Review GameZone likes Bloodlines

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Troika Games; Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

<a href=http://pc.gamezone.com>Game Zone</a> has posted a postive <a href=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22186.htm>review</a> of <a href=http://www.vampire-bloodlines.com>Bloodlines</a>, which scored <b>9/10</b> and the <b>Editor's Choice</b> award thingy.
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<blockquote>But while you are confronted with different paths, the linear nature of the game brings everything back to the same point. For example, during the first mission area, Santa Monica, you are tasked with trying to end a feud between Therese and another kindred. Therese is the owner of a vampire bar called The Asylum – although no one in the neighborhood seems to know what kind of bar it truly is. Therese is gruff and dismissive. She tasks you to do the same thing, regardless of the clan you are part of, and regardless of the conversation thread you take. It always comes back to the same thing, go to an abandoned hotel on the ocean – which was the scene of a gruesome murder – and retrieve an item that belonged to the ghost that haunts it.</blockquote>
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That's the thing that I dislike as well. The Santa Monica's quests always come in the same sequence: get the explosives, go to the hotel, deal with the sisters, see the Nosferatu, then go to the warehouse.
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Thanks, <b>Briosafreak</b>

 

[Trash]

Indeed, but I guess that's what a storyline is about. Personally I always like a little giudance on seeing what I should do next, as long as I don't feel too restricted. With all the side quests and shit to do...I don't. So far the storyline is cool, it also moves at a nice pace and seems logical (wouldn't want to piss of that prince, now do we? So lets just do his shit and move on)

 

[The Exar]

The review was bad. Badly writen. They mentioned the good aspects of the game, but they didn't say anything about the combat. Their only disapointment was the linear gameplay, which is unserious. No one else wrote anything bad about it.

 

[Briosafreak]

Edited by request of the genral public

 

[The Exar]

Edited by Briosfreak request.

 

[Briosafreak]

Oh no! Don't start spoiler thread! Why don't you see the end alone? Let's discus it in a month, please, or I'll be scared to enter the forum...

ok

 

[The Exar]

Edited by Briosafreak request.

 

[LeonX]

The review was bad. Badly writen. They mentioned the good aspects of the game, but they didn't say anything about the combat. Their only disapointment was the linear gameplay, which is unserious. No one else wrote anything bad about it.

Maybe he liked the combat. I can't vouch for the writing quality, but this review is closest to how I feel about the game. I love the combat (especially the disciplines combined with melee), but my concern has always been that players would find the main story line too linear. Don't get me wrong, I like the way the main storyline unfolds, it's just that in Arcanum, for example, we had backup/alternate quests up the ass (that's a technical phrase), and we have alot less of that in Vampire.

I'm just glad that most people seem to be enjoying the game.

leon

 

[dojoteef]

I know what you mean about Arcanum. I loved how even with the main storyline in Arcanum, depending on your character you might not get quests that other characters got. I first played the game as a retard (oh man was that great), and I actually missed out on a lot of stuff. I was fine with that, because it fit my character so well.

 

[Vault Dweller]

...but my concern has always been that players would find the main story line too linear. Don't get me wrong, I like the way the main storyline unfolds, it's just that in Arcanum, for example, we had backup/alternate quests up the ass (that's a technical phrase), and we have alot less of that in Vampire.

Out of curiosity, why is that? I'm sure it didn't just happen that way. What was the reason for these decisions? For example, why did you decide not to have an alternative access to the warehouse?

 

[Volourn]

I presume they woanted to focus more on the story.

 

[The Exar]

Mr. Boyarsky, I must addmit that I still haven't played the game.(problems with publisihers and a bad PC) But I read everything about Bloodlines. Anyone says, that the story and gameplay are marvellous and are nearly flawless. That's why I find hard to believe, that the story is linear.
And don't be so hard on yourself. The public loves the game. The really good story is always more or less bound with linear gameplay. :wink:

 

[Vault Dweller]

I presume they woanted to focus more on the story.

I don't see how the story would have suffered if the game was less linear. Take that warehouse thing for example. All the events (quests) that lead to it have little to do with the story. No explanation is given why only that Nosferatu can get you in, and why you can't do that on your own using your skills. It's one of those "just because" things that force you to do the side quests. I'm not saying that these quests are bad, but I wish that there was more freedom to choose.

 

[The Exar]

Wait! From what Leon said, It seems that he isn't very satisfied with some of the game aspects. Linear story...Not tipical for Troika. And it looks like Leon wanted to change that. Despite my lack of competence, I think that the problem with the linear story might have been solved, if Troika did have more time. Hell those publishers. Why were alll these hesitations?
(don't forget: I still haven't played Bloodlines)

 

[Vault Dweller]

What are you bubbling about, Exar? What time? Look at my examples at the news post and some explanations above. It wouldn't have taken a lot of time, because the warehouse is already created, to have one of the already existing NPCs to give you an alternative access to it, or have an extra but well hidden sewer access that requires a single click.

 

[The Exar]

What are you bubbling about, Exar? What time? Look at my examples at the news post and some explanations above. It wouldn't have taken a lot of time, because the warehouse is already created, to have one of the already existing NPCs to give you an alternative access to it, or have an extra but well hidden sewer access that requires a single click.

Once again I'm sorry for my incompetence, I haven't played the game and I'm not very well introduced to the "problem". I thought we were talking about the whole game, not for a single quest!

 

[Vault Dweller]

I used one quest as an example to avoid spoilers, but the same could be said about way more than one quest (I haven't finished the game yet, so I can't speak of an entire game). I also dislike that some quests are available only after they are given to you. I can't explore that ship until told to, I can't open the freezer until I talk to certain people (even if you can hack the computer for the password it gives you a system error response), there is no body and the morgue chest is empty, until I have the driving license, etc.

