Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption
- April 17, 2017
- Nihilistic Software
- 3h median play time
Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption is a 2000 role-playing video game based on White Wolf's game Vampire: The Masquerade and follows the adventures of Christof Romuald, a 12th-century French crusader who is killed and subsequently revived as a Vampire. The game depicts Christof's centuries-long journey from the Dark Ages of 12th century Prague and Vienna to modern-day London and New York City in …
Reviews
- Engaging story that spans from the Dark Ages to modern times, filled with rich lore and character development.
- Great atmosphere enhanced by voice acting and a captivating soundtrack, immersing players in the World of Darkness.
- Variety of vampire powers and character customization options, allowing for unique gameplay experiences.
- Clunky controls and outdated graphics that can detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for new players to adapt.
- Poor AI behavior and pathfinding issues that can lead to frustrating combat situations.
- Lack of clear explanations for game mechanics and character stats, making it challenging to navigate the gameplay effectively.
- story280 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely praised for its depth, engaging characters, and immersive world-building, often described as a compelling love story set against a rich vampire lore backdrop. While some players note inconsistencies and a linear progression, many appreciate the narrative's emotional weight and the impact of player choices on the ending. Despite its dated mechanics and graphics, the storytelling remains a standout feature, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
“The story is amazing, the setup and the lore are fabulous, and the characters are really cool.”
“It's a masterpiece of storytelling; it's damn art.”
“The story is deep and engaging.”
“The story is linear, with little variation, and the lighting on many of the levels is very dark.”
“After the first few missions, there is literally no interesting story or character development.”
“The game takes place, at different points in the story, in both medieval times and modern day, but the plot progression is on rails.”
- gameplay116 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption" is often criticized for being clunky and outdated, with frustrating mechanics such as poor AI, hit detection issues, and a lack of intuitive controls. While some players find enjoyment in the unique character control and RPG elements, many agree that the combat and overall mechanics detract from the experience, making it challenging for newcomers. Despite these flaws, the game's rich narrative and atmospheric setting can still provide a rewarding experience for those willing to overlook its gameplay shortcomings.
“Even though its gameplay has some kinks and quirks, it is enjoyable especially when you unlock some fun disciplines.”
“Progression uses the best parts of the pen and paper RPG system and you can build your character along any of the notably varied kindred clans, from Brujah to Tremere, and each clan has distinctly different abilities and gameplay.”
“A great world, cool characters, and pretty smooth gameplay all in all, even for today's standards.”
“The gameplay is the weakest part of the game.”
“The world of darkness (the setting) itself is amazing and deeply captivating, but the gameplay has not aged well and really does suck quite a bit, I'm sorry to say.”
“The gameplay is just average.”
- graphics80 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its age since release, with many players noting that they haven't aged well compared to modern standards. However, some appreciate the art style and atmosphere, finding it charming despite the technical limitations. Overall, while the visuals may not impress contemporary gamers, the engaging story and immersive experience often compensate for the outdated graphics.
“Great atmosphere, wonderful aesthetics.”
“The graphics are still nice to look at.”
“The art style has aged just fine and you will soon find yourself lost in the world.”
“The graphics are very dated and were made for a 4:3 ratio resolution, à la 960x720p or less.”
“The graphics... well, the game was released in 2001, I think?”
“The graphics are incredibly horrible.”
- music42 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its outstanding composition and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its immersive quality and emotional impact during key moments. While some players found the dungeon music repetitive, the soundtrack is generally described as phenomenal, capturing the mood of various scenes effectively. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength of the game, contributing to its nostalgic and engaging experience.
“The dungeons are deep and immersive, and the soundtrack is outstanding.”
“The music perfectly captures the mood of each scene, and sounds great doing it; what more can you really ask for.”
“The soundtrack perfectly sets the mood for each disparate area, from the eerie dissonant chords of the Tzimisce haven to the vampire-themed rap of New York City.”
“Dungeon music that gets annoying after five minutes.”
“Well, it would load and I could hear the music but everything else was just a grey mess.”
“Overall, I liked the story and the game, the abilities are fun and varied, the characters are interesting, the voice acting is a mixed bag, the soundtrack is decent... the levels are annoying and while visually varied, still felt all alike.”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and evocative qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the excellent art direction, fitting music, and engaging voice acting that enhance the overall experience. Despite its age, the game successfully captures a nostalgic yet timeless ambiance reminiscent of classic titles, although some players noted that technical issues can detract from the atmosphere. Overall, the combination of a compelling narrative and atmospheric setting makes it a standout experience, even for newer players.
