World of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 - VTMB sequel from The Chinese Room - coming early 2025

[Cricket McBangle]

Hardsuit Labs had a weekly "How can we make this more like a Bloodlines" game which also at one point became "oh and also by the way so and so left but we got this new person." Not saying that what Hardsuit was making was going to be great or even good but an earnest attempt was made unlike what TCR has been ordered to build.

By the end, HSL had a build that I heard described as "absolutely volatile" but the whole game was playable from beginning to end. Not sure if it was salvageable but not being able to keep people certainly didn't help. And I don't know how or why but working with Mitsoda was apparently unpleasant. Hopefully one day we'll find out.

Also cringe, some of the devs on the official Bloodlines 2 discord would ERP just out in the open chat before they got the order to stay off the Discord forever.

On Paradox's part, the deal was set up so that they would give HSL most of the money after the game shipped hence they were getting budget problems in retaining people. I'm not sure who exactly is here to take most of the blame but for scope changes, I have heard that HSL leads would run to Paradox and promise all these big things without consulting the rest of the team which resulted in a crunch period that led to weekly meetings of "oh by the way, so-and-so left" and "sorry we can't pay you all that you're promised" and also pulling people off the team to do contract port support work on other games (which paid off, they're at Keywords and working on Fortnite) to keep the lights on and the game alive.

 

[Roguey]

nd I don't know how or why but working with Mitsoda was apparently unpleasant. Hopefully one day we'll find out.

Chair-kicking moment is additional evidence that my ancient source who told me that Mitsoda was an egotistical primadonna who was difficult to work with was on the level.

Yep yep yep. Also the fact that he rejected everything Chris Avellone submitted until Paradox wondered why they were even paying this guy to stick around.

Also cringe, some of the devs on the official Bloodlines 2 discord would ERP just out in the open chat before they got the order to stay off the Discord forever.

Imagine me saying 'what the fuck" like the sample used in EMF's Unbelievable that hilariously made it past radio and tv censors because no one hears it like that until they're told. Any particular names...?

 

[The President]

To paradox’s credit they do continually service their games and are known for adding some big dlcs. I wouldn’t expect them to do this with this game though as they aren’t developing in house.

Whoever said it’s probably thin blood alchemy that woke up the elder to kill other vampires is probably right on the money.

 

[Tyranicon]

Came across this, supposedly from HSL's version. RIP.

 

[The President]

Yeah that is from the 2019 demo. Still on YouTube if you want to watch it. I do want to wait until January before I judge the new dialogue tree but for now I don’t think we’ll get anything close to that.

 

[Wesp5]

Hardsuit Labs had a weekly "How can we make this more like a Bloodlines" game which also at one point became "oh and also by the way so and so left but we got this new person." Not saying that what Hardsuit was making was going to be great or even good but an earnest attempt was made unlike what TCR has been ordered to build.

By the end, HSL had a build that I heard described as "absolutely volatile" but the whole game was playable from beginning to end. Not sure if it was salvageable but not being able to keep people certainly didn't help. And I don't know how or why but working with Mitsoda was apparently unpleasant. Hopefully one day we'll find out.

Also cringe, some of the devs on the official Bloodlines 2 discord would ERP just out in the open chat before they got the order to stay off the Discord forever.

On Paradox's part, the deal was set up so that they would give HSL most of the money after the game shipped hence they were getting budget problems in retaining people. I'm not sure who exactly is here to take most of the blame but for scope changes, I have heard that HSL leads would run to Paradox and promise all these big things without consulting the rest of the team which resulted in a crunch period that led to weekly meetings of "oh by the way, so-and-so left" and "sorry we can't pay you all that you're promised" and also pulling people off the team to do contract port support work on other games (which paid off, they're at Keywords and working on Fortnite) to keep the lights on and the game alive.

Sources?

 

[Cryomancer]

Will the elder vampire protagonist have the same morality of a teen tiktocker in san francisco?

 

[luj1]

Came across this, supposedly from HSL's version. RIP.

View attachment 42914

Nice, lots of options

 

[The_Mask]

Let's hope Fira is a Malk, and Fabio is "the voices in her head".

I'll give them my money, if the dyke jumps into a pyre going "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy".

Or just go South Park mode:

 

[Child of Malkav]

Everyone was shitting on HSL and now you're crying after them? Make up your minds.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

To paradox’s credit they do continually service their games and are known for adding some big dlcs

Yup, real praiseworthy behavior

 

[Zombra]

Everyone was shitting on HSL and now you're crying after them? Make up your minds.

I always wanted to see the game with the original developer lineup, before it all fell apart. I couldn't find any old posts where I trashed Hardsuit.

