Review RPG Codex Review: Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption

[Crooked Bee]

Tags: Activision; Nihilistic Software; Vampire the Masquerade - Redemption

One game the Codex never got around to reviewing is Nihilistic Software's Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, published by Activision in 2000 (and currently available from GOG.com). Compared to the much more celebrated Bloodlines, Redemption has fallen into relative obscurity and isn't generally considered a very good game. In this special Halloween feature, esteemed community member Deuce Traveler considers whether that reputation is deserved. (Spoiler: he thinks it is.) In the conclusion, another esteemed Codexer, felipepepe, offers a brief addendum on the game's Storyteller Mode.

Here's an excerpt to get you started:

Another gripe that I have with Redemption is its lack of adherence to the Vampire: The Masquerade lore. The events that Christof is involved with in medieval times eventually result in an Inquisition against the vampire lords, but the timeline doesn't quite seem to match White Wolf's publications. Also, the clan of vampire you are born into dictates the set of disciplines (related categories of vampire powers) available to you in the tabletop version, but in the video game your party can run into books which impart upon the reader new vampire disciplines, like some sort of quick-read "Vampire Powers for Dummies" pamphlet.

I've played the tabletop version of the classic World of Darkness roleplaying game a handful of times, so while I'm not an expert, I know a bit about its Storyteller System ruleset. The Storyteller System was a d10 ruleset used by White Wolf for all of its World of Darkness titles, from Vampire: The Masquerade to Mage: The Ascension. The classic Vampire: The Masquerade rules that Redemption was based upon encouraged the use of skills for engaging in non-combat activities such as investigations and diplomacy. Often a group of Vampire players would investigate the activities of enemy Sabbat (the bad guys) agents infiltrating their city, or tread the interwoven politics of their own allied Camarilla (the supposed good guys). In Redemption, though, the designers went with the classic action RPG dungeon crawler formula, despite the fact that the Storyteller system was best suited for a less combat-oriented experience.

The game focuses on dungeon crawling and combat against larger numbers of vampires than would be reasonably expected to be residing in a single city. The skill system is completely tossed out - fighting is the only way of solving quests. There is also a bit of puzzle solving, which can be summed up as "find the hidden switch to open the next passageway". Instead of allowing you to explore the character of Christof and the world of which he is a part, the game takes the uninteresting Save The World route, without ever explaining how the big bad evil guy could take over the world when four vampires in trench coats can take him out easily enough.​

Read the full article: RPG Codex Review: Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption

 

[J_C]

Game is much better than depicted in the review. Not flawless, but has a great atmosphere, music, and artstyle. It also uses the World of Darkness system better than Bloodlines. Not the non-combat skills, but just look at how dumbed down the disciples system in Bloodlines compared to Redemtion. Also, Deuce Traveller sucks at managing a rather straightforward UI. This game is more of like Diablo than a proper cRPG, so i don't think that the lack of C&C is a huge sin (C&C is overrated anyway).

TL;DR: review is shit.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Seriously, this is a fun game.

 

[Aeschylus]

^ VTM: Redemption is bad and you should feel bad.

 

[Grauken]

Game is much better than depicted in the review. Not flawless, but has a great atmosphere, music, and artstyle. It also uses the World of Darkness system better than Bloodlines. Not the non-combat skills, but just look at how dumbed down the disciples system in Bloodlines compared to Redemtion. Also, Deuce Traveller sucks at managing a rather straigh forward UI. This game is more of like Diablo than a proper cRPG, so i don't think that the lack of C&C is a huge sin (C&C is overrated anyway).

TL;DR: review is shit.

Pretty much everything J_C said, review is retarded

 

[ZagorTeNej]

Game is much better than depicted in the review. Not flawless, but has a great atmosphere, music, and artstyle. It also uses the World of Darkness system better than Bloodlines. Not the non-combat skills, but just look at how dumbed down the disciples system in Bloodlines compared to Redemtion. Also, Deuce Traveller sucks at managing a rather straigh forward UI. This game is more of like Diablo than a proper cRPG, so i don't think that the lack of C&C is a huge sin (C&C is overrated anyway).

TL;DR: review is shit.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Seriously, this is a fun game.

I support your agenda. Seriously, love the game for the reasons you mentioned (atmosphere, music, art direction, character developement) and agree that it's more of a Diablo clone (but definitely one of the better ones). I do think quality drops once you reach the modern times though, Prague part is the best by far.

