Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
- March 22, 2007
- Troika Games
- 25h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines," you play as a newly embraced vampire in a dark, supernatural version of modern-day Los Angeles. Your choices in dialogue, actions, and alliances will shape your character's abilities, factions, and story outcomes. Navigate the Masquerade, a set of rules that govern vampire society, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the existence of vampires. Be careful though, as your decisions and mistakes may lead to terrifying consequences.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- story3,893 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines* is widely praised for its depth, engaging characters, and intricate plot, drawing players into a dark, immersive world filled with political intrigue and moral complexity. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to offer multiple paths and choices that significantly impact the narrative, enhancing replayability through different vampire clans and their unique abilities. Despite its technical flaws and dated mechanics, the compelling storytelling and rich lore make it a standout title in the RPG genre, often regarded as a cult classic.
“If you are in the mood for a dark but fun story, I highly recommend you pick this game up.”
“The story, the characters, the ambiance, the music, the choices, bloodlines is simply amazing at storytelling.”
“The story and characters are incredibly engaging, and the voice acting is top-notch.”
“The last third or so of the game does suffer pretty heavily in a lot of strange ways; it's famous for becoming a pretty awful shooter at the end, but the story also descends into some really awful, racist stereotypes.”
“The story isn't special, the characters aren't deeply involved or fleshed out, and the impact of a story that I'd get from being in a VTM campaign isn't really there.”
“The main story will keep you involved, whilst the side quests have a way of keeping you plugged in and surprising you with their range of depth and ever varied changes and twists.”
- gameplay1,240 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" is a mixed bag, with many players noting its dated mechanics and numerous bugs, particularly in combat and stealth systems. While the gunplay and melee combat can feel clunky and unrefined, the game's rich narrative, immersive atmosphere, and deep RPG mechanics, including varied vampire clans that significantly alter gameplay, often compensate for these shortcomings. Overall, despite its flaws, the game remains a beloved classic for its engaging story and character interactions, especially when played with community patches that enhance the experience.
“An atmospheric RPG game with immersive, fun, and deep gameplay.”
“Good story, fun gameplay; the RPG system is well-made, playing with different clans can greatly alter the way you play.”
“The gameplay is engaging and the writing and atmosphere make up for most of the cracks.”
“The gameplay isn't great, particularly the combat, and it became a major slog towards the end; I just wanted it to be over.”
“The combat mechanics of Bloodlines are where the game shows its age.”
“The gameplay is a mixed bag; the RPG elements are great, but the core gameplay leaves much to be desired.”
- graphics1,115 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2004 release, with many players noting that they do not meet modern standards. However, despite their age, the graphics still possess a certain charm and contribute to the game's unique gothic atmosphere. Players recommend using unofficial patches and mods to enhance the visual experience, which can significantly improve performance and graphical fidelity, allowing the rich storytelling and immersive world to shine through.
“The graphics may be dated, but this is how you do role-playing, as opposed to table-top-miniatures-battles-with-some-story, in 3D.”
“The graphics are clearly older, but still look good (there are also loads of graphic mods available).”
“The graphics, though aged, still hold up as far as I am concerned.”
“The graphics are not as high-tech by modern standards as they once were, but if you can look past that, then you will have one of the best RPG experiences on PC, even compared to what modern games offer.”
“The graphics are old and dated, and the combat is clunky, but the story makes up for everything.”
“The graphics are dated, but you will look past it once you jump into this amazing game.”
- atmosphere1,013 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" is widely praised for its immersive, gothic, and gritty setting that captures the essence of early 2000s vampire lore. Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional soundtrack, detailed environments, and rich character interactions, which collectively create a hauntingly engaging experience. Despite some technical flaws, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature, drawing players into its dark, seductive world filled with intrigue and moral complexity.
“The atmosphere, writing, and overall feel of the game is just remarkable and gives off the impression that it was made with love.”
“The entire game is coated in this deliciously sleazy atmosphere that they constantly build upon with each zone you enter.”
“From the moment you step into the dark, brooding world of Bloodlines, you are enveloped in an atmosphere thick with gothic allure and mystery.”
“Despite its age, the game's atmosphere, gothic style, and narrative depth continue to shine, making it a standout title in the vampire RPG genre.”
