Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines can vaguely be described as a shooting game with heavy RPG elements, although in essence it is much deeper than that, featuring a rich, tightly-knit story at its seems and set in a distinctly-stylized city setting, reminiscent in some ways of the Blade films (not least, because of the vampires). It can be viewed from both first and third-person perspectives, and early reports suggest that the game can seamlessly transition between the two, offering you an easy way to get the best view of the surroundings.

Importantly, the RPG elements are not tacked-on, as they are in many games nowadays, and are actually a significantly important part of how the game plays and how you'll progress through it. Living in the modern day, in a world in which vampires and humans have learned to co-exist with one another, the story begins, casting the player as a vampire recently turned from being a human. In this dark world, the vampires have managed to maintain power over the humans by hiding in the dark and avoiding unnecessary confrontation with them, and hence their discovery. This silent accord is enforced by the rule of seven different clans. And it is with one of these that you must join in order to begin your 'quest'. Your choice is an important one, as aside from altering how the story will progress, it also dictates which powers and abilities you can develop, many of which are specific to certain clans.​