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You've made a powerful enemy 10 years ago, sign.
- Thread starter ashecitism
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Nimmermehr
Neo Member
Well.. time for my annual replay then. This is one of the best and immersive RPGs we ever got.
BumblebeeCody
Member
I still need to play this.
Gurgelhals
Member
It is. Chinatown has some great moments again (it's not as good as the three other hubs but, all in all, still very good) and I would definitely play through this part at the very least. The endgame, however, is a bit of a mixed bag again. Some of it is very good, but there are also quite a few dull combat levels (which can be particularly frustrating if your character has weak combat skills). Still, none of them are as dull as the sewers.
Sparrowhawk
Member
Malkavian 4 lyfe
Here's my recommendation
First playthrough: Malkavian. Malkavian is an amazing experience. You're SUPPOSED to not understand what the hell is going on and be a little off the hinge. that's what being a malkavian is all about. I tried to kill a guy but instead I told him to get out of town somehow, forcing me to try to figure out how to break the news to the person who hired me to kill him. Great! legitimate experience. Plus the insanity power helps you get out of a lot of nasty situations.
Second playthrough: Malkavian. Now that you've got the ropes, it's time to hit the streets with full mastery of your madness, try a different build maybe and have people marveling at how together/successful you seem as a Malkavian.
Thrid playthrough: Malkavian. Now that you've done the first experience and the critical path down, see how well you can subvert it. Tell the major players to take a hike and blaze through the game as an insane fireball of "I doooon't caaaaaare!" Try to get at least two major players to shake their heads and say "Malkavians..." disgustedly.
(seriously, they're the best.)
First playthrough: Malkavian. Malkavian is an amazing experience. You're SUPPOSED to not understand what the hell is going on and be a little off the hinge. that's what being a malkavian is all about. I tried to kill a guy but instead I told him to get out of town somehow, forcing me to try to figure out how to break the news to the person who hired me to kill him. Great! legitimate experience. Plus the insanity power helps you get out of a lot of nasty situations.
Second playthrough: Malkavian. Now that you've got the ropes, it's time to hit the streets with full mastery of your madness, try a different build maybe and have people marveling at how together/successful you seem as a Malkavian.
Thrid playthrough: Malkavian. Now that you've done the first experience and the critical path down, see how well you can subvert it. Tell the major players to take a hike and blaze through the game as an insane fireball of "I doooon't caaaaaare!" Try to get at least two major players to shake their heads and say "Malkavians..." disgustedly.
(seriously, they're the best.)
D
Deleted member 245925
Unconfirmed Member
I think I tried playing through this game three times over the years, but for whatever reason I always stopped playing once I reached the Chinatown chapter. I am still planning to play through the whole game eventually though, because it's an amazing game. I just don't know when that will be... my gaming time is shrinking with every year.
It's incredible how well it holds up. It's still one of the finest examples of a 3D RPG, and that's with ten years of 3D RPGs following it.
While it's not as large as some open-world RPGs are today, I would argue it's more realized than almost all of them. The level of detail in the world is phenomenal, and the many elements of it contribute to creating a place that can be easily believed and immersed in. Little touches such as the radio and TV broadcasts are fundamental. And as the OP stated, the Ocean House Hotel is still an amazing example of horror.
The exploration is beautifully realized as well. One important thing about exploration that I feel a lot, if not most games fail (I'll skip the obvious quest marker discussion, even though I could discuss that for much longer) at is that a significant part of exploring is discovering the unknown. In most games you can "quantify" for lack of a better word what the exploration consists of. For instance you can usually quickly learn what the game expects out of you and how it tries to hide things. For example, in an open-world RPG you're unlikely to try to push a bookcase by force looking for a secret entrance because rarely would a game allow you to do that. On the other hand, pushing a "secret" (extremely-obvious) button is within the bounds of what you might expect. Every game is going to have limitations, but I feel the one that best hides what these limitations are, and makes the player paranoid about all the possibilities the game could be asking of him/her best accomplishes this feeling of the unknown. You're not simply walking into a room and scanning for the "checklist" of player-interactions you're accustomed to. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines isn't perfect in this, but throughout most of the game I maintained the feeling that there could be a lot of things that I had not seen. Even right as you start, the hospital in Santa Monica is filled with areas to explore, little passages, computer terminals to hack into, information to gather, etc. All of this made it easier to believe in this world as a living place. I wasn't just passing through zones completing a checklist of things to see.
I feel I could talk about this game for a lot longer, the great writing, the fantastically realized characters, and a number of other things but I think I'll keep it brief. If you haven't played this game you really should.
While it's not as large as some open-world RPGs are today, I would argue it's more realized than almost all of them. The level of detail in the world is phenomenal, and the many elements of it contribute to creating a place that can be easily believed and immersed in. Little touches such as the radio and TV broadcasts are fundamental. And as the OP stated, the Ocean House Hotel is still an amazing example of horror.
