Vampire®: The Masquerade - Bloodlines™

Bloodlines is an RPG that is actually much more fun to play these days than on release, and that is mostly due to the rabid fanbase and their incredible efforts at fixing the game while assuring its playability on modern computers. The GOG version of this game uses Wesp's basic patch, the full version of which looks to be finally completed after more than a decade of work. At it's core, the game is a well-written and voiced companion to the tabletop RPG, and is thoroughly accessible even to beginners. As long as you don't neglect to put a few points into combat here and there, your experience with this game is likely to be a good one.

Even if you know nothing about Vampire: The Masquerade, even if you're new to WRPGs, and even if "living out your vampire fantasy" sounds silly, give this a try! The gameplay has a lot of variety with melee combat, gunplay, stealth, lockpicking, hacking, conversation, and more, and in most situations, you have a lot of viable options from those. The basic mechanics are a little janky, but it's totally competent; I usually have a low tolerance for that kind of thing, and I had few problems after the first hour or so. Dialogue choices do sometimes impact your future, but choices are usually pretty obvious, and you're not likely to screw yourself over for later, if you use your head. The writing is excellent, too, and the characters are great; I found myself very attached to a lot of them. You also choose sides in the main conflict, and they're framed in such a way that any of them could be a justifiable choice; not just to see what happens if you side with them. The character creator is cool, too; you have several different clans from which to choose, each clad in hilariously turn-of-the-century outfits. The music isn't maybe something I'd listen to out of context, but it's very stylish, and sets the atmosphere extremely well. It's very approachable, which makes it a great WRPG for beginners, but it's still engaging enough to keep the veterans coming back for more!

This is without a doubt my favorite RPG, maybe even game, of all time. Everything about the gameplay is perfect( with a little help from the unofficial patch). The character sheet and customization is ripped straight from the tabletop game and the gameplay is focused heavily on the actual Role-playing and story where I feel most RPGs ,especially modern ones, put a huge emphasis on the combat. Don’t worry though the combat here is amazing and is by no means a weak point even though it does have its flaws. A big one being Melee combat becomes horrible and even useless most of the time in the end game. This is one of the few games where I get excited for new play throughs because each clan offers so many options and quest deviations that it feels completely new each time. If you’re not sure about picking this up just get it. The game and the world it takes place in will become your newest obsession.

Immersive World ✔ Interesting Story ✔ Great Voice Acting ✔ Graphics have aged well ✔ Fitting sound design ✔ Fun and exiting combat ✔ Multiple classes, and builds ✔ Side Quests, and choices ✔ High replay value ✔

First, I did not play this game a the time of its release over a decade ago, so no "rosy" nostalgic glasses here. Second, I generally and totally do NOT enjoy or embrace the whole 'vampire' theme, so I have never watched any shows, movies or anything else related to the vamp theme, nor have I ever played any related games... (well, back in the day I tried Blood Rayne, and hated it). Third, I did not get this game back in the day (though it was a venerable Troika game) because CGW magazine detailed all the BUGS... and I hate buggy games. In this release all the bugs are gone with the patch that GOG applied. Finally, this is a TROIKA game (or did I say it above? -- so sad Troika studio is no more, all their games are in my top 10 list of all time, and I've been gaming for over 25 years). So, having read many positive reviews, in spite of my reservations about the vampire theme I decided to get it here on GOG. I will not bore you with details (read other positive reviews), nor do I want to give you any spoilers. Just get this game IF : 1. You have been feeling betrayed by all the shallow crap the gaming industry has been concocting in the last decade or so; 2. You want a mind-bending, well-told, high quality RPG with great voice acting, interesting quests and outcomes, good combat mechanics, completely different classes and, hence, great replay-ability; One last thing - the graphics are twofold: a) Environments have aged VERY well. They look very good; b) Character models are somewhat crude by today's standards but they look okay, and animations are BETTER than many 'modern' games of today, so LET NOT 'dated' graphics deter you, especially considering this game is NOT about good looks, plus it was state of the art in its time. ONE WORD OF CAUTION -- on the first play-throug, do NOT pick a Malkavian Clan character :o) Things are not very straightforward as they are, no need to torture yourself trying to figure out what your colorful Malkavian is saying :o)) GET this game!