I've been wanting to review this particular game for some time now, as it happens to be one of my personal favourites for a number of reasons, which I'll explain as I go through the review.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, or for ease of reading, VTM:B, was a game based on the White Wolf's "World of Darkness" universe - containing Vampires, Werewolves, zombies... You name the mystical beastie, its in there. VTM:B was developed by the, now dissolved, Troika Games, and published by Activision.
The gameplay centers around the idea of "The Masquerade" - the code that governs how Vampires live in modern society, and so that they can survive. There are 3 types of area in the game - the standard public area and if you use any one of you vampiric powers in these areas, you're in for a major bollocking. You've then got combat areas, where anything goes, you can quite happily go pop several people like overipe cantaloupes, with no effect on your masquerade level. Then, you've got the Vampiric Domains - you can't pull out weapons, or use powers, in these areas, apparently as you'd piss off the resident vampire/s off quite severely.
The game consists of 4 main hubs based in Los Angeles - Santa Monica, Downtown, Hollywood, and Chinatown - which you're free to explore, and access the buildings that are contained within these areas, along with commit merry havok, killing all and sundry, plastering their blood up walls to make a very nice paint eff-
*ahem*
Sorry, I got lost in the vision of the gore there, that won't happen again, I assure you.
You've got a total of 5 Masquerade Violations you can commit - as you commit more violations, the game becomes harder, as you get different reactions from Vampiric NPC's due to the level of violations you've committed - as the number increases, you may end up with Vampire Hunters coming after you. Reach 5 violations, and it's game over - a minor complaint there, as it'd be far more enjoyable getting hunted by the Vampire population, rather than immediate execution, as i doubt that after 5 violations, you'd just let yourself be handed over to have your head lopped off. Next, you have Humanity points - every time you kill an innocent, you lose humanity. This closes off one or two options in conversations, and your speech choices are slightly different as a result. Also, if low on blood, you are more likely to jump on someone, and start bleeding them dry - the last thing you need in an urban area. However, you can regain these points via fufilling quests - which may also offer you other incentives, such as money or access to new items.
Next, you've got the Blood and Health system. You can sustain damage, but overtime your health regenerates, but incredibly slowly. It increases dramatically if you jump on someone and feed on them - but get seen by someone else, you've got a masquerade violation on your hands, and if you attempt and fail, you're going to have the cops after you - at higher levels, not a problem. At low levels, you can only run and hide in the sewers - you'll be quickly killed by them, due to their higher accuracy, and your lack of armour or endurance.
Now, this brings me onto the clans, and the subsequent powers. There are several clans to choose from, all with their own special powers - one of the most entertaining being the Blood Mages, for their ability to make several people...explode, with higher levels, which is remarkably useful latter on in the game. But, the most entertaining by far has to be the Malkavian clan - which every member of happens to be completely insane, often possessing twin personalities, and by far some of the best conversation lines, along with the special ability, "Demention". A prime example of this is a quest involving getting a food critic to say a restraunt is rubbish so another Vampire can buy it up. The Demention dialouge option makes the reviewer believe that rather than eating spaghetti... it's worms. Not to mention, you get some of the best outfits as a result of being a Malkavian. An example of the weirdness you experiance as a Malkavian is this quote, when watching the TV after you've completed a specific quest:
Newscaster: "Police don't have any suspects at this time, but they're pretty sure that it was you."
There are 4 factions throughout the game. The Camarilia, the Anarchs, the Sabat, and the Kuei-jin. The Camarillia regard themselves as the overall rulers of the Vampire population, setting the rules, and carrying out the resulting punishment if they're broken. The Anarchs however, differ entirely, believing that other Vampires have enough common sense not to do certain acts - such as outrun the 12:10 train to Sacramento. The Sabat, are hated by pretty much everyone, and the nastiest of the lot - pretty much, they use their Clan as cannon fodder, and twist flesh into abominations. As you discover later, during several quests - one of the most memorable being having to fight your way into a house that has been twisted, and then through the sewers.
Throughout the game, there are several brilliant NPCs that bring the game to life. Firstly, is the Brujah Smiling Jack. He guides the player through the tutorial section, explaining what Vampires are like, and how they function. Along with explaining the Sabbat:
"The Sabbat are worthless, man. Fake tits on a zombie worthless. Fun to watch though. Like the Three Stooges with chainsaws."
Another of Jack's quotes.
Another member of the cast is the Malkavian Tourette - a case of twin personalities in one body, which results in some very bizarre quests, and conversations. For example, one part loves you, while the other keeps trying to kill you. You only realise later that its a case of 2 personalities in 1 body, and how it occured - and is one of the best written conversations that I saw in the entire game.
