Going into Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, I was expecting to dive deep into the Gothic underbelly of vampire society. This would be my first direct exposure to this particular flavor of vampire lore, having not played the original and thus not been tortured by the sequel’s beleaguered development or impacted by the PS5 refund controversy.
What the game’s marketing led me to believe awaited me in the moon-soaked streets of Seattle was a dynamic and rich RPG where every dialog choice and action I took would be accounted for. However, that’s not what Bloodlines 2 really is. It straddles the line between that and its true form, and ends up falling short on both fronts.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Only Masquerades As An RPG
My Choices Hardly Matter, And The World Is Lifeless Set Dressing
Even in the most dynamic and responsive RPGs, there are borders. Games can make us feel like we’re coloring outside the lines, but we can never draw off the page. My issue with Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is that it tells me I can draw outside the lines, only to slap my hand back when I try.
From the jump, Bloodlines 2 introduces the typical RPG dialog and choice systems we’re all familiar with at this point. I’m presented with a ton of early conversations that I can steer slightly in one way or another based on my dialog choices. It doesn’t take long at all, though, to see that I’m on a very set track.
I’m shown the usual “X liked that,” or whatever else, prompt that informs me how my choice impacted my standing with that character often, but it never actually amounts to anything. Try as I might, I could never ruin a relationship with a main character.
Worse is when I’m given an early choice in the game that seems like it would have rippling and substantial consequences for the rest of the game. I chose the “bad” option, to keep this spoiler-free, yet it didn’t change my trajectory at all. I had essentially betrayed a major group, yet I was still brought in as one of them.
Only in the final hours do choices have any impact. But by that point, it feels like a poor consolation prize. I had been starved of any true role-playing opportunities throughout the entire game, so these ending choices felt hollow and flat.
Less egregious, but still notable, is the open world. My first time strolling through the snowy Seattle streets, a lo-fi noir beat setting the mood, I allowed myself to think its emptiness was tonally appropriate. Cozy, even.
When that empty world remained static and lifeless, save for a few repeated side quests and boring collectibles, it turned into a chore. With nothing of value to do or see on the way, it might as well have been an interactive loading screen between main missions.
Bloodlines 2 Would’ve Been Stronger Breaking Away From The Past
Being Beholden To The Franchise Split Its Focus
I have a ton of sympathy and patience for the developer, The Chinese Room. The fact that this game even exists is something of a miracle, but I can’t help but read it as an example of a game torn between legacy and its strengths.
As many problems as I have with Bloodlines 2, there’s a lot of good in there. The initial premise is great, and it has the ingredients for a compelling vampire mystery. The tone and style are likewise full of potential.
The issue lies in its inability to be both a faithful immersive sim-like RPG that fans want and tell a well-crafted story. Had Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 shed its namesake, ditched the facade of being a reactive, choice-driven RPG, and gone with a more linear style, it would’ve had a stronger chance at finding an audience.
- Released
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October 21, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Nudity, Drug Reference, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
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The Chinese Room
- Publisher(s)
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Paradox Interactive
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