“Great atmosphere, wonderful aesthetics.”
“Its brilliance shines through the expertly crafted narrative, the atmospheric setting complemented by an evocative soundtrack, and the sheer enjoyment of the gameplay.”
“The game nails its atmosphere and the voice acting is very good as well.”
“The game is simply too dark, and I don't mean in atmosphere and theme.”
“Understandably, such a display of bugs completely ruined any atmosphere this otherwise decent finale had.”
“But atmosphere is more than just a dark night and colors all over the place!”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a standout feature, blending hilarious combat mechanics, quirky characters, and witty dialogue, often delivered in a Shakespearean dialect that adds to its charm. Players appreciate the comedic contrasts between modern and medieval characters, as well as the absurdity of certain situations, such as beheading opponents in battle. While some aspects, like voice acting and writing, may not have aged well, they contribute to the overall comedic experience, making it an enjoyable RPG.
“The combat system is also quite hilarious.”
“Still - I had a blast revisiting this title (for the first time without enabling the very fun cheats!) it's got heart, a fun soundtrack, funny characters, and neat systems.”
“Just as a warning, most of the game's dialogue is in Shakespearean-type dialect and takes a little time to get used to, but after a while, you get used to its charm, especially in the later sections during different time settings where it seems strange and people react to it, which makes conversations a lot more funny.”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been a mixed experience for users, with many reporting significant bugs, crashes, and driver issues, particularly on new computers. While some players have noted improvements due to patches, others still encounter persistent glitches that affect gameplay. Overall, the game is described as playable but remains buggy, with troubleshooting often taking up a considerable amount of the gaming experience.
“The game runs incredibly smoothly on the Steam Deck, which is impressive.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs, making for a stable gaming experience.”
“The performance is consistently reliable, allowing me to enjoy the game without interruptions.”
“Freezes and crashes my video drivers, so I haven't been able to play it on the new computer. I'll figure it out.”
“Troubleshooting its perpetual crashes and bugs was like 70% of the VTM experience.”
“However, it is really buggy and impossible to play.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game offers modest replayability primarily due to its multiple endings and immersive storytelling, though it doesn't match the replay value of titles like Bloodlines. In contrast, Vtmr is noted for its significantly higher replayability, providing players with a rich experience that encourages multiple playthroughs. Overall, while replayability varies, both games maintain engaging narratives that keep players invested.
“VTM: Redemption has incredibly high replayability gameplay.”
“It has some good replay value.”
“The game does not have the same amount of replayability as Bloodlines does (unless you want to see all three endings), though it is a great game nonetheless, because the story keeps you playing for more.”
“Full immersion in the universe, the passing of time between chapters 2 and 3, and alternate endings allow for modest replayability.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game's story becomes more engaging midway through, the grinding aspect can feel tedious and repetitive, particularly in the latter stages. Although there are optional exploits to enhance gameplay, many find the grinding necessary to progress can detract from the overall experience.
“The only saving grace is the story; otherwise, it's mostly tedious, to be honest.”
“Turning your party into unstoppable killing machines is fun (turn Christof into a blood mage), but the gameplay itself can get tedious, especially towards the end.”
“I won’t deny that at around the halfway point, where the game transitions from the dark ages to the modern nights, the pacing does get more focused and the dialogue goes from embarrassing to genuinely entertaining. However, I’ll reiterate that this can be experienced without subjecting yourself to hours of repetitive dungeon grinding.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for experiencing stuttering and crashes, particularly during heavy reloads and certain in-game moments, despite its otherwise impressive gameplay mechanics and visual design. Users reported a notable crash that was preceded by stuttering, indicating performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
“I experienced a crash during heavy reload shopping, which was preceded by about 10 seconds of stuttering.”
“There are times when the intro videos when launching the game or some in-game sequences experience stuttering or crashes.”
“The optimization issues are frustrating, as they disrupt the overall experience and immersion.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a profound portrayal of love at first sight, coupled with a deep commitment and resilience between characters, creating a heartfelt and relatable experience for players.
“Although it may seem out of the blue at first (they are clearly believers in love at first sight), the care and desire to never give up on each other is heartbreakingly real.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that character development is lacking, with players noting that after the initial missions, the story and character arcs become unengaging and fail to evolve meaningfully.
“After the first few missions, there is literally no interesting story or character development.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“I was hoping for deeper character arcs, but instead, they all felt flat and unengaging.”