The enemy of enjoyment is expectation. When we anticipate a certain characteristic or level of quality from something, we often set ourselves up for disappointment if it doesn’t match exactly what we had hoped for. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is an example (or more suitably, a victim) of such expectation.
The original Bloodlines released in 2004. It’s renowned for its atmosphere, unique RPG mechanics, and exceptional writing. The long-awaited sequel went through multiple delays and a change in game studios altogether before releasing this year. All sources indicate that this wasn’t an easy game to get across the finish line, but that hasn’t stopped players from withholding their critiques.
Bloodlines 2 opened to “Mixed” reviews on Steam, and at the time of writing, the game has a 57% positive review rate. The main complaint from players is that this doesn’t feel or play like a sequel to Troika’s original Bloodlines.
Bloodlines 2 is very different from its predecessor, so why wouldn’t people feel upset about this? It’s supposed to be a Bloodlines game, after all.
It’s easy to think about what this game could – or should – have been. It’s not a CRPG with deep character progression, and there are a lot of interesting systems from the first Bloodlines that are totally absent. However, Bloodlines 2 is still an enjoyable game with a lot going for it.
More Schaffer!
The first thing that hooked me in Bloodlines 2: the soundtrack. It’s very reminiscent of the first game’s soundtrack, largely thanks to the contributions from the original Bloodlines composer, Rik Schaffer. Some of Schaffer’s songs such as “Is It All Worth It?” are actually cut content from the original Bloodlines, so it’s not entirely clear how much of his contributions are “new”, and how many were inherited from the first title. Regardless, his distorted guitar and haunting ambience make the game world feel enigmatic. The music was one of the best aspects of the first game, and the sequel puts together an almost-as-memorable score.
Another standout is the track “Curiosity Kills”. The song plays during several dialogue scenes between the player-character, Phyre, and the Malkavian vampire stuck inside your head, Fabien. The stretched-out, warped violin creates an unsettling atmosphere, contributing to some of the most powerful moments in the game.
Oh, and there’s one metal song that plays in The Dutchmen bar, I have no idea what it’s called, but it rocks.
The (Empty) Emerald City
Bloodlines 2 has a profound sense of atmosphere; this may be what connects it most to the original. The game world has a strong mood, but there is unfortunately no incentive to explore it.
The main questline does an adequate job of making in-game Seattle seem vibrant and full of dynamic interactions, but this just isn’t the case. There are a few different categories of boilerplate fetch quests that aren’t worth engaging with since they involve no real intrigue. This is a major departure from the original Bloodlines, which contained some of the most interesting side quests I’ve ever encountered in a game.
A Story Burdened by Gameplay
Turning to the narrative and pacing of Bloodlines 2, both are executed well. I was engaged with the entirety of the story. But the Achilles heel of the storytelling is Fabien’s murder mystery gameplay. Playing as Fabien uncovers twists in the story, but it is a chore to do so. When manipulating people’s minds to extract information, you need to pick the right dialogue options to persuade them; there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to which dialogue option is the correct one, so you aren’t rewarded for paying attention to clues. Instead, you play a game of trial and error hoping you’ve picked the right sequence of dialogue choices. Very frustrating.
Traversal is another major problem for Fabien’s gameplay. You can speed up time to move quicker during these segments, but it feels like the developers purposely put the objectives on opposite sides of the map, forcing you to travel its entirety multiple times. It makes the game feel sluggish and drawn out. The goal may have been to promote exploration as Fabien, but there is unfortunately not much to do as the Malkavian detective, either.
There is value in Fabien’s character, both from a storytelling and narrative perspective, but the mechanics and quest layout assigned to him don’t mesh well with the rest of the game.
Progression and Mechanics
The core gameplay is far more interesting than that of Fabien’s. Phyre’s abilities allow you to move, glide, and jump through Seattle at great speeds, resulting in some of the most satisfying traversal I’ve played in a game. Soaring from rooftop to rooftop over the visually stunning world is a fantastic feeling.
Combat is well implemented, too. It’s more modern and impactful than the original Bloodlines, where the combat system was never considered a strength. Bloodlines 2 excels at delivering the power fantasy of playing an elder vampire in the World of Darkness setting, but really only on lower difficulties. If you prefer the challenge, higher combat difficulties will make every human and ghoul you face a real threat, but in my opinion, it’s a lot more fun to play on a lower setting so you can single-handedly take out groups of enemies quickly. This fits the narrative and makes combat feel even more fast-paced.
The perk system unlocks new combat abilities, and is the only real form of character progression in the game. The system is limited, though the perks are interesting enough that they are still fun to unlock. However, we don’t have the same kind of depth and replayability that was allowed by the original Bloodlines.
It’s worth appreciating the different first-person attack animations that change depending on the clan you choose. This is an excellent point of detail, and the animations themselves are phenomenal.
Technical Improvements
The characters, outfits, and environments of Bloodlines 2 are beautiful, and as someone who loves taking screenshots and appreciating the work developers put into designing games, I wish there were more options for getting good captures. Formal photo modes take work to implement, but even an option to hide the UI would be welcomed.
Additional options that I expected from the game are missing: manual saves, FOV slider, and more graphics settings for PC would all be beneficial. It is my understanding that the developers have already pledged to implement some, if not all, of these extra options, in which case I’m overjoyed that they’re listening to the feedback.
Final Thoughts
The enemy of enjoyment is expectation. Bloodlines 2 simply would have been better received if it wasn’t called Bloodlines 2. Through inheriting such a deeply beloved namesake, the developers also inherited the expectation that their game would behave in a similar way as the original. From a gameplay perspective, this isn’t the case, but I do think Bloodlines 2’s writing and atmosphere are incredibly powerful.
The game has the most intrigue during the beginning, as the soundtrack sets the stage and the open world is a mystery to you. Seattle feels ominous, grand, and even intimidating for a newly awakened elder vampire who’s lost their power. It’s a wonderful moment. Unfortunately, it only lasts a short time before you realize there’s really nothing to do outside of the main questline.
It’s a tough sell to remove the RPG mechanics from a series known for its incredible implementation of them, and there’s no two ways about that. Still, it’s possible to love this game for what it is: a moody, action-packed vampire story. I had a blast during my first playthrough, and I’m excited for the story DLC coming in 2026.
Regardless of its imperfections, there’s a clear show of passion from the developers and I had a really positive experience with Bloodlines 2. My critiques come from a similar place of passion and enthusiasm for the game (and, whether I’d like to admit it or not: expectation).
As a final note, it’s worth highlighting that the developers released a substantial “Halloween” update, adding new customization options and a swarm of bug fixes. They’ve noted additional technical fixes and content changes that are in the pipeline, and it’s fantastic that they’re working to improve the game.