Vampire TM: Bloodlines

[Guest $iLk]

I installed this last night... and while I've never had the privilege or boredom to engage in the PnP experience, I've always been a big fan of Vampire movies.

Of course it uses the Source engine... and the reviews have been mostly positive - most complaints arise because it's *not* a shooter.

The combat is fairly intuitive as far as I'm concerned... it's a nice mesh of dice-rolling meets FPS.

But the real meat of this game lies in the immersion factor... I couldn't stop playing. I personally thought the beginning was well done in some respects - but moved a bit too quickly so that you don't really know what the hell is going on. (That's what the back of the box is for.)

Anyways... facial animations, graphics, voice-acting, etc. = A+

A few minor bugs, but nothing game-breaking for me so far.

There is one level that you'll probably hear about... HAUNTED HOUSE that freaked me the hell out to the point where I had to turn off my speakers. And I don't scare easy... but it was so perfectly scripted and the sound so perfectly done that you are on-edge throughout the entire level.

Storyline, level design = A+

Characters are fairly well developed throughout the story... but some of them just appear in your face for fleeting moments. Talking to everyone, hacking computers, and doing everything side-quest that you can fills you in on a lot more of what is going on. Branching dialogue is great as well... you can learn quite a bit.

I'm playing as a Ventrue... preppy socialite basically. Seduction is fairly easy with the skills I selected... but I guess if you choose to play an uggo you can always pay the prostitutes to follow you into a back alley.

Either way something gets sucked... (neck you perv)

Nothing really broke the mood for me... there were several laughs to be had... I spent about 15 minutes just sitting in my in-game apartment listening to the radio. Checking email... complete with porn spam in-game. Fun fun.

Very good attention to detail... some useless things, some things are not. All around - there's a lot to be had for the RPG fan. I'm about 1/3 through it apparently... but that's after playing for 8 hours or so. Gun combat is annoying if you don't have a firearm skill... but that's my only beef with the game. Stealth and quickness can usually eliminate your most powerful foes... while buffs can prevent some damage. Make sure to keep your blood meter full... especially later on.

Wholeheartedly recommend... best experience setting-wise since Mafia.

[Soback]

How dynamic is the game? I mean do you have to do the missions or can you just hang out and explore kinda like in Gothic II or Morrowind, also if you do have to do the mission, once you start do you have to finish or can you just break off half way, do your thing and then resume again?

[Guest $iLk]

There is a linear quest, along with about 20 hours worth of side-quests. You have to complete some, while others you can skip out on. You can make alternate choices, and they lead you down alternate paths. Depending on how your character is in persuasion - you can alter the path of some NPC's.

Each 'race' of vampire has it's own game basically... each game is dynamically different. You can explore and go different places - but in the end you still have to pursue your main objective.

You aren't forced into a rat maze - you can basically go wherever you want, and do whatever you want in the city.

[Matchoo]

quote:

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Originally posted by $iLk:

There is one level that you'll probably hear about... HAUNTED HOUSE that freaked me the hell out to the point where I had to turn off my speakers. And I don't scare easy... but it was so perfectly scripted and the sound so perfectly done that you are on-edge throughout the entire level.

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I'm glad I'm not the only one who had to turn off the sound.....