It's hard to think of a game that fits the “cult classic” better than 2004's Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlinesa narrative action RPG featuring a wickedly alluring version of the modern vampire. In the two decades since its release, Bloodlines has created a devoted online following, seen as a charming quirk that typifies early 2000s PC gaming. As the IP's visibility has increased, so have its associated works, such as visual novels Blood hunt battle royale, and, of course, the long-awaited Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
A funny thing about cult classics is how they outgrow themselves. The first one Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is miles from perfect, and some might even say that it is actually poorly designed in several respects. Sure, its writing and world-building are best in class, but its combat, open-world, and RPG elements are woefully underdone, even by 2004 standards. And yet, fans of the game overlook these weaknesses—weaknesses that would be fatal to lesser games—in favor of its strengths. Bloodlines as more than the sum of its parts.
Like this Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 should be seen, because just like its predecessor, it has some extremely rough edges. Its open world design is bland and boring, its RPG system is half-baked at best, and its quest design is about as pedestrian as it gets. But I really enjoyed it Bloodlines 2. More than that, I loved its story and can easily call it one of the best written video games of 2025.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Has a Bloody Great Narrative
All fans of the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines will readily tell you that the writing is its crown jewel, and its sequels place the same premium on storytelling. The world of Vampire: The Masqueradewhich is based on the early 90s TTRPG of the same name, is dark, edgy, inventive and cohesive – one of only a few urban fantasy IPs that doesn't feel immature or overtly YA-oriented. Appropriately, it's not a franchise afraid to go dark, nor does it try to placate its audience with regular appeals to contemporary morality. Vampire: The Masquerade is about bloodsucking monsters, and it makes no effort to make those monsters more palatable. There is a certain confidence Vampire: The Masquerade which is not often seen in modern big budget stories, and it is incredibly refreshing.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines came out of the now-defunct Troika games, but its sequel comes from The Chinese Room, the studio behind the storytelling powerhouse that Still Wakes the Deep and All have gone to the Rapture.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 still has the deep and multi-layered vampire story of its predecessor, but it stands out with a much more compelling plot, starring a more engaged, interesting protagonist. Players take on the role of Phyre, also known as Nomad, a centuries-old clan known throughout the vampire world, who find themselves in Seattle just after a major power shift in the Camarilla (vampire government). It's good to think of Phyre along the same lines as Cyberpunk 2077s V: you can control their personality during conversations, make important decisions, and even define some parts of their background, but their core desires and value systems are predetermined. This may be disappointing for fans of Bloodlines 1s more traditional, open RPG design, but others will find that Phyre's tailored story makes for a much more focused narrative experience.
There is a certain confidence Vampire: The Masquerade which is not often seen in modern big budget stories, and it is incredibly refreshing.
As Phyre, players will slowly unravel the tangled web of Seattle's Camarilla, uncovering secrets, shedding light on the city's shadowy history, and bearing witness to a frenzy of political intrigue. It's a tight, tidy little story that puts a lot of faith in its characters and stories, giving players only the tiniest samples of what makes these elements tick, encouraging them to explore. So many contemporary games bend over backwards to make their characters and world-building compelling, but Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 makes it look easy. No characters are wasted, no narrative is contradicted, and the entire story shines with smart competence, even as it builds toward a messy climax you won't want to look away from.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2's gameplay is a mixed bag
In some ways, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2s gameplay is tragic, not because it's terrible (it's certainly better than that of the first game), but because it rarely realizes its potential. Like the first game, Bloodlines 2 is set in a small open world, though Seattle's snow-laden streets are nowhere near as dense and compelling as its predecessors. In the first one BloodlinesLos Angeles feels like a dirty, greasy character in and of itself, with countless secrets, optional dialogue encounters, easter eggs, and more. It's not the best mini-open-world hack, but it's a surprising, multi-faceted and eerie sandbox, while Bloodlines 2s interpretation of Seattle is soulless and banal.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the game's side content, which feels like little more than a necessary tithe to open-world conventions that clash with Bloodlines 2s otherwise pristine view. Side quests are all a variation of “go here, do this,” and they never chain together in any meaningful way. To add insult to injury, many quests will either have no reward or only reward players with a specific type of XP, which can easily be obtained in other, less time-consuming ways. In addition to structured side quests, there are various collectibles scattered around Seattle, but collecting them also feels like a chore, as they are so numerous and seemingly randomly placed on the map.
This ties into the game's wider problem with the RPG fundamentals, which never really take off. There are no stats, items, or equipment available that would have allowed for some degree of creativity or power creep, and progression is tied almost exclusively to a suite of abilities. To the game's credit, many of these abilities are unique and fun to use, but only four of them can be equipped at any given time, which makes unlocking them feel less like you're getting more powerful and more like you're just getting new options. It's a nice idea, but the novelty wears off when you come up with a handful of powers that work for you. There are some passive abilities, but they are far too insignificant for how difficult they are to unlock. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2s abilities may be clever, but their inexplicably conservative integration into the rest of the game loop prevents them from reaching their full mechanical potential.
It's a shame, because when Bloodlines 2s gameplay is firing on all cylinders, it's a beautiful thing. Phyre is blindingly mobile, able to sprint along the ground with feline agility, jump several feet into the air, slide, double jump and climb, making both crossings and combat encounters delightfully frenetic. This dovetails nicely with the aforementioned focus on abilities, adding structure and expression to the chaos, allowing you to dominate the battlefield in your own way. Phyre can also use telekinesis at any time, allowing them to pick up and throw all sorts of objects, and even fire weapons, which is always satisfying. The combat and traversal sandboxes really shine in the game's second half, when there's the most variety of enemies and environments, but in the slower moments it can feel like the strong moment-to-moment gameplay is held together by a progression model that's far too rigid, and mission design that rarely encourages using Phyre's more unexpected powers in a new or more unexpected way.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 won't be a game for everyone. 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 might leave you feeling a little overwhelmed. 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 probably settle into this casual action adventure quite well. In a way, Bloodlines 2 is a fitting continuation of its predecessor's legacy: deeply flawed, but masterfully written.
- 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
- Great story, characters and dialogue
- Amazing game from moment to moment
- A unique fantasy world
- Creative, original powers
- Poor development
- Boring, banal side quests
- Inefficient world design
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will be released on October 21, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Game Rant received a PC code for this review.
