Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
- Category: Game
- Platform: Steam
- Date: 2025-10-28
- Rating: 4/5
- Duration: 18 Hours
- Link: Steam
A RPG Story About Vampires
I want to start my review with a quintessential, four-word summary: Good game, play it.
This review contains spoilers.
There are in-game screenshots that reveal the ending, so...
BEWARE!
This was your warning.
My hopes for this game were drained. I didn't expect anything of value to come from it. I didn't think it was going to get out of development hell. In the hands of an unknown studio, the game I pre-ordered—God knows when—was, in my mind, born dead.
Boy, was I wrong. This is one of the greatest games I've played this year. Sure, I haven't played much, but that doesn't diminish its quality. I have my criticisms, both negative and constructive, as well as my praises. Perhaps I should start with the bad.
The Bad
The combat: Initially, it was anti-fun. It was so bad that you were almost forced to play stealthily. However, it got so much better with perks. With the addition of enemies with firearms, you could start to have fun and get creative.
Fabien's Walking Simulator: The devs knew that walking from one part of the city to another would be a drag, so they made walking faster. How cool is that? But it didn't solve the—once again—anti-fun aspect of it. It felt like random chores, nothing more.
Using Fabien's skills on people: Even though it was fun to read people's minds from time to time, it didn't really make sense to me since you can't give wrong answers. Some conversations were fun, but most of the time, it was just a waste of time.
The potential: It's clear that this game had ambition. It breaks your heart to see its flaws.
Optimisation: Not good. It is
Unreal Engine(TM)5(C) stuff.Role-Playing: Non-existent.
The Good
Fabien: Ronan Summers did a wonderful job with the character. For me, at least, his great performance was the reason the game was bearable for the most part.
Fabien The Story: Vampires are weird. In general, the garlic thing (a myth), mirrors, no breathing, no sun, and all that—I don't really get the appeal. However, this was a good story. Not a great one, but a good one. I wanted to see how it ended, which is a great thing to have in a single-player game. It was intriguing and captivating. I didn't predict the plot twist; it wasn't that obvious.
Environment: This isn't just good; it's almost perfect. We know where the development money went. You feel like you belong to the city. It feels dark, cozy, and good to be a part of. The NPCs, as usual, aren't great, and there's not much you can do in the city, but I think that was a good choice. You didn't do a lot, and some of the stuff was repetitive, but everything you did in the game made sense. I loved it.
Let me show you some of the fine work they've done.
- Characters: They were good. Enough. Complete. Not too boring to talk to.
They were just good. You understand their motives. You get them, and that's a cool thing. Everyone felt unique. They felt like real people, most of the time. There are respectable ones, annoying ones, and funny ones, just like in real life.
You know who was a great character? Lou. A powerful figure. Fun to observe.
You ask who I am? My dear - I am Seattle. - Prince in life and death
Who wasn't fun then? Easy. Mrs. Thorn, Tolly, Safia...
And A Spoiler-y Goodbye
A sad farewell.
