After a 12-year wait Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 disappoints

Gamers are used to waiting a long time for sequels, but after a 12-year wait, fans of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines could be forgiven for feeling upset at its sequel’s performance. Released over a decade after the original, Bloodlines 2 launched on Oct. 21 to a lukewarm reception.

From buggy gameplay, to bizarre movement tech and glitches, and an overall underwhelming experience, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, a sequel to a cult classic and beloved RPG has left fans disappointed.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Image Credit: The Chinese Room

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 disappoints after a decade of waiting

Currently sitting at just a 55% rating on Steam, and with poor critic reviews as well, the game seems to lack many of the basic features the original did. Players point to the lack of a humanity system, missing weapons, limited story, character creation options, and missing many of the iconic Vampire clans.

Beyond this, a viral clip of a player traversing the map just by dropkicking has become emblematic of the strange and disappointing way the game has been received.

Compare this to the nearly universally beloved original, and it’s a harsh matchup. Releasing in 2004, Troika Games masterpiece featured iconic characters in a pseudo-noir setting that was seen as the definitive video game portrayal of the Vampire: The Masquerade TTRPG universe.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Image Credit: The Chinese Room

Given that Bloodlines 2 developer, The Chinese Room, were behind critically acclaimed hits like Dear Esther, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, it’s especially puzzling. Perhaps the studio’s lack of experience creating RPG games, instead focusing on narrative-driven psychological horror and introspective games. It’s a mix that could have made something great, but has sadly fallen flat.

Beyond this, the developers have decided to lock large swathes of content behind $30+ of paid DLC, including a Santa Monica pack it describes as giving the ability to “relive the nostalgia of the original Bloodlines.” Certainly, Bloodlines 2 has players wanting to relive the original. What some Bloodlines players may have forgotten, thought, is that the original was no polished masterpiece upon release either, and only a decade of modding and patching has made it the classic it is today. Perhaps in 10 years Bloodlines 2 could be similarly beloved.

Image Credit: The Chinese Room