One of the most enjoyable, and well done, parts of the game was a Haunted Hotel section - a quest given to you by Tourette. You've been asked to go and aquire a Ghost's possession from the house to allow an exorcism to take place. The problem is, theres two ghosts in there, and a lot of poltergeist activity. It slowly emerges that a family were staying at the Hotel, before the Husband went mad, and slaughtered the entire family - which you can read in the diary you find in their old room, along with several news paper cuttings you find. Honestly, one of the few sections that managed to make me jump - its not a case of blatant in your face scares, but catching movement out of the corner of your eye, or turning to see an axeman standing next to you for him to disappear the next.
Another brilliantly designed level is where the player has to either talk a golem into joining the Anarch side, the Camarilla side, or kill it. Killing it, has to be one of the most enjoyable combat sections in a game that I've encountered in some time, with the area collapsing around you as you fight the giant - this section also proving that firearms really ain't that much good against the supernatural, as you get repetitively told.
Now, onto the major problems that plague this otherwise brilliant game. Due to Troikas collapse during the development of the game, a lot of aspects had to be rushed, and result in a slightly unbalanced game, with the second half of the game severely lacking in the enjoyment that was available in the first half.
Firstly, the combat. At the beginning, you're better off using melee weapons, as you'll actually inflict some damage, as in, you'll actually hit the enemy. With firearms at a low level, you'll be lucky to hit them up close, nevermind if you're the other side of the street. Often, it's easier to use Close Combat skills in combination with Vampiric skills than bother with firearms. Of course, theres the added enjoyment of smacking someone with a melee weapon and send them flying across the room at high speed.
Secondly, the game feels like it can be split into two parts - the first half, which is story driven, and immersion: it feels like a proper RPG, and you feel like you're there. You're able to choose several methods to gain access to an objective, depending on how you leveled up your character. The problem is, the second half of the game (Which I'd assume was after Troika went under) descends into the style of any first person shooter - you don't really have a choice in how to progress, and if you're a stealth based character, a lot of the end missions will be impossible to complete as a result, which is incredibly frustrating.
Thirdly, a lot of content was cut out of the final release - of course, this could be restored with the community patches that were made after it's release that restored a lot of this content - the code still remained, even if ingame it didn't appear. There are two versions of the community patch. One restores everything, and adds gameplay tweaks - to the extent that it feels like a different game, and more often than not ruins parts of the game (Like increasing the occurrence of the Axeman ghost in the Haunting level, which actually makes it less scary .), while the other replaces a lot of the work that wasn't in originally, but still makes it balanced, and only changes parts of the game if it needs to be changed for it to work - the second patch is regarded as the "True" patch, and more enjoyable. Theres been lots of differences between the two patch creators, with the "True" patch creator being accused of stealing the other patch creators work. Very silly. Would be easier just to beat them around the head with a lopped off arm, till they saw sense in my opinion. Be far more amusing, at any rate.
Fourth, and the main problem, is the fact that the game lags like mad on the Hub areas. This is probably due to the fact that the game is based on the Source architecture, and not the Half-Life2 version, but a slightly earlier version - meaning a lot of the important features that made it work brilliantly, are missing here.
Finally, theres a major issue with the weapons available - some don't appear until the point where its no longer any use to the player, or over powered in the extreme. Of course, theres the joy of beating someone round the fact with a lopped off arm (Yes, you get an arm to beat people with after one of the early levels.), but the close combat weapon selection either seems like its a heavy, slow weapon, or quick, and light, with no difference in the style of use. Ranged weapons, once you have a selection of the ones you want, you needen't bother with the others, but the choice of ranged weapons seems rather odd at points, with the Steyr Aug being chosen over an M16 to be used for special forces, but thats just my opinion. A major problem with the firearms is that you're told flat out - Firearms are useless against supernatural, use close combat weapons on them. The exception being a shotgun blast, at least in the earlier game. This reasoning takes a bit of a beating, when in the final levels you can easily off several vampires with the Steyr Aug with no trouble, yet you were told they aren't much good.... Its a LIE.
Overall, I found the game quite enjoyable, but the notable change half way through from CRPG to FPS nearly ruins the game, if you've chosen a specific none-combat path. I would recommend the game, if you fancy a giggle at a lot of the conversations, or actions, along with immersive play, but I remind you that it's worth getting the patches to make it more playable - even 5 years on, patches are still released.