“The atmosphere is simply unmatched by any game of its type, the story absolutely incredible (excluding the ending), and well-rounded characters with amazing voice acting performances.”
“The atmosphere in this game is yet to be challenged.”
- stability847 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reviews highlighting its buggy nature and the necessity of an unofficial patch for a playable experience. Many players report game-breaking glitches, crashes, and various technical issues, particularly on modern systems, making the game nearly unplayable without community fixes. Despite these flaws, the game's engaging story and immersive atmosphere often overshadow the instability, leading to a cult following that appreciates its charm despite the bugs.
“With the unofficial patch, it runs great on a modern PC even at 3440x1440 resolution.”
“Many people say that the game plays really well with the latest patches and there's next to no glitches to be found.”
“Although the game looks dated from a graphical standpoint and it's far from bug free, thanks to the fan-created unofficial patch, the game is playable on most modern systems, fixes most of the instability issues and quest bugs, and even restores some lost and/or unfinished content.”
“The original game was buggy to the point where it was virtually impossible to finish the game.”
“This game doesn't work on modern systems and is notoriously buggy, which requires a fan patch to even get the game running as of writing this review.”
“The game is a buggy mess, but thankfully fans have patched out a lot of the bugs so make sure to get the unofficial patch before you play.”
- music743 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" is widely praised for its exceptional ability to enhance the game's dark, immersive atmosphere. Composed by Rik Schaffer, the soundtrack features a mix of original tracks and licensed music from notable bands, effectively capturing the gothic and industrial themes of the vampire universe. Players frequently highlight the soundtrack's role in creating memorable experiences, with many expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game, showcasing its lasting impact.
“The soundtrack, the atmosphere, the lore, the story.”
“The music perfectly complements the eerie atmosphere, enhancing immersion and adding an extra layer of depth to each experience.”
“The music is incredible; Rik Schaffer's soundtrack ranges from ambient pieces with broken ringing pianos akin to old classic horror compositions to super gothic trip-hop tracks that evoke Massive Attack and Portishead.”
“The clubs and bars have loud and sometimes obnoxious music that plays, making it difficult to hear NPCs when talking to them.”
“The music is very repetitive and poorly contrived to fit the genre.”
“The music sounds like something that early 2000's emo kids would listen to 1/3rd of the time.”
- replayability497 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, largely due to its diverse selection of vampire clans, each offering unique abilities and dialogue options that significantly alter gameplay and story outcomes. Players can explore multiple endings and various playstyles, ensuring that each playthrough feels distinct and engaging. Despite some technical issues, the depth of character customization and branching narratives keep players returning for new experiences.
“Hours of fun in an intriguing, mysterious, highly replayable storyline, in which each decision can, and will, affect the game.”
“The various vampire clans and the varied playstyles they encourage suggest pretty decent replay value, at least after a cooldown period.”
“With the many different clans that you can choose to base your character off, it opens up extreme replayability as they each have special abilities that change how you approach obstacles.”
“The main quest is not the most groundbreaking, but the story still holds itself up, and the numerous routes and character customization adds to replay value.”
“The game features a deep and complex storyline with many branching paths and multiple endings, allowing for a high degree of replayability.”
“The fact that every clan offers such a different experience offers so much replayability; I love the political intrigue and machinations of it all.”
- humor318 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" is widely praised for its sharp, dark wit and clever dialogue, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. The Malkavian character class, in particular, is highlighted for its uniquely hilarious dialogue options, making for a memorable and entertaining experience. While the game balances its humor with serious themes, it also features a variety of quirky characters and situations that contribute to its cult classic status, despite some dated elements and bugs that can add to the comedic experience.
“I haven't laughed at a game in years until I read the Malkavian dialogue. While this game does have good and funny dialogue overall, playing as a Malkavian enhances that experience further and will give you the most unique first playthrough.”
“The writing is sharp, filled with dark humor, political intrigue, and moral ambiguity.”
“The dialogue is engaging and oftentimes takes hilarious directions.”
“I think it's supposed to be funny, but it's just really awkward and gross.”
“The sole black NPC wears a basketball jersey, sports an afro, refers to women as 'baby girl', and in conversation, when he invites the player to eat with him, there is a dialogue option that reads: 'Couldn't I just watch the monkeys feed down at the zoo?'... not funny!”
