Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Review: A Faltering Successor with Flickers of Potential

“So weary is the wanderer that treads upon the fertile soil.” This evocative line perfectly encapsulates the essence of Bloodlines 2. After enduring multiple development teams and navigating one of the most turbulent production cycles imaginable, The Chinese Room’s interpretation of the World of Darkness has finally arrived in our game libraries—a fact many are still marveling at. Yet, it carries an immense burden of expectation.

The developers previously described Bloodlines 2 as a “spiritual successor.” It’s evident that while its snow-covered Seattle cityscape offers glimpses reminiscent of Troika’s Los Angeles, there’s no significant narrative thread connecting these two titles. References to the original Bloodlines are scarce, mostly appearing as scattered lore snippets that players might collect for experience points before quickly forgetting. Even the Santa Monica Memories DLC, which holds more direct callbacks, isn’t included in the main game. If the same vampiric essence flows through Bloodlines and its progeny, it remains largely invisible.

A gameplay video offers a glimpse into the action.

Seattle certainly boasts a gritty underworld, but its streets soon begin to feel monotonous. Within the comparatively compact boundaries of Bloodlines’ Santa Monica, memorable locations like your apartment, the medical center, Gallery Noir, and The Asylum were numerous and distinct, with almost every building in each zone being explorable. Seattle, however, largely features inaccessible buildings that serve as little more than picturesque scenery. As the narrative unfolds, the city mirrors the escalating political tensions, but Seattle often feels like just another generic metropolis built with Unreal Engine 5—and a largely empty one at that.

Despite its flaws, moments of environmental brilliance shine through. Wake the Dead, the coffee shop run by Tremere Magister Mrs. Thorn, exudes a captivating coziness and sophistication. Aurora Pawn, the curio shop managed by Banu Haquim primogen Niko, houses an eclectic array of items he could have amassed during his long unlife. Not to mention the bizarre bone sculpture Toreador leader Patience has crafted in her hidden lair. Yet, in stark contrast, the Hole in the Wall, Anarch leader Katsumi’s bar, is a run-of-the-mill dive with generic ‘SPORTS!’ signs on the walls and tables cluttered with recycled assets. For every enchanting corner, there’s an equal measure of uninspired blandness.

A screenshot shows Katsumi from Bloodlines 2 sitting in a bar, illuminated by a neon green ‘$ sign, with arcade machines visible in the background.

While the reuse of assets and animations is often a clever way to construct expansive virtual worlds, Bloodlines 2’s implementation can disrupt immersion. In former prince and shrewd opportunist Lou Graham’s penthouse, duplicate pictures appear in close proximity. Elsewhere, an image supposedly depicting a relative of Katsumi’s, according to a lore piece, can also be spotted on various walls within the police station. Similarly, character animations often loop too quickly; Lou, for instance, toys with her hair at least three times during our initial significant interaction, making her seem more like an automaton than a cunning regent.

A screenshot displays Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 character Lou Graham playfully toying with her hair.

This is unfortunate because, generally speaking, the game’s characters are thoughtfully written and brilliantly portrayed. Each embodies their unique clan and its tenets without veering into stereotype. Lou, for example, is the embodiment of ambition: her ancient blood seethes with both grandeur and malice, precisely as a Ventrue should. The flamboyant Toreador Ysabella epitomizes the *artiste*, with her slow, seductive voice and penchant for high fashion leaving you starstruck. Safia, Graham’s despised Warlock, is cloyingly sweet, clinging to your Elder in a manner that feels authentically Tremere. Together, they form a compelling cast that encourages engagement, whether through flirtatious banter as a Toreador or intense power struggles as a Tremere usurper.

The supporting cast, including various Primogens like Mrs. Thorn and Niko, doesn’t receive sufficient screen time. While they frequently offer side quests, these typically involve repetitive chores. Mrs. Thorn might send you to retrieve packages, while Niko presents an item, shares its history, and then tasks you with eliminating its former owner. Occasionally, they provide lore fragments and rare potions, but these missions are often uninspired and rarely feel worthwhile. Additionally, there’s a rudimentary romance system where persistent flirting eventually leads to a rather anticlimactic conclusion.

The true highlight of the experience is Fabien, the Malkavian inhabiting protagonist Phyre’s mind, voiced by Ronan Summers. Playing a Malkavian in the tabletop game is notoriously challenging, as they experience visions and hear voices. The Malkavian narrative path in the original Bloodlines was a masterpiece of game design, with Troika meticulously re-writing every dialogue line to reflect the clan’s unique perspective, all while a chorus of other conversations unfolded within your character’s head. While many, including myself, initially felt that Bloodlines 2’s interpretation of ‘playing as a Malkavian’ through Fabien’s detective quests was a bit of a shortcut, his compelling story and exceptional voice acting more than compensate. It’s a perfect blend of humor (though some is sadly locked behind the Santa Monica Memories DLC) and dramatic depth, conveying the authentic feeling of embodying an eccentric noir detective. From beginning to end, Fabien shines, even if his later investigations can feel like unnecessary detours as you press toward the game’s climax.

A screenshot captures Phyre and Fabien’s interactions within Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.

For me, Fabien propelled the story forward more effectively than Phyre, who remains a rather unremarkable protagonist – neither actively offensive nor particularly engaging, certainly not a standout in their own right. A sense of weariness begins to creep in as the narrative progresses, with, to borrow a phrase from White Wolf brand manager Jason Carl, “multiple things happening at once.” While these disparate elements eventually coalesce into a coherent story, there’s an overwhelming amount to track, and players could easily lose the will to continue their undead existence.