I'd give this an 8/10, as while it does have its hideously annoying sections, it has flashes of shear brilliance due to the style of conversations that you can have, along with the very dark humour that you encounter throughout the game, along with the fan-made patches that restore a lot of the content.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, or for ease of reading, VTM:B, was a game based on the White Wolf's "World of Darkness" universe - containing Vampires, Werewolves, zombies... You name the mystical beastie, its in there. VTM:B was developed by the, now dissolved, Troika Games, and published by Activision.
The gameplay centers around the idea of "The Masquerade" - the code that governs how Vampires live in modern society, and so that they can survive. There are 3 types of area in the game - the standard public area and if you use any one of you vampiric powers in these areas, you're in for a major bollocking. You've then got combat areas, where anything goes, you can quite happily go pop several people like overipe cantaloupes, with no effect on your masquerade level. Then, you've got the Vampiric Domains - you can't pull out weapons, or use powers, in these areas, apparently as you'd piss off the resident vampire/s off quite severely.
The game consists of 4 main hubs based in Los Angeles - Santa Monica, Downtown, Hollywood, and Chinatown - which you're free to explore, and access the buildings that are contained within these areas, along with commit merry havok, killing all and sundry, plastering their blood up walls to make a very nice paint eff-
*ahem*
Sorry, I got lost in the vision of the gore there, that won't happen again, I assure you.
You've got a total of 5 Masquerade Violations you can commit - as you commit more violations, the game becomes harder, as you get different reactions from Vampiric NPC's due to the level of violations you've committed - as the number increases, you may end up with Vampire Hunters coming after you. Reach 5 violations, and it's game over - a minor complaint there, as it'd be far more enjoyable getting hunted by the Vampire population, rather than immediate execution, as i doubt that after 5 violations, you'd just let yourself be handed over to have your head lopped off. Next, you have Humanity points - every time you kill an innocent, you lose humanity. This closes off one or two options in conversations, and your speech choices are slightly different as a result. Also, if low on blood, you are more likely to jump on someone, and start bleeding them dry - the last thing you need in an urban area. However, you can regain these points via fufilling quests - which may also offer you other incentives, such as money or access to new items.
Next, you've got the Blood and Health system. You can sustain damage, but overtime your health regenerates, but incredibly slowly. It increases dramatically if you jump on someone and feed on them - but get seen by someone else, you've got a masquerade violation on your hands, and if you attempt and fail, you're going to have the cops after you - at higher levels, not a problem. At low levels, you can only run and hide in the sewers - you'll be quickly killed by them, due to their higher accuracy, and your lack of armour or endurance.
Now, this brings me onto the clans, and the subsequent powers. There are several clans to choose from, all with their own special powers - one of the most entertaining being the Blood Mages, for their ability to make several people...explode, with higher levels, which is remarkably useful latter on in the game. But, the most entertaining by far has to be the Malkavian clan - which every member of happens to be completely insane, often possessing twin personalities, and by far some of the best conversation lines, along with the special ability, "Demention". A prime example of this is a quest involving getting a food critic to say a restraunt is rubbish so another Vampire can buy it up. The Demention dialouge option makes the reviewer believe that rather than eating spaghetti... it's worms. Not to mention, you get some of the best outfits as a result of being a Malkavian. An example of the weirdness you experiance as a Malkavian is this quote, when watching the TV after you've completed a specific quest:
Newscaster: "Police don't have any suspects at this time, but they're pretty sure that it was you."
There are 4 factions throughout the game. The Camarilia, the Anarchs, the Sabat, and the Kuei-jin. The Camarillia regard themselves as the overall rulers of the Vampire population, setting the rules, and carrying out the resulting punishment if they're broken. The Anarchs however, differ entirely, believing that other Vampires have enough common sense not to do certain acts - such as outrun the 12:10 train to Sacramento. The Sabat, are hated by pretty much everyone, and the nastiest of the lot - pretty much, they use their Clan as cannon fodder, and twist flesh into abominations. As you discover later, during several quests - one of the most memorable being having to fight your way into a house that has been twisted, and then through the sewers.
Throughout the game, there are several brilliant NPCs that bring the game to life. Firstly, is the Brujah Smiling Jack. He guides the player through the tutorial section, explaining what Vampires are like, and how they function. Along with explaining the Sabbat:
"The Sabbat are worthless, man. Fake tits on a zombie worthless. Fun to watch though. Like the Three Stooges with chainsaws."
Another of Jack's quotes.
Another member of the cast is the Malkavian Tourette - a case of twin personalities in one body, which results in some very bizarre quests, and conversations. For example, one part loves you, while the other keeps trying to kill you. You only realise later that its a case of 2 personalities in 1 body, and how it occured - and is one of the best written conversations that I saw in the entire game.
