Vampire®: The Masquerade - Bloodlines™

Revisiting this game after well over a decade and it's still as fun as I remember. The GOG verison includes both the last official patch from the sadly defunct Troika Games and the latest fan patch rolled into the installation. This provides some much needed bug fixes, returns some cut content, and updates some of the visuals so the game will look slightly less muddy on a modern HD display. This game is part of what I like to call the "early 2000's greats" in terms of roleplaying games - it ranks up there with the first two KOTOR games and Deus Ex, and that's no exaggeration. GOOD: - Works out of the box from the GOG launcher on Windows 10 with HD support - Missions often let you tackle them in many different ways, be it stealth, combat, or talking - Lots of differing dialogue options that will change the story and how characters react to you - Does a good job for explaining the basics of (third edition) VtM lore for newbies - Four big hubs for you to explore non-linearly, packed with hidden goodies and side-quests - Each vampire clan is unique in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and interactions ingame - A handful of different endings depending on which vampire faction you want to side with BAD: - Some clans are definitely more fleshed out than others; Nosferatu, Malkavian, and Tremere in particualar get nice exclusive content while other clans do not - Some clans recycle generic Discplines (vampire powers) between one another, leaving a Tremere with a far more unique powerset compared to a Toreador for example - Game still buggy even with the patches pre-installed, I got softlocked in the tutorial. SAVE OFTEN TO PREVENT LOSING PROGRESS!

This game is unironically so good, every time I see it on sale I have the strong urge to buy it again. I have it on Steam, on GoG and twice as a hard copy, because the cover was not looking so well anymore. It gives you several stories to experience from the perspective of several protagonists, all of them are the same, but have minor or sometimes major differences. Just give it a go, install the fanpatches and don't feel bad if you don't enjoy your first run. Try again. And again. And again. And at some point you fall in love with its deep and well written characters, its brilliant atmosphere, strong writing, awkward and stiff gameplay. Games like Vampire Bloodlines are a rare gem, both superior and inverior to blockbusters like GTA. It is dialogue and story driven, but for everyone who can appreciate that it is a one of a kind experience they will not regret. Also it is one of few games where vampires are cool without being edgy and where the setting is presented with an adult and most of the time dignified fashion. I love it so very dearly!

Great game, I played it for the first time a few years ago and it was a good experience. So, I don't have nostalgia glasses on and I think my opinion seems to be more "objective". The downside is that the very end of the game seems to be done in a rush and the result is that the game feels more buggy than usual. Ah, and one more thing - the quest in the cemetry area (LA) is too hard and frustrating. Just play it, dialogs and voice acting are great!

You can dance in a goth club as a vampire and suck hookers in an alley, Need i say more?

Disclaimer and Caveat : 1.) I do not own this on GOG yet, but I did buy it on release and on Steam so those are the versions I can speak on with any authority - I am quite sure GOG version will be even better. 2.) The following assumes you are playing the unofficial patch by wespe - which unlocks tons of stuff from the base code cut form release, and adds in a lot more. I mean, despite the flaws the base game as released is a great game, but with the patch.....anyway lets crack on! So Bloodlines is a First Person RPG. Though you can easily switch between 3rd and 1st person with the tap of a button (and indeed the game does so automatically in melee to provide a better overview of the environment). You play a newly embraced Vampire who is plunged quickly into the shadowy politicking and subterfuge of the "Masquerade". It is here that I have one or two of my only real criticisms of the game: If you have no background in the World of Darkness setting it could be very confusing - the game actually does a great job of getting you up to speed as possible. And to be fair there is so much lore it is not really a legit criticism, but if you have never played the tabletop RPG then a) you should, it's great! and b) you might be a bit confused. You can pick any of the 7 Camarilla clans from the tabletop rpg, and the patch adds character concepts that subtly alter the archetype. The Character sheet is almost a carbon copy of the tabletop one, and it is clear this game was done with love. It really evokes the World of Darkness setting, and you really feel submerged in the subtle politics of the Masquerade. The opening hours are great as you really feel like a neonate cast adrift and sireless in a world you don't fully understand. You don't know who is your enemy, you're pretty sure even those who aren't are using you, and you get your hands dirty just trying to survive. There is a ton of replayability between clan choice and playstyle. If you like the tabletop add a star.