Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2's reviews are in, and things aren't looking good for the long-awaited sequel. It currently has a Metacritic score of 64 (PS5) and an Open Critic score of 66.
By comparison, the first game – which was largely considered unfinished at launch – has a Metacritic score of 80. Back then, critics were able to look past the issues and see what is now a cult classic RPG. But with Bloodlines 2, it seems The Chinese Room's push to turn it into a more action-oriented RPG with a pre-written character hasn't resonated in the same way.
Critics Find Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Boring And Repetitive
Writing for TheGamer, content editor Chris Hayner gave Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 a score of 2.5/5. He criticized almost every aspect of the game, from the removal of RPG mechanics to the writing and characters.
“Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is the epitome of wasted potential,” writes Chris. “It's one of the most beloved TTRPG series of all time, and the original game has become a cult classic over the years. This isn't the sequel we hoped for, wanted, or even expected. It's a Vampire: The Masquerade in name only.”
Dashiell Wood of TechRadar Gaming goes even lower, giving the game a 1.5/5. “A cobbled walking simulator with a dead world and a poorly paced linear narrative that unconvincingly pretends to be an action RPG,” he sums up. “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a disaster and not the sequel its legendary predecessor needed or deserved.”
However, there are some who have found something to praise. One of the most positive scores comes from Jessica Cogswell of GameSpot, who went with 7/10. “There is a lot here that is fantastic; I loved the story, the characters, the drama and the sheer power fantasy of it all,” she writes. “At the same time, it's one of the more unpolished games I've reviewed, and definitely lacks the level of ambition, scope, choice, and general rigor of other modern RPGs.”
Nick Rodriguez of Games Rant felt the same way and also gave the game a 7/10. “If you're looking for the depth and variety of content offered by other leading AAA RPGs, The Chinese Room's relatively modest Seattle-at-night experience may leave you feeling a little underwhelmed,” he says. “But if you want a story that you can sink your teeth into and gameplay that, while not always given the right space to breathe, often gets the job done, then you'll likely settle into this casual action adventure quite well.”
In the end, it looks like fans of the original game will lose out the most, as the sequel bears little resemblance to what came before it. So if you never played the first game and just want to run around Seattle as a vampire, this might be worth picking up. Otherwise, this is possibly one to skip.
- Released
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21 October 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense violence, blood and gore, sexual themes, nudity, drug reference, strong language
- Developer
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The Chinese Room
