Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York

If you consider this game as a standalone entry, it is lackluster. Now, as an expansion of Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York, it adds a bit of flavor (nothing spicy more like a pinch of salt) and is a welcome conclusion to the events of the first entry Julia, the MC, is an improvement compared to Coteries even though is unable to have much agency in the story, as the paths you can take are not many and are set in stone but enough to consider it a character of its own, and I prefer that over a blank slate Shadows is engaging enough to want to explore the different choices and try to get different outcomes but you only get two (the bad ending was more of my liking), so there is not much replayability Nonetheless, all the positive things that I can say about the game are dependent on the previous entry. I was glad to see familiar faces in the characters that you encountered in Coteries, the universe feels cohesive in that way and is a plus in my book that you get to know more about their current whereabouts and what they have been up to. But without that, it is really hard to care about any of them, and the world that you get to explore suddenly feels small, which says a lot about a story that takes place in NYC IMO, it is worth the buy, as a bundle

One night I installed this, booted it up and was greeted by the most bad ass, mood setting menu song that I've heard in a long, long time. It fit perfectly with the light of the moon and stars that was just outside my window. And so my adventure began. I wasn't really sure what to expect from a visual novel, but I guess it's just what the category says. You will spend the whole game reading what's happening from the perspective of Julia. A newly turned Vampire, part of the Lasombra clan. Not only that but after a few nights into the game you will also be converted into a detective who has to solve - or at least try to solve - a Vampire murder. As you go further into the story you will be given options to choose how to spend part of the nights between your main investigation - go out clubbing, take a walk in the park, sink your teeth into innocent bystanders and other Vampire activities. All of the side-missions had a nice twist to them and while reading what's happening I didn't feel like I was getting a lesser quality version of the game. They just helped out with fleshing out the world, which is what all great side-missions should do. I finished my journey with Julia in about 4-5 hours and I felt satisfied with what I got. I saw some Vampire dilemas, got to know more of the Masquarade world, took part of investigating a murder and was given the option to do some bad ass shit on several ocasions. But the best part was the atmosphere. The music, the art, the depressing undertone, the characters -all of that really made this more worthwhile than it should have been. If you ask me the best way to play this is late at night after work, or working out or just when you need to relax a little with a beverage or a smoke and you can let your mind drift into Julia's reality. This game is sorta like a Vampire. The more time you spend with it the more intrigued will you become.

I want to start right off the bat by saying that this is a visual novel, and one that leans heavy on the "novel" part. Hell, at different points in the story, the author references other writers, even ones like Haruki Murakami (who is lightly made fun of) and Raymond Chandler. This story was written by a book geek, and it shows. I didn't mind it, but that might turn some people off. If you get into the mindset that this is more a light read, instead of a game, you'll probably have a better time. What kills it is the "game" part, which feels slapped in there. You get some choices, and these choices will decide one of two (three? There is a DEAD END achievement) endings for you, called "good" and "bad." You don't pick the ending, and the it just happens suddenly. It really comes out of nowhere. The game flows like a novel as well; it doesn't branch much. The main plot always follows the same path, no matter what. It makes the experience quite jarring: you are reading a novel, and then this "game" stuff jumps up in your face; or, you're trying to play a game, but this "novel" is in the way. The story itself is a brooding supernatural neo-noir, one that is more about lying, backstabbing, and feeling lost in a world that doesn't really hate you, it hates everybody. It's not about kung-fu fights, but trying to untangle everybody's lies. It's engaging enough, and I had fun. I don't want to spill too much, but trust NO ONE. I mentioned Chandler on purpose; a lot of the time, it's hard to follow the complex plot, so your best bet is to get lost in the gloomy noir-ish ambience and let the story lead you where it wants. The great artwork and moody soundtrack really help with that... and make up for the sometimes amateur writing. The writing is mostly solid, though. The price is $12.00 American, which is about the same as a cheap Kindle book. It's a light read that was fun while it lasted. That's fine with me, and maybe you too.

This isn't so much a game but more a story you click to read. Knowing and accepting this, it can be enjoyable (if you get it on sale, as I did). Having role-played Vampire, the Masquerade (VtM) many years ago (admittedly in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, to the occasional despair of the story-teller), I think it falls into the typical problems and clichés of these things: you have your omnipresent beautiful vampire women, your run-of-the-mill teenage angst, your transparent power plays, and so on. It is rather uninspired at that, but still manages to be better than Coteries of NY (not much of a compliment). There are a few exceptions to this blandness of characters and situations, but for the most part what you have are writers struggling to create tension in the form of a "oh-my-god, am I a monster? How will I cope with this demigod-like existence?" internal struggle. I write this having finished it, as I did Coteries, and I understand that I'm making it sound worse than it was to me. I've read several VtM books -- and some are genuinely good as fantasy works --, so I am already formatted into accepting and enjoying this world and its mechanics, warts and all. I'm not sure someone with a greater critical detachment than me might think this way. But again, walk into it knowing what to expect and you may find it entertaining. Just don't expect a VtM Bloodlines.

Don't expect a video game. There is no real game mechanic you can influence. You can influence the narrative, but that's it. That's fine, because that is what makes it a visual novel. The soundscape and artwork are sublimely atmospheric. The central mystery is a murder mystery whodunnit. It competently drives the plot, but what kept my interest was the journey of the protagonist. I feel it was worth the €10,79. If you are interested in getting acquainted with visual novels and/or the 5th edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade ttrp, I can well recommend it. If you're looking for a video game, there are probably better options for you.