Vampire: the Masquerade — Bloodlines flashback review
With the recent release of Baldur’s Gate 3 in late 2023, the translation of tabletop RPGs into videogame format is fresh in my mind as of late. Pen-and-paper role-playing games have been a part of the gaming scene for over a few decades, but the late 90s and early 2000s saw the release of many particularly dark and gritty fantasy titles from this genre. Among these was Vampire: The Masquerade — Redemption, White Wolf Publishing’s first installment based upon their World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade (TTRPG).
In 2004, the company partnered with video game developer Troika Games and the publisher Activision to release Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines, a dark action and adventure-oriented first or third-person RPG. While Redemption offered a linear storyline with limited player choice, Bloodlines offered a much more open-ended RPG experience. The game garnered a cult following and dedicated modding community in the years to come, but its infamously rocky development and rushed release left many gamers with mixed opinions. With a long-anticipated sequel set for release in Fall 2024, let’s take a look at how Bloodlines holds up today, nearly 20 years after its debut.
As with any storyline set in the World of Darkness, Bloodlines takes place in a more lavishly supernatural and dread-inspiring version of our world: specifically, the greater Los Angeles area during the early 2000s. The plot begins with the player character finding themselves suddenly and unwillingly turned into a vampire. The circumstances behind the transformation have made it an unlawful act, and the scandal quickly catches the attention of the surrounding vampire society.
Your sire is executed for failing to seek permission before creating another vampire. As the reigning prince of L.A., Sebastian LaCroix is ultimately persuaded to spare you on the condition that you learn and adhere to the laws that make up their vampire or “Kindred” society. This “Masquerade” hides creatures of the night from mortal eyes, keeping them safe from vampire hunters and other threats.
Indebted to the prince, the player character must complete a series of quests for him. This chiefly involves investigating the whereabouts of a strange and perturbing occult curiosity known as the Ankaran Sarcophagus. The ancient — and possibly cursed — artifact is a primary plot element in the game, as it will lead the player character to encounter a variety of strange locals and locales in the seedy underbelly of L.A. as they unravel a twisted mystery.
As you progress through Bloodlines, you will encounter a variety of factions all striving for a particular cause. Each sect has its own beliefs concerning the sarcophagus, and there are whispers that it contains an old Mesopotamian King. Others believe it could spell doom if it happens to hold a powerful ancient vampire known as an antediluvian. The artifact has stirred L.A.’s warring vampire factions into a frenzy, and the player character is caught in the chaos. As you work to uncover clues to the sarcophagus’ whereabouts, you’ll find yourself tangled in a web of interesting expeditions that will reap invaluable rewards. Everything’s on the table, including retrieving occult items for a flesh-eating Nagaraja that dwells in an abandoned hospital, and even locating the origins of a supernatural snuff film.
Whether you like it or not, however, you’ll be forced to run errands for the Camarilla sect for much of the game. LaCroix and other powerful vampires from the political faction are plentiful in L.A., but not all are loyal to the prince. On the other hand, the rebellious vampires from the Anarch sect wish to expel the Camarilla entirely, yet they are not the only group looking to do so. It will be up to you to decide who to trust and which faction has your best interest at heart, and this choice will ultimately mean achieving one of five possible endings. This can make some of the core quests frustrating if you find yourself more aligned with the Anarchs’ plight, as you’re unable to do much for them aside from spying on LaCroix while you act as his lackey. If Bloodlines was given more time to fully develop, it would have been nice to see the story shift in another direction much earlier on in the game, should the player character decide to ditch the Camarilla.
In Bloodlines, the player can choose between seven vampire lineages called “clans,” comparable to the different playable races in Dungeons & Dragons. Each comes with specialized abilities and characteristics that may make gameplay harder or easier depending on your choice. Additionally, as a creature of the night, you’ll need to feed often to maintain your strength and vitality. If an easily swayed human in a dark alleyway isn’t available, rats are abundant and easy pickings in the city. Not all blood has the same value, though. Vamps of refined palates such as the Ventrue can only obtain blood from specific human sources, while those from the Nosferatu clan have no problem sinking their teeth into a furry animal for sustenance.
