When one of the best features of an open world game, alongside its excellent setting, story, and gameplay, is strolling or driving around its open world, soaking up the ambiance, you know you're dealing with something special. Occasional bugs aside, this game is a work of art. Near perfect for our generation. I cannot wait to see what worlds CP2077 inspires in the future.
If you've enjoyed the story, presentation, and mood invoked by Coteries of New York, Shadows of New York will not disappoint. I welcomed the fresh take of a more focused story seen through the eyes of a single Lasombra character, established quite compellingly. The eerie mood got kicked up a notch this time around, which fits the shadow clan well. Like Coteries of New York, it's mostly a story-focused visual novel, with few choices sprinkled in. Those not a fan of that approach will not find much in a way of improvement. Otherwise, for what it is, it's a marvelous treat, and a great companion product to other VTM books and games. It feels a bit longer than Coteries, but not by much, with similar level of modest replayability for those truly dedicated. As I am looking to recommend this to people who are not familiar with VTM, I am unsure if this game will appeal necessarily. It feels tailored more to established fans, especially VTM lore nerds like myself. For long-time fans of VTM games, there are even a few notible references to a prior VTM game I won't spoil. It's very hard to miss if you're familiar with that prior game's characters. Similarly, even though it is a standalone story that players can enjoy right away, Coteries players will benefit more from the familiar evolving conspiracy and established characters. Still, the Lasombra character's journey may yet pull in newcomers, given her unique struggles. One critique I'd like to give to the game's writing team is that, while having thoroughly enjoyed the more fleshed-out Lasombra character, there were moments, especially near the end, where she surprised me with the amount of knowledge she suddely acquires between scenes, seemingly "off camera" as it were. Though I enjoyed the resulting exposition (as a lore nerd), it felt a bit disjointed, the narrative overriding well-nurtured immersion up to that point. Otherwise, keep up the good work. I thirst for more! :)
If you've enjoyed the story, presentation, and mood invoked by Coteries of New York, Shadows of New York will not disappoint. I welcomed the fresh take of a more focused story seen through the eyes of a single Lasombra character, established quite compellingly. The eerie mood got kicked up a notch this time around, which fits the shadow clan well. Like Coteries of New York, it's mostly a story-focused visual novel, with few choices sprinkled in. Those not a fan of that approach will not find much in a way of improvement. Otherwise, for what it is, it's a marvelous treat, and a great companion product to other VTM books and games. It feels a bit longer than Coteries, but not by much, with similar level of modest replayability for those truly dedicated. As I am looking to recommend this to people who are not familiar with VTM, I am unsure if this game will appeal necessarily. It feels tailored more to established fans, especially VTM lore nerds like myself. For long-time fans of VTM games, there are even a few notible references to a prior VTM game I won't spoil. It's very hard to miss if you're familiar with that prior game's characters. Similarly, even though it is a standalone story that players can enjoy right away, Coteries players will benefit more from the familiar evolving conspiracy and established characters. Still, the Lasombra character's journey may yet pull in newcomers, given her unique struggles. One critique I'd like to give to the game's writing team is that, while having thoroughly enjoyed the more fleshed-out Lasombra character, there were moments, especially near the end, where she surprised me with the amount of knowledge she suddely acquires between scenes, seemingly "off camera" as it were. Though I enjoyed the resulting exposition (as a lore nerd), it felt a bit disjointed, the narrative overriding well-nurtured immersion up to that point. Otherwise, keep up the good work. I thirst for more! :)