 

[Whipporowill]

Yup, there are a few things that are a bit on the "odd" side - that corpse is mentioned on a comp I hacked, but doesn't turn up physically until I get the quest for instance. And I agree with VD that I'd like to see some more ways of getting the same quests - or even being able to bypass certain parts of it. Maybe solving the feud without going the Ocean House et c - shouldn't be too hard after all.

 

[The Exar]

I used one quest as an example to avoid spoilers, but the same could be said about way more than one quest (I haven't finished the game yet, so I can't speak of an entire game). I also dislike that some quests are available only after they are given to you. I can't explore that ship until told to, I can't open the freezer until I talk to certain people (even if you can hack the computer for the password it gives you a system error response), there is no body and the morgue chest is empty, until I have the driving license, etc.

This isn't good news then. From what I read it seems that the quests are dangerously(and uncomfortably) linear. I see the problem clearly now: you must recieve the quest to be able to start working on it. I'd better be dissuaded. (and I'm sorry Troika, but that sounds rather lame to me...)

 

[Vault Dweller]

Maybe solving the feud without going the Ocean House et c - shouldn't be too hard after all.

Yep. The linearity may ruin replayability for some people. Sure, the Ocean Hotel was great the first time, but when you are on your third time, it could be rather painful, considering that all you have to do there is ... HAUGE SPOILARZ.... travel inside the hotel up and down without doing anything special or using your skills at all.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Maybe he liked the combat. I can't vouch for the writing quality, but this review is closest to how I feel about the game. I love the combat (especially the disciplines combined with melee), but my concern has always been that players would find the main story line too linear. Don't get me wrong, I like the way the main storyline unfolds, it's just that in Arcanum, for example, we had backup/alternate quests up the ass (that's a technical phrase), and we have alot less of that in Vampire.

Well, I'm not that big on the combat. However, back up/alternative quests would have been extremely nice. The haunted house people are talking about fondly is a one trick pony. It's pretty cool the first time you go through it, but what about the second time? Or the third? It's a fairly long area, after all, even if you know the tricks to it.

 

[Vault Dweller]

My sentiments exactly. See the post above yours.

 

[Bashan]

What's so good about the story anyhow? Even though the dialogues are generally well written the main storyline appears to me to be one painfully linear fedex-quest. Characterization is also pretty weak, as nearly all of the NPCs are rather bland and most conversations are superficial and purely mission related. There is no real replay value either, because none of your choices really alter the way the storyline unfolds. Troika seem to have emulated Bioware's approach in this game. RPG-lite with pseudo roleplaying. Though Kotor offered more non-linearity and had a stronger storyline imo.
And what's up with the last third of the game? It deteriorates into a Hack & Slash that renders all skills beside combat oriented ones virtually useless.

 

[coaxmetal]

And what's up with the last third of the game? It deteriorates into a Hack & Slash that renders all skills beside combat oriented ones virtually useless.

Is this true ? I'm just finishing up Santa Monica I think. Damn, I hate Redemption just for doing that, it had quite an overall nice feeling about it, if it wasn't for those incredibly annoying combat-only scenes. And... well, some other crap.
I hope Bloodlines doesn't go for that hack-and-slash-no-alternative-crap in later stages. I would just hate that.

The haunted house people are talking about fondly is a one trick pony. It's pretty cool the first time you go through it, but what about the second time? Or the third? It's a fairly long area, after all, even if you know the tricks to it.

Yeah, just finished up with that recently. Damn scary too. But... it reminds me of this "Doom 3" experience, and I was thinking about all the scripting, and the behind-the-scenes-shit-in-your-pants thing.

I wouldn't go through it a second time, though. You can't make me!

 

[dojoteef]

NOTE: Could be some spoilers if you are a real stickler for that sort of thing.

I might be a little wierd, but despite the fact that I haven't finished the game, I'm playing with my second character. I started as a Malkavian and I was just about to be heading to the Chinatown hub and I decided to see what it's like to be a smooth talking Ventrue (I don't know why, but I did the same sort of thing when I played Arcanum as well). It didn't take me long to get through the Santa Monica hub and onto Downtown the second time, but I was very disappointed at how linear it turned out. For example, why couldn't I at least fight Therese, she pissed my character off by basically saying that I HAD to go to the Ocean Hotel. I finally got to the point in the dialog where my only response went something like this: "If only this wasn't Elysium... now what do you want me tod do?" I'm sorry that's bs.

Also things like when I was first playing the game as a Malkavian that was a loner and hated the establishment, Prince LaCroix would use dominate on me to force me to say I would take the quests. When I first played the game I thought that was interesting, but now that I think about it, if it happens regardless of my skill levels then I find it to be BS. So the game is terribly linear.

I even stopped playing for a while and tried to start looking online to see about avoiding combat as a Ventrue. I have a very smoothtalking Ventrue, high persuasion, seduction, and dominate (not quite so high in intimidate though). During the plaguebearer quests, I get to talk to the people, but I get no options to try and persuade them. That bugged the HELL out of me. I spent all this time trying to be the type that avoids fighting and despite the fact that I can talk to them, I get no options to talk them down. I mean, they might as well have had the people attack me on sight if they want to force the battle on me (like the Asian dude did in Santa Monica). On a related note, talking to the guy who wants to know if you are "enlightened" I get no responses that would allow me to enter the building despite my high speech skills.

So ultimately, I don't know how much fun replaying the game is so far. I have had a few things be different, but they were only with the side quests (and not all the side quests either). It's nice to have some variation, but it just doesn't seem to be enough for replayability. I think I might play as a Nosferatu as well just because of the exclusive dialog options and the restrictive nature of not being seen. I hope that can alleviate some of the boredom factor that sets in with replaying the game.