The exploration is beautifully realized as well. One important thing about exploration that I feel a lot, if not most games fail (I'll skip the obvious quest marker discussion, even though I could discuss that for much longer) at is that a significant part of exploring is discovering the unknown. In most games you can "quantify" for lack of a better word what the exploration consists of. For instance you can usually quickly learn what the game expects out of you and how it tries to hide things. For example, in an open-world RPG you're unlikely to try to push a bookcase by force looking for a secret entrance because rarely would a game allow you to do that. On the other hand, pushing a "secret" (extremely-obvious) button is within the bounds of what you might expect. Every game is going to have limitations, but I feel the one that best hides what these limitations are, and makes the player paranoid about all the possibilities the game could be asking of him/her best accomplishes this feeling of the unknown. You're not simply walking into a room and scanning for the "checklist" of player-interactions you're accustomed to. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines isn't perfect in this, but throughout most of the game I maintained the feeling that there could be a lot of things that I had not seen. Even right as you start, the hospital in Santa Monica is filled with areas to explore, little passages, computer terminals to hack into, information to gather, etc. All of this made it easier to believe in this world as a living place. I wasn't just passing through zones completing a checklist of things to see.
I feel I could talk about this game for a lot longer, the great writing, the fantastically realized characters, and a number of other things but I think I'll keep it brief. If you haven't played this game you really should.
Easily!
Agreed. I only played the game once (I almsot never replay story-driven games) as a Malkavian and it was great.
Baron_Calamity
Member
I've owned this game for 10 years and haven't really played it. I remember enjoying the first bits but then there was a combat segment. It was someplace dark and the whole game was rather janky. I shelved it for a bit and never came back to it. I think I bought it again twice and still never got around to play it.
Trokia was such an awesome little RPG company. Wish they somehow survived.
Trokia was such an awesome little RPG company. Wish they somehow survived.
Cave Johnson
Member
And this is why I actually put up with 15 - 30 minutes of loading time per area during my severely underpowered PC and the buggy state of game - FRESH! No other game other than Shenmue has made me put up with abysmal loading times and still gets me as engaged as if the problems never existed. Sadly, the game eventually crashed on me on one particular quest playthrough no matter how patient I was. I only came back to it just last year once it was released on steam along with the latest mod fix. The sense of closure was liberating.
From the Haunted House to the
Werewolf
Sadly, such is not the case and we are left to see only the "potential" of this game which by default is significantly better than the checklist/loot seeking trash we've been getting this generation. I'm really glad there is a powerful modding community that is still getting this game the rightful treatment it deserves.
I absolutely love the universe this game encompasses. Excellent voice acting, writing, Vampiric powers, the clans, the Masquerade. Everything about this game is top-quality hampered only by budget and time. You can tell from the last 1/3 of the game that they've squeezed every ounce of sandbox gameplay before rushing out the door. I for one am so glad they've managed to get the Malkavian character to be fully fleshed out before release and quite obviously, had they have their way, every character would be given the same treatment; from the Brujah all the way to the Toreador.
And we would have something amazing with this franchise had CCP not fuck up the development. I really wish Troika could get back the IP rights and start up a kickstarter fund to remake the game the way it was intended to be!
AbsolutBro
Member
These dudes know what's up. My first (and so far only and incomplete) playthrough is as a Malkavian, and it is seriously just a complete blast to play. Granted, I've played the VtM RPG game, so I knew what I was getting into, but even without that it's not really all that hard to figure out what's going on. I also agree that NOT knowing exactly what's going on sort of adds to the "you're a brand new vampire" feeling of the game.
My serious recommendation for first timers is: avoid nosferatu. Seriously. Nosferatu is basically like playing an entirely different game.
And unlike Malkavian, it's not playing a better game.
Werewolf Jones
Member
Played through it twice last year, I think I could go through a third time soon and finally play Malkavian.
Western video game music usually doesn't stand out to me but man, Downtown theme is something I'll never forget. It's so perfect.
Western video game music usually doesn't stand out to me but man, Downtown theme is something I'll never forget. It's so perfect.
Nikodemos
Member
The only downside to playing Malk, they're not particularly powerful. Auspex is more of a passive discipline (and most firearms aren't very damaging), Dementation is good but higher-level supers can resist the effects and Obfuscate is again good but the effects don't last very long and I think some supers can spot you while hidden.
Higgins113
Banned
Don't open it
Still IMO the best voice work and overall writing in a game. And while it's got some rough edges (sewers, the whole ending area) the great moments more than make up for it. I played it first in 2008 and it had long since been patched/modded significantly, I'd imagine it'd be even better now.
Malkavian is perfect for a second run since you won't pick up on the slightly 'off' stuff if you haven't played it before. I've seen some people say not to play it first since their 'insight' might include spoilers, but that's not really a problem. Rather it's impossible to tell what the heck your character is talking about on a first playthrough, so it's better when you're in on the joke and know what future event they're alluding to.
