Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 review: The Hate Train Was Too Harsh
- Nathan Walters
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
Speaking of the radio, there are some interesting late night talk show episodes, smooth voices and fun stories i always enjoyed waiting for, like Bet of Night, who takes caller stories. It adds to the ambience of being alone in the darkness, and vampires, of course, are doomed to wander only in the depth of night, the unsociable hours. It’s why the game Killer Frequency worked so well. There’s something about the dark hours, an isolating beauty, and i think Bloodlines 2 captures that. Or at least, tries its best to.
That being said, the game does feel confined. You’re in Seattle, a city of millions, and you have access to what feels like the same amount of ground as Santa Monica from the first game, and that was over 20 years ago, so it doesn’t cut it. You’re supposed to be a badass vampire in a society of underground vampires who secretly manoeuvre politics, crime and intrigue, so why is the map as small as Damascus in the first Assassin’s Creed? Like, are you telling me this is all happening conveniently within walking distance?
Graphically, it’s pretty. It’s not going to win any awards or blow minds, but it’s far from an ugly game, and having played the first one from 20 years ago, it feels like the style has kind of been replicated to a more modern standard.
Gameplay wise it feels like Dishonored. First person, stealth, heavy use of objects and distractions, and generally better to avoid combat depending on what bloodline you picked, and because of the Masquerade, of course. Collectibles are less annoying too, thanks to a hot or cold HUD icon that grows the closer you are to looking at it.
Which brings me to combat. It feels reasonably smooth, though there are mid-combat stutters and it can feel clunky at times, the weapons especially feel unnatural (it is cool you can dual wield SMGs though). But you genuinely do feel like a powerful elder vampire, crushing, throwing and feeding on mortals and ghouls, and the finishers are beautifully grotesque, putting fists through chests and crushing skulls against the floor. If you hit someone into the air, they even do the comical spiral spin from the first game. Movement follows suit. You don’t just climb ladders, you rush up them full pelt, you double jump and scramble up walls with the voracious skill of a predator, flinging yourself higher off pipes and AC units on all fours. i even unlocked an ability that lets me skitter across the floor while sneaking, very horror movie coded. The downside is the stutter. Jumping, crawling and fighting all hitch more than they should for a game of such pedigree.
Initially i didn’t like Fabien, the detective in my mind, acting like Destiny’s Ghost drilled into my skull. But as a character he’s reasonably funny. His quips about how the modern generations are actually in love with vampires, unlike in the time of Stoker, and how the older vampires are no fans of the “glitterati”, are comical given that Twilight has indeed glitterfied vampires. His segments are stuffed with fun references too, real world events like DB Cooper, quotes from famous films like Casablanca, and he does various voices, including Arnie for inanimate objects. i also talked to a dead cat once… it was just Fabien meowing. He’s a Malkavian, which is why he seems a bit, jokey. They tend to be a little nuts. So it ended up being more of a Johnny Silverhand situation, where i got used to the wisecracking detective part-baked into my cranium (fittingly, his VA Ronan Summers was actually in Cyberpunk 2077).
Phyre, meanwhile, has a great voice actor in Hara Yannas (in my playthrough), though it’s unfortunate you cannot fully customise your own nomad. Customisation is a must these days for an RPG. But then, Bloodlines 2 has moved away from in-depth RPG territory and skirts the lines of Dishonored and Thief, both terrific games mind you. One can see why fans are annoyed though. They wanted a lore-filled hardcore RPG that would go toe to toe with the big names and revive the series, because that’s the power and expectation the name “Bloodlines” held. Maybe The Chinese Room should have held off on calling it a sequel and gone the spinoff route, because what’s here feels more like Vampyr meets Dishonored, with fewer RPG and choice elements.
On the topic of voice actors, Tolly is iconic. His sass is hilarious, and the juxtaposition of being a Nosferatu while being wildly in touch with fashion is great.
One thing i will say is a genuine improvement is the gathering of blood. Aside from various blood bags you can find or loot, your main source of food, as always, is the public. But it’s now split into blood humours, choleric (mad), sanguine (horny) and melancholic (sad). You can use your senses to detect people brimming with each type, then lure them away via charm, chase them into an alley, or bait them into fighting you somewhere secluded. You’ll also find people only flashing their respective colours, and you can talk to these poor unsuspecting souls and pick the dialogue option that corresponds with their blood. Aka, you flirt with the pink sanguine person.
And the storyline is genuinely pretty good. As a Dishonored/Thief style game it works wonders. The RPG elements aren’t quite there, mind you, but the story, the noir, the intrigue, the twists… it has genuinely been an enjoyable experience. i think people were too quick to judge this one. My assumption is that many of the harshest player reviews came from a handful of hours before jumping on the bandwagon, and once a hate train gets rolling, it takes a brave outlet to stand in front of it.
Is it worth it?
i put in 14 hours and 25 minutes, collected every collectible and unlocked every skill, so believe me when i say this verdict is earned. Bloodlines 2 is short, stuttery, and lighter on RPG elements than the name deserves. It’s also a fun time that kept me thoroughly entertained being a super powerful vampire elder. The hate train was too harsh.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X. 14 hours 25 minutes played. Review copy purchased independently via the Xbox Store.
