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

[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.

 

[Cricket McBangle]

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...?

I think there might be some old screenshots laying around somewhere. Someone might have them.

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?

The story is being written by an ex-Bioware Narrative QA tester or Lore Doctor as Tyrannicon put it, with a Hogwarts Legacy writer as a side kick plus contracted writing staff, one of which included a writer of Rick And Morty comics.

The game is being done by a studio led by hacks (The Creative Director is from Gears Tactics and Fable, someone else was the story lead of Amnesia Rebirth) who don't have a single original bone to share between them, continuing the Paradox WOD trend of chasing after trends (failed BR shooter and now Cyberpunk rip-off) while simultaneously seeing what sticks (low-rent Dishonored VR game, interactive novels, visual novels, and continous threats of TV and Movie adaptations).

 

[Bulo]

They should have given the IP to me. I wouldn't have done anything with it, but just imagine?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

can anyone make me feel better about my doubts?

If you yourself are at the doubting stage this ship is sunk, all lost at sea.

 

[Grunker]

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.

View attachment 42926

You are making the case against your own joke though. Harebrained would make a terrible VTMB

 

[Grauken]

Harebrained would make a terrible VTMB

Given the expectations people have for a VTMB successor, every studio would fail

 

[The President]

As much as I want a great sequel, It will be 20 years between games at least when VTMB2 arrives. The game will play quite different to the original even if made by the exact team that made the first. BG3 is great but it’s worlds away in every way from the first two. The same will occur here.

 

[Semiurge]

Harebrained would make a terrible VTMB

Given the expectations people have for a VTMB successor, every studio would fail

But this will be a spectacular failure that could've easily been avoided. The blame is on Paradox first and foremost. They consistently keep handing the keys to the IP to casual studios full of soyjacked pinkos who have no appreciation for the things that elevated the original despite its flaws.

Well, that ends with this turkey once it comes out the oven. Goodbye Paradox.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I want to see real gameplay narrated by devs. Thanks

There's a difference between saying how great your wife is when she's not around and saying the same thing when everyone else sees how fat and unkempt she is.

But you don't want to sell your wife to as many people as possible

Depends if you are Arab or not.

 

[Tyranicon]

You are making the case against your own joke though. Harebrained would make a terrible VTMB

I acknowledge that the Shadowrun guys (or what's left of them) wouldn't be my first choice, and that the timing didn't work out. But it still would've made way more sense for them to be handed the IP rather than...

-checks notes-

Working on some indiana jones tactical game that apparently bombed.

Edit: Also, come on, wtf.

 

[The President]

From my recollection many of the more skilled developers from HBS had to go over to help HSL. HSL had a problem with relying on contractors for the technical work even in 2018 even with HBS.

 

[Grauken]

many of the more skilled developers from HBS

Given that they had trouble implementing proper saving this isn't saying much

 

[BruceVC]

can anyone make me feel better about my doubts?

If you yourself are at the doubting stage this ship is sunk, all lost at sea.

You right in certain respectives, Im normally much more positive and generally objective

But we have to look at the reality amd not be naive, its unlikely that TCR will deliver on this prestigious and iconic game