I didn't find mine weak, but I also stopped playing at the endgame because I had no interest in doing that horrible shit again.
Malkavian is perfect for a second run since you won't pick up on the slightly 'off' stuff if you haven't played it before. I've seen some people say not to play it first since their 'insight' might include spoilers, but that's not really a problem. Rather it's impossible to tell what the heck your character is talking about on a first playthrough, so it's better when you're in on the joke and know what future event they're alluding to.
I didn't find mine weak, but I also stopped playing at the endgame because I had no interest in doing that horrible shit again.
toastyToast
Member
I need to get around to finishing this. Bought it that first time it went on sale after a however many year hiatus. It wasn't even a huge sale, got it for like $13 bucks
What surprised me most about the game was that there was interesting stuff to look into just about everywhere. The stuff that you'd normally classify as lore isn't even lore, it's stuff that either just happened or is currently happening. It all feels pertinent so, when I came across a computer and hacked it the stuff contained was actually legitimately compelling.
The dialog is absolutely amazing too. Seriously, the quality is so far ahead of nearly everything I've played. Oh, and the Hollywood track is goat
What surprised me most about the game was that there was interesting stuff to look into just about everywhere. The stuff that you'd normally classify as lore isn't even lore, it's stuff that either just happened or is currently happening. It all feels pertinent so, when I came across a computer and hacked it the stuff contained was actually legitimately compelling.
The dialog is absolutely amazing too. Seriously, the quality is so far ahead of nearly everything I've played. Oh, and the Hollywood track is goat
Nikodemos
Member
Gangrel Fortitude+Protean is better since you don't need the
Tal'Mahe'Ra Blade
Intheflorsh
Banned
Sentenza
Member
Same.
Yeah, well... Pure brawlers are stronger in combat than other clans. No shit.
Nikodemos
Member
Ventrue aren't bad in melee either, due to Fortitude+Presence making their enemies deal minimum damage against them. Which is ironic given that Ventrue would dislike low-class activities such as brawling.
The aesthetic to most of the locales is really enticing to the player. Man, I should give it another playthrough soon even if just for a refresher. Definitely gonna go with a Malkavian build this time as it should be quite a change from my first and I do enjoy stealthy builds in most RPGs.
Bought it on Steam earlier this year and it was a real nostalgia trip: Game crashed on startup every single time, just like it did a decade ago.
Anyway, patch + offline mode fixed it. Only played a couple hours, but I love all the dialogue options and the open-ended gameplay. It's hard to look past the Source-engine-ess of it, tho.
Anyway, patch + offline mode fixed it. Only played a couple hours, but I love all the dialogue options and the open-ended gameplay. It's hard to look past the Source-engine-ess of it, tho.
Cheers
EastOfEden
Member
Definitely is. You haven't got to Chinatown yet, right? A lot of Chinatown is great. (And I liked the ending levels, although I was playing as a Tremere so it was a breeze.)
This so much. Not going to lie, VV is the biggest video game character crush I've had.
GayForMaster
Banned
Wow a game with females as the basis of its marketing is goty of 2004? I've got it on my steam but have never played it yet. I'm afraid my friends might think I'm playing it not for its gameplay but just so I can wank it to delicious 3D vampires.
Denton
Member
Every time I think about Bloodlines I want to cry over Troika going bankrupt 
If only CCP or whoever owns the license gave it to Obsidian, Obsidian hired Brian Mitsoda and Leon Boyarski and together they created proper follow-up sequel set in the same universe.....
........
..........
I finished it three times, never as Malkavian, because I am saving that playthrough...I know it is special..
If only CCP or whoever owns the license gave it to Obsidian, Obsidian hired Brian Mitsoda and Leon Boyarski and together they created proper follow-up sequel set in the same universe.....
........
..........
I finished it three times, never as Malkavian, because I am saving that playthrough...I know it is special..
Mihalis0013
Neo Member
Tremere forlifedeath! I love some Malkavian for hilarity and uniqueness but I still think Tremere are one of the coolest.
Also, VVaifu
Her character model looked better than Aiden's sister in Watch Dogs. I played through both games this year.
Denton
Member
It is insane how good the game looks considering its scope, ambition and size of its development team. I really can't believe what they pulled off. On a new unproven engine that wasn't even theirs and was in a state of flux.
Sure there were bugs, but still. Incredible achievement. Every single character in Bloodlines has more life in them than fucking KEVIN SPACEY in new CoD.
ashecitism
Member
Didn't Mitsoda himself voice some chars?
this is the best post i've read all day and i agree with it completely
cj_iwakura
Member
Play as Tremere once if only to see their haven.
It's boss.
It's boss.
It's all about that licenced music playing at that Club in Santa Monica.
Also, the sisters running that club... god, I remember the voice acting for those two giving me the fucking chills in their big Santa Monica finale. So good.