Clan choice also alters other aspects of gameplay, and this is perhaps most notable with the Malkavians and Nosferatu. New players may also want to avoid picking a Malkavian, as their naturally cryptic manner of speaking makes for challenging interactions with questline NPCs. A Nosferatu might be a poor first-time choice as well. Vamps of this lineage are disfigured and monstrous-looking, meaning that they will need to travel using the undercity sewer system to avoid racking up too many Masquerade violations.
On the other hand, charisma comes naturally to the more sociable vamps such as the Ventrue and Toreador. Some combat and stealth actions may be skipped altogether through high persuasion or seduction stats — though not all NPCs will respond well to the latter option. Alternatively, you may enjoy brawling your way through most quests, especially if your clan of choice is Brujah, Gangrel, or Tremere. Occasionally the gameplay strategy is left entirely up to the player, and there are usually multiple ways to navigate and complete various questlines.
Fighting is sometimes unavoidable, however, and the combat in Bloodlines leaves something to be desired. This is where the game’s rushed development feels the most apparent, as both melee and ranged actions seem to barely function. The combat is clunky and uncoordinated no matter how much these stats are increased.
This issue makes the final portion of the game all the more irritating, unfortunately. Throughout the game, players can place acquired skill points into different feats of their choosing to complete tasks and puzzles as they see fit. However, the final storyline quests of the game force the player to engage in a long series of unavoidable battles up until the very end. Those who haven’t placed many points into their melee and firearms feats will have an especially hard time here, and some may find it easier to reload an early save file to build a more combat-friendly character.
Nonetheless, Bloodlines balances out its poorly crafted combat mechanics and inflexible ending gameplay with its stellar ambiance and world-building.
The haunting and versatile original soundtrack composed by the talented musician Rik Schaffer is probably one of the most memorable aspects of Bloodlines. Nearly every location in the game is fitted with a theme that perfectly matches the tone of the environment. The moody, droning electric guitar reminiscent of the "post-rock" genre perfectly encapsulates the run-down, eerie confines of the Hollywood location. Chinatown’s otherworldly theme featuring East Asian flair captures the shadowy agenda of the mysterious Kuei-Jin vampires that have made the city hub their stronghold. The non-OST songs included in Bloodlines feature the work of multiple industrial, goth, and metal bands. Tracks by Tiamat, Lacuna Coil, and Ministry can be heard in the vibrant nightclubs and dingy dive bars that populate L.A.
The world of Bloodlines is brimming with charmingly spooky environs to explore, and many hidden areas have something interesting to show you if you’re brave enough to look for them. As you thoroughly investigate each world hub, you’ll find that vampires only make up a portion of the intriguing characters you’ll encounter. L.A. is teeming with all walks of un-life, true to World of Darkness lore. Poltergeists, zombies, gargoyles and more can be found stalking the night alongside your blood-sucking brethren. It’s apparent that the game was made with careful consideration of the overarching Vampire: The Masquerade series, and there are a lot of enticing parallels to the spin-off RPGs like Werewolf: The Apocalypse as well as written works like The Book of Nod.
While there are plenty of bare-bones NPCs littering the map, the major characters are some of the more memorable and well-written from any videogame from Bloodlines’ era. The major characters are animated in an expressive, lively manner which is impressive given the game’s release year. The talented voice acting work is especially striking, and it’s hard to envision Bloodlines with a different voice cast.
Notable characters from the source material like Beckett and Smiling Jack make an appearance in-game, occasionally offering hints about the ongoing mystery of the sarcophagus. Characters like Nines Rodriguez and Jack are perhaps some of the most likable, as they are more than happy to offer helpful advice to the player character as they grapple with the existential weight of their newfound existence.
Despite its flaws, Bloodlines was clearly crafted with love in certain ways. There are many avenues to take as far as how players want to solve puzzles and explore the world at large. The game is filled with compelling sidequests and amusing social commentary. It certainly has a lot to say and show, but unfortunately, it’s obvious that the game is forever stunted. One can’t help but wonder what the RPG could have been if it had been allowed to be released at a later date. The abundance of odd glitches and the game’s annoying insistence on pushing the player into combat are difficult to ignore. Yet, the extra bells and whistles placed into the world of Bloodlines somehow manage to grant it clemency from seasoned players. Sure it’s hard to love, but it’s much harder to hate. Despite the announcement of Bloodlines 2’s release later this year, it’s doubtful that there will be another game that will leave a legacy quite like the original.
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