Personally I still want to see what happens with this project. For the most part, it looks like they're trying to make more or less the game I want to see: a first-person RPG with dorky goth writing, tons of factions, and choice & consequence; with cool music and one or two sexy babes thrown in. While Mitsoda is older and perhaps mellower now, I still like him and I want to see what he comes up with. Now that he's no longer married we might even see some of his edge come back - maybe. Cara Ellison doesn't hit the perfect tone, but as a woman who's not shy about sexuality, I hope there might be some edginess on that score as well. Courtenay Taylor making a return is good news. Music so far seems not bad, the look of the graphics so far is not bad. The promise of multiple solutions to all missions is always welcome. Taken all together, and for the moment disregarding some of the stuff I'm not hyped about, I think that yes, this adds up to a game worth at least trying.

 

[Terenty]

I'm sorry Chinese Room? The Chinese Room renowned for such crpg masterpieces as Machine for Pigs and Everybody's gone to Rapture?

The property is in good hands then, rest easy

 

[Quillon]

Everyone was shitting on HSL and now you're crying after them? Make up your minds.

to quote a great person

When people presented with worse shit they remember the shit as not so shit.

 

[Tyranicon]

Honestly it's kind of funny.

Goal: Paradox wants to revive cult classic vamp cRPG

1st attempt: Decides to get studio best known for making shooters. Selling point is one of the original writers, who somehow managed to piss off everyone.

2nd attempt: Decides to get studio best known for making walking sims. Selling point is that apparently everyone who worked on the walking sims quit, so it's a whole new team that might (???) know how to make cRPGs.

Trivia: Paradox owns a dev studio that actually does make cRPGs (Harebrained). Has them work on something completely different.

You can't make this shit up.

 

[BruceVC]

Im still concerned about the lack of experience that TCR has with this type of massive and iconic development project. Its not like Larian because they had previous success with D:OS1&2 so I was always confident they would create the overall global success that BG3 has become

I realize TCR has hired new people which is expected but if you look at the previous games they have released they not on the same scale or type as BL2 ....can anyone make me feel better about my doubts?

 

[Grauken]

....can anyone make me feel better about my doubts?

It will be a funny train wreck to watch

 

[Semiurge]

This new attempt isn't looking very promising. I wonder how many on the team actually played the original.

The new team couldn't even get past the character selection screens without ragequitting. The only non-white looking dude is a brujah, and then there's the bouncing titties on the cheerleader outfit- wearing female malk. Not to mention what awaits after.

 

[BruceVC]

....can anyone make me feel better about my doubts?

It will be a funny train wreck to watch

But I really dont want it to be, I love the whole WOD franchise and I want to play another worthy BL game

 

[Grauken]

....can anyone make me feel better about my doubts?

It will be a funny train wreck to watch

But I really dont want it to be, I love the whole WOD franchise and I want to play another worthy BL game

There won't ever be one, that's like hoping for another Planescape Torment or another Arcanum, won't ever happen. At best you get a new game that does something original in its own way.

 

[Storyfag]

There won't ever be one, that's like hoping for another Planescape Torment or another Arcanum, won't ever happen. At best you get a new game that does something original in its own way.

And in that light, all the departures from the original actually give me hope. Yes, there are potential pitfalls and choices I do not agree with, but overall I find TCRs offering more interesting than that of HSL.

 

[ColaWerewolf]

Yeah, I don't think people who pine for the HSL version saw the Pacific Tower and Contact leaks.

 

[Roguey]

I'm sorry Chinese Room? The Chinese Room renowned for such crpg masterpieces as Machine for Pigs and Everybody's gone to Rapture?

The property is in good hands then, rest easy

Those people were all laid off and the only guy remaining was Dan Pinchbeck who was very obviously not involved in this, and has already quit the studio on account of not finding the new culture to his liking.

The Chinese Room built up its brand on making "intellectual art games for Intelligent Gamers" which they're still banking on in their self-fellating showreels, and this project doesn't even appear to be that.

 

[Irxy]

I'm sorry Chinese Room? The Chinese Room renowned for such crpg masterpieces as Machine for Pigs and Everybody's gone to Rapture?

The property is in good hands then, rest easy

While not crpgs these games would make it into any "top 20 walking sims of all times" list, they are classics with pretty much the same status as VtMB in their genre.
So if it was the actual Chinese Room doing the remake, it wouldn't be so bad, because they obviously could into immersion, atmosphere, storytelling (especially the environmental one) and design, and were a studio with a decent enough reputation and experience. Trying yourself in new genres is ok.
Sadly, the name is but a screen, there are zero people their who have anything to do with the original studio and those games.

 

[Lord_Potato]

I see Paradox happily continues on its path of incompetence and mismanagement of resources.

It's in a way conforming that some things never change.