of the Tremere's blood magic, given that it's so far removed from the Toreador identity. The system is a smart nod to the tabletop experience, where buying abilities that lie outside of your clan's 'core skills' costs extra. It's little things like this that make me smile - it makes Bloodlines 2 stand out as a VTM game, not just another RPG. Sure, they're subtle, but they're integrated so seamlessly that new players aren't overwhelmed, while old-hat fans like me get that little dopamine kick.

Speaking of kicking, while combat overall is snappy, frenetic, and leans into making you feel powerful, the lack of lock-on system means fights quickly become confusing, especially if you're playing one of the faster clans like the Toreador. I often found myself mind controlling one foe, who would run straight into the fray to battle their former allies, before winding up taking a few blows from me, breaking my hold over them. While the Elder vampire lets me easily obliterate a whole group of enemies at once, doing pure single-target damage proves to be pretty difficult.

Similarly, while the Phyre move fast, it sometimes feels like the game isn't quick enough to keep up with them. Traversal is lightning quick and reminiscent of Sharkmob's Bloodhunt, but movement animations can occassionally slow down the action. Similarly, you certainly feel the loading screens between levels, especially when exiting The Glacier following your conversation with Lou. These are all relatively minor complaints, however, and who wouldn't expect some technical quirks in a Bloodlines game.

As someone who has waited a decade for Bloodlines 2, its early missions suggest this is the Vampire: The Masquerade game we've been waiting for. Taking the detective elements of Swansong and melding them with Bloodhunt's speed and Bloodlines' grimy, grungy aesthetic, it's the return to form that the franchise sorely needs. If the game can continue the momentum of the first few missions, while maintaining the narrative excellence and cliffhanger-heavy story bites that constantly have you saying 'just one more hour,' then I think The Chinese Room has a winner on its hands that will please both longtime VTM fans and newcomers.

Our vampire story is far from over, and the Seattle night beckons. Writing this preview, I'm genuinely elated that Bloodlines 2 is, well, real, but also a good, solid RPG. So far it stands alone as its own, unique story that I can't wait to see through to its end. Now, while we wait for the Bloodlines 2 release date, does anyone have a cigarette?