- grinding73 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a significant divide in player experiences regarding grinding in the game. While some players find the combat and certain levels, particularly in the late game, to be tedious and repetitive, others appreciate the lack of traditional grinding mechanics, as experience is primarily gained through quest completion rather than enemy kills. Overall, the game is praised for its immersive story and characters, but many agree that certain sections can feel drawn out and frustrating, especially for those who prefer a more streamlined gameplay experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Also, there is absolutely no grinding necessary!!!”
“RPG elements are implemented a bit differently than most RPGs, in that XP is only awarded for completing quests, so there's no grinding involved, or even leveling (as XP is used to increase stats).”
“There are a couple of tedious and repetitive levels, and some of the things you have to do are extremely unintuitive.”
“The worst of which is the sewer level to find some Nosferatu dude; we're talking Halo 1 library levels of tedious. Luckily, the unofficial patch fixes this so you can skip the whole thing if you want.”
“The late game feels less fun because it's all combat, and becomes quite tedious because before, combat was more spaced out.”
- optimization72 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and crashes, particularly on modern systems. However, the installation of the unofficial patch is frequently recommended as it resolves many of these problems, allowing the game to run smoothly and even support higher resolutions. Overall, while the game has a rich narrative and strong character performances, its technical state requires external fixes to be fully enjoyable.
“Should also mention I was running the unofficial patch and had great performance and only minor bugs with zero crashes.”
“It lets you have up to 4K resolutions and makes the game run smoothly.”
“With the unofficial patch plus, my game runs smoothly and I've yet to run into any major issues.”
“It had abysmal performance, tons of bugs, including game-breaking ones; it took around 10-15 minutes to load the larger levels on my 256 MB RAM rig.”
“This game was not optimized well and has some game-breaking bugs that make completing certain missions impossible.”
“It's an unoptimized and buggy mess.”
- character development57 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and complexity, allowing players to make meaningful choices that significantly impact gameplay and storytelling. Many reviewers highlight the unique character designs and immersive world-building, which enhance the overall experience, despite some criticisms regarding linearity and bugs. Overall, the game is celebrated for its rich narrative and the freedom it offers in shaping characters, making it a standout in the RPG genre.
“Character development is one of its biggest strengths here, having such a diverse cast of actual characters, well written and not once out of character, and with some of the best voice acting you will ever hear in a video game.”
“If you're looking to immerse yourself in an otherworldly experience, this is the video game for you: Bloodlines ticks all the boxes any gamer could ask for, from awesome action sequences to meticulous character development; which ultimately makes all the changes to your gameplay.”
“The roleplaying aspects, character development, and different ways to tackle quests were strong enough to offset any blemishes in the combat.”
“A decent RPG shooter, but it has a poor character development system and only an okay story at best.”
“The character design system is initially intoxicating due to its apparent 'depth', but after playing the game for more than ten minutes, it becomes obvious that any variety in gameplay choices is just a veneer overtop a linear adventure game with gratuitous sexual pandering and jump-scares thrown in for good measure.”
“Later story missions focus heavily on boss battles, undermining the open-ended character development.”
- emotional32 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised for its immersive storytelling and character development, evoking a wide range of feelings from joy to heartbreak. Players appreciate the atmospheric setting and rich narrative, which often leaves them feeling deeply connected to the characters and their journeys. However, some critiques mention a decline in emotional payoff towards the end, suggesting that while the game starts strong, it may falter in delivering a satisfying conclusion.
“The world has its moments of pure horror and comedy, as well as moments that leave your dead heart breaking in half.”
“It truly made me feel involved with the characters and story.”
“The game's ending was perfect for the emotional distress of the journey to get there.”
- monetization10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for being perceived as a cash grab, with players feeling that the developers have prioritized profit over quality and proper advertising. Despite the game's strong narrative and gameplay, many believe it deserves a remaster and better marketing to attract a more mature audience, rather than relying on poorly executed vampire-themed titles. Overall, the sentiment suggests that the game's potential is undermined by its monetization strategy and lack of support from the developers.
“Hopefully I can reach a few people to spread the message that, instead of buying a fun vampire game, you are being the target of an insidious cash grab.”
“It's a great game, sad to see it so unloved because of the dev's problems and lack of advertising.”
“They didn't give this the time or advertisement it deserved.”
