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

[Herumor]

- Fair is Foul. Lilith wants to get back at her ex Caine because he walked out on her and she and her coterie of plot-important characters try to do some magic shit while all vampires start dying off to get back at Caine. It's possible to get Abel on board to forgive his brother as well.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this scenario also have (at least as one option) Caine kill Abel all over again even if he forgives him?

 

[Caim]

- Fair is Foul. Lilith wants to get back at her ex Caine because he walked out on her and she and her coterie of plot-important characters try to do some magic shit while all vampires start dying off to get back at Caine. It's possible to get Abel on board to forgive his brother as well.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this scenario also have (at least as one option) Caine kill Abel all over again even if he forgives him?

It's possible that Caine tells his bro to fuck off and walks straight through his ghostly form, yes. The ending to this particular story is intentionally portrayed as a "choose your ending" kind of deal with over half a dozen options depending on the players present, ranging from Caine accepting his brother's forgiveness

When it comes down to it Fair is Foul gets kinda funny when you realize that Lilith's plan can be summed up as "use magic bullshit to lure Caine into an alley so that my goons can jump him and stomp his thoroughly confused ancient ass out, and they're either so loyal to me or hate Caine so much they don't care about being Genesis 4:15'd".

 

[Raghar]

Wow it really is happening by June. They haven't shown anything that looks finished, but it's happening.

I predict it will not be good

An incredibly bold statement. I am impressed that someone would be willing to go out on such a thin limb and make a public prediction that runs counter to all established fact.

Remember Sherry in Awowwowowowed thread. You need to cheer for this game, and then the worst what can happen is: It would be BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD.

 

[Herumor]

When it comes down to it Fair is Foul gets kinda funny when you realize that Lilith's plan can be summed up as "use magic bullshit to lure Caine into an alley so that my goons can jump him and stomp his thoroughly confused ancient ass out, and they're either so loyal to me or hate Caine so much they don't care about being Genesis 4:15'd".

I always found the basis for this scenario to be absolute bullshit. God is absolutely gonna fuck you over even if you didn't land a single blow against Caine directly, especially if you were the driving force to getting him hurt or killed.

 

[NecroLord]

- Fair is Foul. Lilith wants to get back at her ex Caine because he walked out on her and she and her coterie of plot-important characters try to do some magic shit while all vampires start dying off to get back at Caine. It's possible to get Abel on board to forgive his brother as well.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this scenario also have (at least as one option) Caine kill Abel all over again even if he forgives him?

It's possible that Caine tells his bro to fuck off and walks straight through his ghostly form, yes. The ending to this particular story is intentionally portrayed as a "choose your ending" kind of deal with over half a dozen options depending on the players present, ranging from Caine accepting his brother's forgiveness

When it comes down to it Fair is Foul gets kinda funny when you realize that Lilith's plan can be summed up as "use magic bullshit to lure Caine into an alley so that my goons can jump him and stomp his thoroughly confused ancient ass out, and they're either so loyal to me or hate Caine so much they don't care about being Genesis 4:15'd".

Ha!
Good luck with even trying to land a single blow against the Dark Father himself...

Reminder that even the Antediluvians are absolutely frightened of Caine and his potential reemergence.
The Sabbat do not title themselves the "Sword of Caine" for nothing. They believe they will be the army that serves Caine after his return, when he will desire to destroy the Antediluvians.

Personally, I never liked any of the Gehenna scenarios and the apocalyptic implications of it.
I would rather the game focus on vampiric survival and loss of Humanity over the years and centuries.
Also the potential for Golconda or Salvation...
That is more appealing to me.

 

[Abu Antar]

The game has been rated by the ESRB:

The ESRB has now rated Bloodlines 2, which is a good guarantee it will launch within the next six months at the latest. The rating is Mature (17+), the same as the original; we've posted the regulator's overview below, though beware of slight spoilers.

This is an action role-playing game in which players help two vampires regain their memories and their powers to stop an uprising. From a first-person perspective, players explore city streets, investigate murders, interact with characters, and battle vampires in melee-style combat. Players use physical attacks (e.g., claw slashes, kicks, feed/bite attacks) and vampiric powers (e.g., telekinesis, possession) to kill enemy vampires. Players can also employ stealth attacks (e.g., neck snap, feed attack) to kill enemies discreetly. Battles are frenetic, accompanied by impact sounds, realistic gunfire, and large blood-splatter effects. Some attacks can result in close-up sequences of players' character decapitating and/or impaling enemies. A handful of areas depict decapitated corpses in pools of blood; large bloodstains also appear in several environments. The game contains suggestive/sexual material in the dialogue (e.g., "snacking on wh*res,"; “p*ssy musta...real sweet”; and “D*ldo of consequence don't come lubed, does it?”). The word “f**k” is heard in the game.