As previously noted in a preview, the game’s narrative begins with a strong hook, instantly sinking its fangs into you. However, as the hours pass and complexities mount, it struggles to deliver on the promise of its many intriguing foundations. Major revelations rarely land with significant impact, and I often found myself yearning for a connection to the original that never materialized.

A screenshot depicts a young woman with dark hair, wearing a plum gothic lace blouse, standing before her own headless body, impaled by rebar.

However, many of these narrative shortcomings could be overlooked if the underlying RPG mechanics and action were robust. Regrettably, this is not the case. It’s no secret that Bloodlines’ combat was, to put it mildly, quite terrible, especially if you neglected firearms skills and faced the nearly mandatory boss fight against Ming Xiao. While Bloodlines 2 has certainly refined the combat, it simply isn’t enjoyable.

I chose a Toreador for my initial playthrough. Much like in the tabletop game, they manipulate minds and zip across the battlefield with lightning speed. While I commend The Chinese Room’s effort to translate this into action, the outcome is chaotic. The absence of a lock-on feature is a major detriment, particularly when you’ve charmed an enemy into becoming your temporary ally. They often target the same foe as you, and as you teleport around, your newly acquired friend frequently suffers from unavoidable collateral damage. This lack of lock-on becomes especially frustrating and detrimental during the final boss encounter.

Furthermore, there’s no blocking mechanism. Every clan possesses a relocation ability (for Toreador, it’s Blink), but aside from dodging, nothing prevents you from taking damage. I also found dodging to be somewhat inconsistent, almost as if an invisible stamina bar was silently impeding my movements. Enemies, however, *can* block, requiring you to hold your mouse button for a heavy attack to break their guard. Attempting this while swarmed by foes and with a rapidly depleting health bar can be incredibly frustrating (both literally and emotionally).

To make matters worse, the game struggles to keep pace with the Toreador’s rapid movements. I experienced frequent frame rate drops and performance issues in almost every combat sequence, which, combined with the lack of blocking and lock-on, often devolved battles into a frantic, blurry click-fest. Thankfully, some of these problems lessened when I played as a Tremere, a slower, range-focused clan.

A gameplay video demonstrates combat abilities.

Combat difficulty also scales with your level, meaning fights become progressively harder. The boss battles are fairly conventional; my Tremere’s long-range blood magic easily countered much of what the punch-first, ask-questions-later Sheriff Benny Muldoon could dish out. Later encounters show improvement, with one notable instance removing your vampiric disciplines entirely and forcing you into hand-to-hand combat, but they never reach truly memorable heights.

There’s also an excessive reliance on firearms later in the game. Phyre can wield weapons telekinetically, unleashing them on unsuspecting enemies. This feels more like a fun gimmick than a fundamental mechanic. If the fantasy is to be an Elder capable of tearing through humans and weaker Kindred, one shouldn’t need to depend on mundane firearms. As a Toreador, I found my distinct lack of damage-oriented abilities began to impede my progress. While sniping foes from a distance offers a satisfying slow-motion finisher, I yearned to be up close, utilizing my vampiric powers, not playing a first-person shooter.

A screenshot from the Benny fight in Bloodlines 2 shows smoke billowing in the background of an industrial cavern.

However, there’s a silver lining. Having experienced gameplay as both Toreador and Tremere, and briefly sampling Lasombra and Ventrue, it’s clear that each clan in Bloodlines 2 offers a distinct playstyle that faithfully reflects its tabletop RPG counterpart. You can further customize your character builds by incorporating skills from other clans into your repertoire, allowing you to craft a unique hybrid that perfectly aligns with your preferred combat approach.

This progression system also mirrors the tabletop experience, where disciplines outside your chosen clan’s three core skill trees cost slightly more to acquire. As a Toreador, for example, I shared the Celerity tree (focused on fast, impactful strikes) with the Brujah, which meant I could learn Celerity powers at a reduced cost. When playing as a Tremere, who doesn’t have inherent access to Celerity, that cost would naturally increase.

You gain these new abilities by accumulating Resonance Points, acquired through consuming specific blood types. This mechanic, reminiscent of Sharkmob’s approach in Bloodhunt, is an engaging way to integrate the system and establish a subtle mechanical connection with its sister titles.

A screenshot depicts Phyre feeding on a civilian, while another character looks on in horror in Bloodlines 2.

Yet, it’s hard to shake the pervasive feeling that Bloodlines 2 falls short of its predecessor in almost every conceivable way. The original Bloodlines launched with a comprehensive humanity system that ensured consequences for your actions, the ability to hack into computers to disable alarms and uncover vital new information, and delicate feeding mechanics that required careful management to avoid accidental mortal casualties. Moreover, its world felt remarkably vibrant for its age, brimming with secrets around every corner and vice lurking behind every door.

Bloodlines 2 largely lacks that emergent storytelling where mechanics seamlessly intertwine. Instead, it often devolves into a straightforward sequence of acquiring and completing simple, unremarkable quests. It appears The Chinese Room has inadvertently amplified Bloodlines’ weaker aspects—primarily its janky combat and performance woes. Bloodlines 2 is neither a truly satisfying sequel nor a sufficiently robust RPG experience to make the significant impact the franchise desperately needs. If you are a long-standing Vampire: The Masquerade enthusiast, you might just uncover enough to appreciate in Bloodlines 2. I personally enjoyed encountering its characters and exploring the more thoughtfully crafted areas of Seattle. But if your hope was for a game that even approaches the magic of Troika’s classic, you won’t find it here.