Sadly, it's everything what I was afraid of when I heard back then the game is changing developers. It's a vampire game for sure, but it has nothing much to do with the original Bloodlines nor the Vampire: The Masquerade. It's like the game uses the Mask of a Thousand Faces, only to fail miserably. It pretends to be an RPG, but it's closer to an action adventure game with a lot of brawl and a noir mystery. With acceptable, occasionally cringe writing and no inventory, hotkeys or whatsoever. The snowy Seattle looks ominous and moody as expected, but it feels lifeless. No matter how many people walk the streets, they are just props like the tall buildings surrounding you. And the characters... They are the positive points of the game, definitely. Talking with them breaks the monotonious cycle of roaming the streets and rooftops to find the next clue, beat up some ghouls, then head back to your haven to sleep, so you can progress the story... Only to do all this again and again, unless you roam around in flashbacks as Fabien, playing detective and talking to things with colorful personalities. I wanted to like this game, and it's not unbearably bad per se. If it was marketed as Bloody Nights in Seattle or something similar, devoid of the Vampire: The Masquerade label, it would be fairly acceptable. But it isn't the case, sadly...
Generally I'm not into city builders or management games, but I've fallen in love with this gem. The graphics still hold up pretty good, especially given to it's age. The setting in ancient China is simply brilliant. It has a suprisingly deep building system. And for this price? It's a dream come true. I defititely recommend to give it a try, even of you don't like the genre!
