Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2

It was a graveyard smash 

Oh, how long it has been? Ya'll probably not know this, but all the way at the start of this blog the very first entry I wrote (excluding my introduction) was a piece about 'Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2'. Of course, back then I used literally no screenshots of the game for some stupid reason, but I wasn't quite as atrocious as I might have imagined. (I did waffle on for a bit, but then I still do that know so I guess things don't really change, now do they?) To save you a trip, I basically spoke about my history with the flawed but classic predecessor to this game and implied at how incredibly stoked I am to get my hands on this title. (It's been literal years.) To that end I am over the moon to hear that another trailer dropped alongside the Series X gameplay event, and in the light of the last two titles from that event which disappointed me, I'm more than willing to cover something that I know won't. (I even made sure not to watch the trailer until this exact moment, so my thoughts are as raw as can be.)

Okay, so coming away from the trailer straight I'm intrigued by this slightly more whimsical attitude from the trailer, but not at all put off. In fact, a lot of what made the first game so instantly lovable was it's dark humour and this trailer had some very dark humour. As there is little information on the full game to go on (something which I delight in) I will be partaking in a little bit of guesswork to interpret what we're seeing. Although I will take a quick moment to note that whilst this may have been a cinematic, there are a few hints of gameplay to look at for those who only want that. (Now that's out of the way go watch the trailer then come back, it's good I promise.)

Now the trailer kicks off with something very interesting in that there is a Christmas tree being decorated, that alongside the festive jaunt that accompanies this trailer looks like a pretty clear hint that this game is still on for release some time this year, probably around November/December time. (I doubt they'll make Halloween.) Aside from the meta-connotations of this moment, what is perhaps also of note is the devilishly grotesque scene itself. We see a family strung up around their Christmas tree with their faces contorted by hooks into bloody smiles that, to me, brings to mind the effect of the Joker's laughing gas, somewhat. Similarly, we have several scenes of characters dancing to themselves in this trailer which conveys that irreverent, not-a-care-in-the-world attitude that one usually associates with the clown prince of crime.

Starring in this massacre we have- shall we call him 'puppetmaster'? (For want of a better name) Now unless I'm much mistaken this appears to be the same fellow who is front and centre on a lot of VTMB2's marketing, implying he is a fellow of some import. In the art he's typically depicted reaching a hand out, as though inviting the viewer into the World of Darkness. (tm) Originally I just assumed that he was the player character's sire (the person who turned you into a vampire) but after this I'm thinking that he may have a more pivotal, maybe even antagonistic, role in the game. Now I'm not just saying this because he's in a room full of strung up bodies that he presumably murdered, VTM isn't exactly renowned for being a series full of virtuous characters (is about Vampires afterall) but his general depiction of aloof indifference in such carnage just screams 'disruptive force' to me. Given the story of the last game focused on a vampire faction trying to assert order on LA, I'd imagine this puppetmaster fellow would represent a handy antithesis of all their doctrines.

From here another highlight of the trailer is the gameplay snippets and once again I am totally swept away by how the visual direction stands out so well. We feel the gloom the midnight LA streets but are never assaulted with the same dull colour. In the streets we get that yellow glow of florescent lights whilst away from the main street the pale blue moon illuminates the scene. It's such a perfect example of all the ways in which one can make the night-time shimmer without losing it's allure and mystery. This is one of the reason why I am so sold on the ability of this team to deliver the vampire game of this generation; they know all the little details to focus on in order to build up to the main course.

Beyond that there is a smattering of CG scenes placed about in order to give a feel of the sort of world we will be entering. There's some mystical world manipulation hinting at some of the magical aspects of this world taking more of a forefront this time around, or maybe just a Ubisoft-style dream sequence. (I really hope it's not the latter, though. I've seen enough dream sequences off of Ubisoft to last a lifetime.) One moment shows an unidentified suit dancing in his empty penthouse with the lights off, could this be a member of the Camarilla, or just an extra from Yakuza who stepped into the wrong game? And, of course, in order to ensure everyone that they're still making the same game we all got excited for last E3, Paradox showed us a familiar face in Elif, luring a hapless dancer in for some healthy neck munching. (Which, on an unrelated note, most be a pretty silly move to pull at your own bar. Aren't people going to stop showing up when they hear about people disappearing after a night out? Talk about poaching your own client base. Literally)

If there is one thing that I will say, and this is going to start becoming a bit of a chorus for these blogs at this point, I have no idea what business this trailer had for representing the Xbox Series X. Don't misread me, I adore getting another look at this world but I came away no more sold on the Series X than I already wasn't. Sure the textures look nice, I guess, the gameplay looked smooth, kinda; Am I supposed to be enticed by the HDR? The One X can pull of as good High Dynamic Range as any other console out there on the market right now, so what am I supposed to be impressed by? I worry for Microsoft if even their best games don't really represent what makes their console so special, because at that point you've just spent your whole event advertising other people's games. (Which is great for me, but sort of a waste of time for them.)

But alas, I have no actual stake in how Microsoft choose to market their console so I'll instead just bask in the glory of the trailer I've been granted. It's been a while since real quality RPGs were present in the modern market and right now I'm looking at a holiday season that's teasing three, and that's just dandy where I'm sitting. Oh, and to put a cherry on it all, VTMB will make use of that handy 'smart delivery' system just in case you couldn't live with yourself without seeing the shadows of LA pop like the developers intended. (Although again, I'm sure the One X can pull that off to a similar, if not identical, standard.) All minor complaints aside, I loved this trailer and right now I'm thinking that the afterlife hasn't looked more enticing!