Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York
- September 10, 2024
- Draw Distance
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreIn "Vampire: The Masquerade - Reckoning of New York" , navigate the complex politics of vampire factions in a modern-day New York City. As a Kindred, use Disciplines to overcome challenges and evade hunters, but beware the Hunger that could lead to your downfall. This visual novel combines supernatural intrigue with third-person gameplay mechanics, offering a rich and immersive experience.
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Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
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Reviews
- Decently written and immersive, providing a good entry point for new players to the VtM series.
- The dual perspective storytelling offers interesting insights, especially through Padraic's character.
- The game maintains a strong atmosphere with decent art and music, appealing to fans of the genre.
- The game feels overly linear with minimal meaningful choices, making it more like a short story than an interactive experience.
- Kali, the main protagonist, is often perceived as annoying and lacks depth, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- The art style and character designs have been criticized for being a downgrade from previous installments, leading to a less engaging visual experience.
- story121 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in this installment of the Vampire: The Masquerade series has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over its linearity and lack of meaningful choices. While some appreciated the character development and the return to familiar lore, others criticized the repetitive nature of the narrative, feeling it rehashed previous content without offering substantial new material. Overall, the writing and art were praised, but the story's execution left many feeling it fell short of the standards set by earlier titles in the series.
“These games are about storytelling, not about design or some cheesy scenes here and there.”
“The story immerses you in the VTM setting and is interesting enough, at least for a more casual fan.”
“Overall, it's a good story and really shows just how bad things can get when a council constantly bickers, major political moves are being done behind the scenes, the prince and baron are caught between a rock and a hard place and the si drops a nuke.”
“The story is bland and seems to mostly re-tread old ground metaphorically and literally.”
“The narrative is so linear, I was glad the story ended when it did, as I was about to quit, because I felt I have zero impact.”
“No, the biggest sin was giving us a second character only to rehash the exact same story all over again.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the new art style, which they feel is a downgrade from previous installments. While some appreciate the cleaner UI and improved background art, the character designs and overall visual charm have been criticized for lacking depth and expression. Overall, the shift in aesthetics has polarized fans, with a significant number preferring the original style and expressing concerns about the game's visual coherence.
“With great Padriac character (not a big fan of Kali), engaging choices, and beautiful visuals, it's a must-play for fans of vampire stories!”
“From a positive side, the art style and music was great!”
“Seriously cool, I really like the tweaked art style.”
“The art style is a big downgrade; a lot of people are accusing it of being AI, but it's hard to say.”
“One of my biggest gripes was with the changed art style, both for the characters and the backgrounds.”
“The change in the art style, while similar to the original, also doesn't help as the visuals lost the charm they gave both the characters and backgrounds in the other two stories.”
- music28 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and decent, but it falls short compared to previous titles in the series, particularly "Shadows of New York." Many reviewers noted a limited number of tracks, leading to repetitive listening experiences, which detracted from the overall immersion. While some appreciated the sound design and found the music enjoyable, the consensus is that it lacks the character and variety of earlier soundtracks.
“The music is good, I like it, I'll be waiting for the album on Spotify.”
“The new mechanics offer a fresh take on decision-making, and the atmospheric music adds to the immersion.”
“Great storytelling, good music, and excellent art.”
“There seems to be less music too.”
“The music and sound design is not good enough to be this repetitive.”
“God those 3 same songs played over and over again kill many of the tense parts in the story.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this title features a mix of returning mechanics, such as hunger and suspicion, which are now more forgiving and can be disabled, alongside new decision-making elements that enhance immersion. However, some players find the mechanics to be thin and poorly integrated, leading to a linear experience that feels more like a kinetic novel than a game with meaningful choices. Overall, while the writing is praised as a strong point, the gameplay mechanics receive mixed reviews, with calls for a more streamlined narrative approach.
“The hunger and suspicion mechanics are back from the first game; however, they're much more forgiving (you basically have to actively try to get a fail state) and can be turned off if wanted.”
“The new mechanics offer a fresh take on decision-making, and the atmospheric music adds to the immersion.”
“I enjoyed the first two games in this trilogy a lot, and I feel like this one builds on what came before, both mechanically and narratively.”
“The game mechanics, thin as they already are, are also removed from play leaving you with something which features not even the facade of meaningful choices.”
“Linear with pointless mechanics.”
“The gameplay feels like a thinly disguised kinetic novel where you don't really have any room to do anything but follow the already pre-determined plotline.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, with atmospheric music and ambient sounds enhancing the experience. However, some players note a lack of variety in the music tracks, leading to repetitiveness, while others feel the overall atmosphere is less dark and evocative compared to previous entries in the series. Despite these critiques, the combination of bleak artwork and sound design effectively creates a compelling, if sometimes slow, noir ambiance.
“Combined with bleak, matte artworks, scenes fully engulf readers in an oppressive, despondent atmosphere.”
“The new mechanics offer a fresh take on decision-making, and the atmospheric music adds to the immersion.”
“It's really atmospheric - and works best with the sound effects on, the music turned down and some music of your own choice playing - preferably instrumental, preferably abstract, Stars of the Lid are perfect.”
“Combined with bleak, matte artworks, scenes fully engulf players in an oppressive, despondent atmosphere.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Reckoning of New York" is characterized by its humanity and depth in character development, which evokes a stronger emotional response than typically found in the genre. However, some players feel that the slow pacing and lack of high emotional stakes can detract from the overall impact of the story.
“Additionally, there's a humanity to these characters that is hard to find in the world of darkness, and it pulls on the emotional strings more than I have normally come to expect from Vampire: The Masquerade.”
“And so, while Reckoning of New York may have misimplemented some of its novelties, it presents an impactful, emotional story.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development is perceived as lacking depth, with choices feeling superficial and not significantly impacting the story or character arcs. Additionally, there is a desire for a stronger emphasis on the vampire elements within character development.
“The character development is rich and nuanced, allowing players to truly connect with the characters' journeys.”
“I appreciate how the game explores the vampire aspect in character development, adding depth and complexity to the narrative.”
“The choices you make feel impactful, enhancing the overall character development and making the story more engaging.”
“Choices that could seem important are just formal; the same goes for story elements and character development.”
“The character development lacks depth and fails to engage the player.”
“There is a missed opportunity to explore the vampire aspect more thoroughly in character development.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a distinct Gen Z style, blending contemporary wit with vampire themes, which resonates well with younger audiences. This approach adds a fresh and relatable twist to traditional vampire tropes, making the humor feel modern and engaging.
“The game nails that Gen Z humor with a hilarious twist on vampire tropes!”
“I love how the humor is so relatable and fresh, especially with the vampire theme!”
“The witty dialogue and clever jokes kept me laughing throughout the entire game!”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express concerns about the game's replayability, noting its linear structure and relatively short length, which may limit the incentive to replay it.
“I've not finished it yet - my main hesitations are a) it feels quite linear, so I'm not convinced it has much replay value and b) it's a bit short for the money.”
