My anticipation for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was immense. For years, it felt like my personal ‘Roman Empire,’ a constant thought that permeated my waking hours and even my dreams. However, as noted in my review, The Chinese Room’s rendition of this beloved franchise didn’t quite hit the mark I’d hoped for. Despite my enjoyment as a long-time VTM enthusiast, the game feels like a mere shadow of its potential, further hindered by poor optimization for an RPG. Now that it’s finally released, I’ve been closely observing its reception on Steam. The verdict? ‘Mixed’ — a response, frankly, better than I had initially anticipated.
There’s not much to truly cherish about Bloodlines 2. Beyond its abysmal optimization, the narrative repeatedly disappoints, combat feels chaotic and unrewarding, and the so-called progression system is hardly a system at all. Glimmers of brilliance occasionally shine through in its character writing, particularly with the verbose Malkavian, Fabien, who stands out as a highlight. Yet, even his engaging moments eventually slow the pace as you push towards the game’s conclusion.
My primary grievance with Bloodlines 2 boils down to its very title. Although The Chinese Room labels it a “spiritual sequel,” it conspicuously lacks any genuine connection to the original game. While there are scattered lore references in various texts and a fleeting appearance by a familiar character, these elements feel more like superficial nods than integral parts of a true continuation. In essence, this isn’t a Bloodlines game; it’s more accurately described as a ‘VTM: Seattle’ experience.
A video showcasing gameplay or a trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was included here.
This perceived disconnect seems to be the primary point of contention among players. One Steam review succinctly puts it: “This ‘sequel’ is Bloodlines in name only,” while another laments, “if it’s not a true successor to the original, then they shouldn’t have named it as such.” Beyond the identity crisis, many criticisms also target the game’s performance and the surprising absence of basic in-game options, such as the inability to disable Motion Blur – a significant personal annoyance.
This sentiment reverberates across discussions on Reddit, where players are vocal about the missing fundamental features, like the inability to manually save, which feels particularly egregious for a game retailing at $60 / £50. Consequently, Bloodlines 2 currently resides in the ‘Mixed’ category on Steam, holding a 56% positive rating at the time this article was written.
However, there is a silver lining: the game reached a peak Steam player count of over 27,000 on its launch day. This statistic, if nothing else, serves as clear evidence that the franchise still commands a dedicated fanbase eager to support it, even after two decades.
An image showing the Steam player count for Bloodlines 2, indicating its mixed reception at launch.
Despite its flaws, I, as a devoted VTM fan, still found some enjoyment in Bloodlines 2. However, unlike the original Bloodlines, where I can effortlessly immerse myself in the shadowy streets of Santa Monica and feel instantly at home, I don’t anticipate a quick return to Seattle. My hope is that future patches will resolve its current issues, and I’ll likely explore the two upcoming DLCs. Ultimately, I’m yearning for a more positive and authentic representation of the World of Darkness in future installments.
For those still contemplating venturing into Seattle’s vampiric underworld, explore our comprehensive guide to the Bloodlines 2 clans to aid your choice of lineage. Should you desire a complete overview of the journey ahead, we also have a detailed list of all Bloodlines 2 missions. If you’re currently playing, share your experiences and thoughts with us – we’d love to hear them!