 

[NecroLord]

The game has been rated by the ESRB:

The ESRB has now rated Bloodlines 2, which is a good guarantee it will launch within the next six months at the latest. The rating is Mature (17+), the same as the original; we've posted the regulator's overview below, though beware of slight spoilers.

This is an action role-playing game in which players help two vampires regain their memories and their powers to stop an uprising. From a first-person perspective, players explore city streets, investigate murders, interact with characters, and battle vampires in melee-style combat. Players use physical attacks (e.g., claw slashes, kicks, feed/bite attacks) and vampiric powers (e.g., telekinesis, possession) to kill enemy vampires. Players can also employ stealth attacks (e.g., neck snap, feed attack) to kill enemies discreetly. Battles are frenetic, accompanied by impact sounds, realistic gunfire, and large blood-splatter effects. Some attacks can result in close-up sequences of players' character decapitating and/or impaling enemies. A handful of areas depict decapitated corpses in pools of blood; large bloodstains also appear in several environments. The game contains suggestive/sexual material in the dialogue (e.g., "snacking on wh*res,"; “p*ssy musta...real sweet”; and “D*ldo of consequence don't come lubed, does it?”). The word “f**k” is heard in the game.

That's lightweight compared to the original where you could bang Jeanette (I suppose each of you spend blood to, um, "animate" the required body parts?) and also extensive gore and body horror courtesy of Andrei the Tzimisce.

 

[Vincente]

We would like to share an update on the development and release window of Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.

https://youtu.be/Rzc1Ow18qhY

As Marco explained in the video, Bloodlines 2 will not be ready for release in the first half of 2025.

Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room are committed to delivering this game, and we believe that ensuring great technical quality is more important than sticking to a specific date.

The game is currently in a late development stage, and feedback from the community has been taken into account during this time. TCR is working hard on quality assurance to ensure it is stable and free of bugs that could disrupt the player experience.

Bloodlines 2 will launch in October 2025 when the game meets the technical quality standards that you, our fans, rightfully expect and deserve. Please stay tuned for the game’s exact launch date.

We want to ensure that the content we share with you is high-quality and showcases exciting game features. With this updated release timeline, we will pause our development diaries so that the team can concentrate on refining the game. However, we will still be available online for questions and comments, and we welcome everyone to join the Bloodlines 2 Discord.

 

[Semiurge]

We would like to share an update on the development and release window of Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.

https://youtu.be/Rzc1Ow18qhY

As Marco explained in the video, Bloodlines 2 will not be ready for release in the first half of 2025.

Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room are committed to delivering this game, and we believe that ensuring great technical quality is more important than sticking to a specific date.

The game is currently in a late development stage, and feedback from the community has been taken into account during this time. TCR is working hard on quality assurance to ensure it is stable and free of bugs that could disrupt the player experience.

Bloodlines 2 will launch in October 2025 when the game meets the technical quality standards that you, our fans, rightfully expect and deserve. Please stay tuned for the game’s exact launch date.

We want to ensure that the content we share with you is high-quality and showcases exciting game features. With this updated release timeline, we will pause our development diaries so that the team can concentrate on refining the game. However, we will still be available online for questions and comments, and we welcome everyone to join the Bloodlines 2 Discord.

At 0:47 you can see femPhyre with new hair, although it still looks more like a pretty dude.

 

[flyingjohn]

Game is finished, releases in 7 months?
Bullshit, the october date is a placeholder and they are hoping they can crunch the major bugs out by october.

 

[Abu Antar]

I think the next update will be about the cancellation of the project, and closure of the studio.

 

[Vincente]

I think the next update will be about the cancellation of the project, and closure of the studio.

That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.

 

[Rahdulan]

Now we wait and see what else releases in October so they can delay out of fear.

 

[Elttharion]

Now we wait and see what else releases in October so they can delay out of fear.

Just a small game called GTA6

 

[Morgoth]

I see totally no problem with October, juxtaposed to GTA VI and Battlefield.

 

[Leorgrium]

“and feedback from the community has been taken into account during this time.”

So, is there someone from Paradox or The Chinese Room reading our posts? Looking at the latest development diaries, it doesn’t seem like they understand what we want.

 

[Morgoth]

Feedback = Discord fan drivel.

 

[ChildInTime]

We would like to share an update on the development and release window of Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.

https://youtu.be/Rzc1Ow18qhY

As Marco explained in the video, Bloodlines 2 will not be ready for release in the first half of 2025.

Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room are committed to delivering this game, and we believe that ensuring great technical quality is more important than sticking to a specific date.

The game is currently in a late development stage, and feedback from the community has been taken into account during this time. TCR is working hard on quality assurance to ensure it is stable and free of bugs that could disrupt the player experience.

Bloodlines 2 will launch in October 2025 when the game meets the technical quality standards that you, our fans, rightfully expect and deserve. Please stay tuned for the game’s exact launch date.

