| Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | DLC & Pre-Order | Review |
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Gameplay
Combat Playstyles
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is a narrative-driven action RPG. To achieve this, The Chinese Room outlined three core gameplay styles: Strategic Stalker, Action Brawler, and Narrative Adventurer. Each playstyle corresponds to one of the vampire clans in Bloodlines 2, influencing how players, as Phyre, navigate and engage with the world around them.
Strategic Stalker emphasizes stealth, offering players opportunities to plan their moves and utilize Discipline powers judiciously. This approach suits clans like Banu Haqim and Tremere, allowing for tactics such as ambushing enemies, feeding discreetly, and employing hit-and-run strategies.
Action Brawler caters to those who prefer direct combat, with the Brujah clan excelling in close-quarters mayhem. Inspired by action-brawling games like God of War and Shadow of Mordor, this style encourages players to dominate the battlefield, using powerful abilities to control crowds and inflict maximum damage.
Finally, Narrative Adventurer appeals to players who are focused on story and character interactions, reminiscent of the original Bloodlines game. This style allows for engaging battles without extensive combat mechanics, prioritizing narrative immersion.
The first four playable vampire clans in Bloodlines 2 are Brujah, Tremere, Banu Haqim, and Ventrue, each offering distinct gameplay experiences:
⚫︎ Brujah: Masters of brutal melee combat, embodying rebellion and physical prowess.
⚫︎ Tremere: Experts in magic-based combat, wielding telekinetic abilities and blood manipulation.
⚫︎ Banu Haqim: Stealthy assassins driven by a sense of justice, adept at hunting down other vampires.
⚫︎ Ventrue: Masters of mind control and high defense, renowned for their influence and status within vampire society.
Basic Attack Styles and Dashing
Dev Diary 25 delves into the game’s advanced combat mechanics and weaponry. Players will often face multiple foes simultaneously. Each clan’s basic attack styles come in handy in such cases. Banu Haqim’s attacks are swift, Ventrue’s are precise, Tremere’s provide extended reach, and Brujah’s are forceful.
As Phyre, players are privy to a dashing ability that allows them to maintain a distance or break an opponent’s guard when timed correctly. Kicks, executed immediately after a dash, offer crowd control options, with different kicks affecting enemies in various ways. Overusing these attacks, however, can lead to diminishing effectiveness.
Telekinesis
Telekinesis offers several tactical advantages. It allows players to pull enemies closer for follow-up attacks or to be devoured. It can also eliminate unsuspecting foes by pulling them off ledges. Furthermore, telekinesis enables manipulation of environmental objects for distraction or harm, such as throwing explosives. Players can also retrieve weapons from fallen enemies. This ability synergizes with discipline abilities, such as triggering Tremere’s explosive blood curse from a distance or disarming enemies by combining Brujah’s taunt with mass manipulation.
Elixirs
The game also introduces elixirs crafted by Thin-bloods, weaker vampires who use alchemy to access power they otherwise lack. Players can find and use these elixirs to gain advantages in combat. The four available elixirs are:
⚫︎ Mending Elixir, which restores health
⚫︎ Blood Elixir, which replenishes blood pips for abilities
⚫︎ Potence Elixir, which temporarily increases attack damage
⚫︎ Fortitude Elixir, which temporarily reduces damage taken
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Story Plot
In the tale of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, players step into the role of Phyre, an ancient vampire roused from centuries of sleep only to find themselves estranged from the city they once knew. Phyre is a highly customizable protagonist, allowing players to shape their gender, appearance, and vampire lineage. However, amidst this personalization, a central narrative thread weaves through the experience, anchoring the player's choices and interactions.
Accompanying Phyre on their journey is Fabian, a Thin-Blood vampire intricately intertwined with Phyre's existence. Acting as a guide and confidant, Fabian shares a mysterious connection with Phyre, offering insights and knowledge from the shadows of Phyre's ancient slumber. The extended gameplay trailer teases Fabian's presence as a voice within Phyre's mind, yet the origins of this bond remain shrouded in mystery.
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