One of the most enjoyable, and well done, parts of the game was a Haunted Hotel section - a quest given to you by Tourette. You've been asked to go and aquire a Ghost's possession from the house to allow an exorcism to take place. The problem is, theres two ghosts in there, and a lot of poltergeist activity. It slowly emerges that a family were staying at the Hotel, before the Husband went mad, and slaughtered the entire family - which you can read in the diary you find in their old room, along with several news paper cuttings you find. Honestly, one of the few sections that managed to make me jump - its not a case of blatant in your face scares, but catching movement out of the corner of your eye, or turning to see an axeman standing next to you for him to disappear the next.
Another brilliantly designed level is where the player has to either talk a golem into joining the Anarch side, the Camarilla side, or kill it. Killing it, has to be one of the most enjoyable combat sections in a game that I've encountered in some time, with the area collapsing around you as you fight the giant - this section also proving that firearms really ain't that much good against the supernatural, as you get repetitively told.
Now, onto the major problems that plague this otherwise brilliant game. Due to Troikas collapse during the development of the game, a lot of aspects had to be rushed, and result in a slightly unbalanced game, with the second half of the game severely lacking in the enjoyment that was available in the first half.
Firstly, the combat. At the beginning, you're better off using melee weapons, as you'll actually inflict some damage, as in, you'll actually hit the enemy. With firearms at a low level, you'll be lucky to hit them up close, nevermind if you're the other side of the street. Often, it's easier to use Close Combat skills in combination with Vampiric skills than bother with firearms. Of course, theres the added enjoyment of smacking someone with a melee weapon and send them flying across the room at high speed.
Secondly, the game feels like it can be split into two parts - the first half, which is story driven, and immersion: it feels like a proper RPG, and you feel like you're there. You're able to choose several methods to gain access to an objective, depending on how you leveled up your character. The problem is, the second half of the game (Which I'd assume was after Troika went under) descends into the style of any first person shooter - you don't really have a choice in how to progress, and if you're a stealth based character, a lot of the end missions will be impossible to complete as a result, which is incredibly frustrating.
Thirdly, a lot of content was cut out of the final release - of course, this could be restored with the community patches that were made after it's release that restored a lot of this content - the code still remained, even if ingame it didn't appear. There are two versions of the community patch. One restores everything, and adds gameplay tweaks - to the extent that it feels like a different game, and more often than not ruins parts of the game (Like increasing the occurrence of the Axeman ghost in the Haunting level, which actually makes it less scary .), while the other replaces a lot of the work that wasn't in originally, but still makes it balanced, and only changes parts of the game if it needs to be changed for it to work - the second patch is regarded as the "True" patch, and more enjoyable. Theres been lots of differences between the two patch creators, with the "True" patch creator being accused of stealing the other patch creators work. Very silly. Would be easier just to beat them around the head with a lopped off arm, till they saw sense in my opinion. Be far more amusing, at any rate.
Fourth, and the main problem, is the fact that the game lags like mad on the Hub areas. This is probably due to the fact that the game is based on the Source architecture, and not the Half-Life2 version, but a slightly earlier version - meaning a lot of the important features that made it work brilliantly, are missing here.
Finally, theres a major issue with the weapons available - some don't appear until the point where its no longer any use to the player, or over powered in the extreme. Of course, theres the joy of beating someone round the fact with a lopped off arm (Yes, you get an arm to beat people with after one of the early levels.), but the close combat weapon selection either seems like its a heavy, slow weapon, or quick, and light, with no difference in the style of use. Ranged weapons, once you have a selection of the ones you want, you needen't bother with the others, but the choice of ranged weapons seems rather odd at points, with the Steyr Aug being chosen over an M16 to be used for special forces, but thats just my opinion. A major problem with the firearms is that you're told flat out - Firearms are useless against supernatural, use close combat weapons on them. The exception being a shotgun blast, at least in the earlier game. This reasoning takes a bit of a beating, when in the final levels you can easily off several vampires with the Steyr Aug with no trouble, yet you were told they aren't much good.... Its a LIE.
Overall, I found the game quite enjoyable, but the notable change half way through from CRPG to FPS nearly ruins the game, if you've chosen a specific none-combat path. I would recommend the game, if you fancy a giggle at a lot of the conversations, or actions, along with immersive play, but I remind you that it's worth getting the patches to make it more playable - even 5 years on, patches are still released.
I'd give this an 8/10, as while it does have its hideously annoying sections, it has flashes of shear brilliance due to the style of conversations that you can have, along with the very dark humour that you encounter throughout the game, along with the fan-made patches that restore a lot of the content.