We want to ensure that the content we share with you is high-quality and showcases exciting game features. With this updated release timeline, we will pause our development diaries so that the team can concentrate on refining the game. However, we will still be available online for questions and comments, and we welcome everyone to join the Bloodlines 2 Discord.

 

[NecroLord]

“and feedback from the community has been taken into account during this time.”

So, is there someone from Paradox or The Chinese Room reading our posts? Looking at the latest development diaries, it doesn’t seem like they understand what we want.

They meant the Reddit crowd.

 

[Roguey]

Wow it really is happening by June. They haven't shown anything that looks finished, but it's happening.

Once again tricked by Paradox's delusional optimism.

 

[Roguey]

Oh hey they actually did some hands-on previews https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/v...ower-fantasy-that-im-desperate-to-play-again/

After playing through the prologue twice and getting to muck around with a bunch of end-game ability combos, the thing that's stuck with me the most is how powerful I felt, and how much the game delights in leaning into the vampire power fantasy.

Right away you've got supernatural strength, speed and agility; you can scramble up buildings in the blink of an eye, glide for long distances, and pull off air-dashes. Even better: you've got unlimited telekinesis. And you better believe the team has littered the game with detritus that can be weaponised.

Fights are a trip. After last year's big gameplay reveal, I was pretty critical of how it looked. As a viewer, it's easy to brush it all off as jerky and messy. When you're in control, though, it all comes together. That messiness becomes gleeful controlled chaos as you juggle bodies, rip out throats and use your vampiric powers to make mortals and vamps alike explode in a shower of blood. And that jerkiness reveals itself to be the snappy, rhythmic flow of battle, letting you effortlessly bounce between victims, chaining powers and kills for maximum carnage.

What's surprising is how often you can actually use your powers. See, they all have a blood cost. So Blood Curse (the aforementioned blood bomb power) costs three blood points. Which means you have to feed three times to recharge it. You might assume this means you can only use it sparingly, but that's not really the case. This is because you can perform combat feeds on weakened enemies, and thanks to the pace of the fights you can effectively chain these together and get up to full power again in seconds. The feeding is brisk, too, though you are vulnerable while you're chowing down.

Visceral as fuck, just like that VP wanted.

Obligatory Disco namedrop:

The dialogue and relationship systems all elegantly reinforce the fact that Bloodlines 2 is an investigative kind of RPG—something it shares with my all-time fave, Disco Elysium. Imagine Raymond Chandler spliced with Anne Rice and you're getting it.

Talk to a sex worker while looking rough and they'll tell you to go away. If you're well-dressed they might be more interested. But if you're wearing something a bit sexy, they might assume you're another sex worker and chase you off.

Should have used smaller zones:

I'm also not quite sold on the open world of Seattle yet. It looks great—condensed but exaggerated, and colourfully dark, like you're seeing the night through the eyes of a nocturnal predator—and I loved navigating it with my supernatural powers, but it also seemed a bit quiet. There were some hidden collectibles and light snacks, but the prologue didn't give me much of a chance to explore its potential opportunities, or understand why it's an open world.

Also vampire romance confirmed https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/v...onships-but-it-will-feature-romantic-feeding/

"So there are some romantic options," creative director Alex Skidmore told me. "But vampire romance isn't the same as human romance. So we have—this is probably awful and I don't want to give this soundbite—a kind of romantic feeding."

Naturally I warned him that I was absolutely going to have to put this in a headline.

"So there are points with named vampires," he continued, "where if you have played your card rights, you can do a romantic feed."

 

[Tyranicon]

But how does this affect me personally?

 

[Wesp5]

After playing through the prologue twice and getting to muck around with a bunch of end-game ability combos, the thing that's stuck with me the most is how powerful I felt, and how much the game delights in leaning into the vampire power fantasy.

That's pretty much how Bloodlines' endgame worked if you made a good built.

Right away you've got supernatural strength, speed and agility; you can scramble up buildings in the blink of an eye, glide for long distances, and pull off air-dashes. Even better: you've got unlimited telekinesis.

All this was already done and shown by HSL in pretty much the very same way.

"So there are points with named vampires," he continued, "where if you have played your card rights, you can do a romantic feed."

You can feed on other vampires without commiting Diablerie? Is this a PnP thing?

 

[NecroLord]

You can feed on other vampires without commiting Diablerie? Is this a PnP thing?

You can feed on other kindred, but vampiric vitae is more addictive and potent than normal vitae from kine (humans).
Diablerie is performed when you drain a vampire completely to the point of Final Death, essentially consuming his soul and lowering your Generation by one point.
However, it is a very evil and despicable act (you lose some permanent Humanity or Path points in the process) which is punishable by Final Death in the Camarilla.
Sabbat does not care all that much (if you are strong enough to diablerize another Kindred, then it's your right).

 

[Infinitron]

Oh hey they actually did some hands-on previews https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/v...ower-fantasy-that-im-desperate-to-play-again/

Seems to be exclusive to PC Gamer at the moment.