 

[Infinitron]

If there were brofists, Aeschylus' post would now have a bunch of them. Instead we have 3 to 1 in favor of a mediocre game.

Notice how the lack of brofists can completely alter a reader's perception of a thread, and by extension of popular Codex opinion in general. They really are a valuable tool.

 

[Crooked Bee]

If there were brofists, Aeschylus' post would now have a bunch of them. Instead we have 3 to 1 in favor of a mediocre game.

Notice how the lack of brofists can completely alter a lurker's perception of a thread, and by extension of popular Codex opinion in general. They really are a valuable tool.

agreed

 

[Darth Roxor]

Notice how the lack of brofists can completely alter a lurker's perception of a thread, and by extension of popular Codex opinion in general. They really are a valuable tool.

OH GOD WHATEVER SHALL WE DO ABOUT THIS

THE WORLD IS TREMBLING AT ITS VERY FOUNDATIONS






as for Redemption, it's a cool game for the first half, a shit game for the second

 

[Semper]

And the only way to create new areas is using separate 3D software, such as Milkshape 3D

wrong. you're creating new areas with qradiant, which is the level editor of quake engine based games and comes with the sdk. it's right that this ain't a simple tile stamp solution like the aurora toolset, but it ain't that difficult either. an external 3d app is needed if you want to create custom props. creatures were made with maya, and afaik there's no working animation exporter for other programs available.

 

[Outlander]

Once the Codex Collective Butthurt reaches DU's satisfaction levels, brofists will likely be reinstated.

 

[Ninjerk]

I thought Broseph did a review about this?

 

[tuluse]

I was going to ask Deuce Traveler to post so I could brofist him...

 

[Infinitron]

I thought Broseph did a review about this?

You mean this? http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/just-finished-vtm-redemption.92978/

That's not exactly a review.

 

[Ninjerk]

I was going to ask Deuce Traveler to post so I could brofist him...

don't even mention it

 

[Ninjerk]

I thought Broseph did a review about this?

You mean this? http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/just-finished-vtm-redemption.92978/

That's not exactly a review.

I thought there was something a bit more lengthy. Maybe not.

 

[J_C]

If there were brofists, Aeschylus' post would now have a bunch of them. Instead we have 3 to 1 in favor of a mediocre game.

Notice how the lack of brofists can completely alter a reader's perception of a thread, and by extension of popular Codex opinion in general. They really are a valuable tool.

Regardless of this thread, I miss brofists. Clicking on it was 2nd nature when I read a post I agreed with. Guess DU being his dumb self again, removing a feature which didn't cause any harm, but was a nice tool for letting others know if you support someone's idea.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

The pause button does pause the game, btw.
Yeah.

 

[Volrath]

MUH PREZIOUS ANEZEHKAAAA

One of the shittiest hack and slashes I've ever played.

 

[J_C]

The pause button does pause the game, btw.
Yeah.

And you can issue commands in pause. So I don't get how is it a problem to issue orders if you are in a tight situation.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Still not a great game.

 

[J_C]

Still not a great game.

Nobody said it is great. But it is not bad, as many people says.

 

[felipepepe]

And the only way to create new areas is using separate 3D software, such as Milkshape 3D

wrong. you're creating new areas with qradiant, which is the level editor of quake engine based games and comes with the sdk. it's right that this ain't a simple tile stamp solution like the aurora toolset, but it ain't that difficult either. an external 3d app is needed if you want to create custom props. creatures were made with maya, and afaik there's no working animation exporter for other programs available.

You're right, the 3D software is only need for new assets. Crooked Bee , plz edit it to "And the only way to create new areas is using separate software called Embrace, based on Quake's Qradiant level design tool."

But I have to say, I used a similar tool - the Worldcraft level editor from Half-Life - a lot in my youth, and it definitely cannot be compared to the Aurora Toolset. BioWare made designing levels as easy as making a house in The Sims, it was a whole different level.

 

[V_K]

It's not a great game, but, frankly, it's not much worse than (or even much different from) Bloodlines. That the reception of these games differs so much is rather amusing.

 

[felipepepe]

It's not a great game, but, frankly, it's not much worse than (or even much different from) Bloodlines.

One is trying to be vampire Diablo, the other is trying to be vampire Deus Ex. Quite a big difference there.

 

[V_K]

the other is trying to be vampire Deus Ex

...and fails at it, degenerating into pure FPS pretty fast.