A piece of gaming history.
This game entirely justifies its cult classic status. In a lot of ways, especially for games of its time, this is a masterpiece. Not only is it extremely unique in form and function, but also in presentation and dynamic. You start playing the game, and if you have a lot of experience with other games, you're like "I see how this is going to go." But then it very quickly loosens the reigns, not only letting you do things the way you want, but also with so much diversity and uniqueness. After a point, it's really hard to put VTM down.
I love that the blood of this game is an immersive sim. It is a great RPG, and a great FPS, but it's clear a lot of inspiration from games like Deus Ex, System Shock, and perhaps even a dash of Morrowind. This game loves to let you explore, let you make choices on your own terms. This was before morality systems, and it's all the better for it: your choices are yours. Want to save that character? You have to find the right path, route, and dialogues to do that. Which dialogue option is the "right one?" Whichever one suits the character you're playing. What faction do you align with, and who can you trust? It's entirely up to you. This game loves that you get to choose.
The level design is also phenomenal, possibly the best design I can think of. Obviously the Ocean House Hotel stands as a triumph; arguably the best level I've ever experienced in gaming, literally gave me goosebumps. But I can think of so many other fun experiences: exploring the both hospitals and Grouts Mansion come immediately to mind, with such excellent engagement and environmental storytelling. When mixed with the narrative, it really glamors you in a way few other games do. Santa Monica also stands out - it's one of those maps you memorize instantly; the other hub areas are quite good as well, and very distinctive, but something about Santa Monica is also just great.
Then the social elements. This game lavishes you with so many opportunities. Jack, LaCroix, Bertam, the Voermans... there are so many amazing characters, and I felt so desperate to exhaust every line of dialogue they had, because everything they had to say about their world and their lore, in their unique voices, was just so enrapturing. The Giovanni Mansion, despite its linearity, is very fun, and I had a joy yapping to all the snooty rich kids and playing them against each other. Outside of that, the vibes are immaculate. Every part of this game feels perfect for what it is; seedy back-alleys, goth nightclubs, grungy dive bars, luxurious penthouses, everything felt perfect and a joy to inhabit within.
There is also a lot of build variety in this game, using those RPG elements. All of the clans are really unique, and despite the game being semi-linear because of its scope, it still offers so many different ways to play. My high social Tremere can yap and magic her way out of any situation, except for melee, where I'm instantly overwhelmed; but conversely, a deceptive Nosferatu, a brawler Burjah, and obviously the uniqueness with Malkavian offer so many different perceptions, angles, and approaches to play. In terms of an RPG, this is the platonic ideal, letting the player choose how to approach the game and play their own way. Mate this with the ImSim elements, and you feel like the little genius solving all these puzzles because you happened to build your character a certain way. Allowing ALL players, regardless of clan or build variety, to feel special, that's peak, your honor.
The graphics are also quite good for their age. Without mods, the game looks messy but fine; with the mods, it looks quite nearly like a modern indie production. This is definitely in part to the fantastic animations and extremely unique character designs. The OST also has countless bangers that really set the vibe of this "seedy underbelly" you're exploring. And what do I even say with the voice-acting? You can tell everyone had so much fun, from the portly security guard to the high-minded archeologist. Everyone brought their A-game, no notes, chef's kiss.
However, all that praise to say, this may be one of the most flawed, broken games I've ever played. To begin, this game is JANK. I've played a lot of jank games in my time, and I know that this game had a troubled development, and has mostly extended its lifespan due to community love and support. But holy hell, this game is held together by rubber bands and chewing gum. I've never played a game with so many game breaking glitches. Soft and hard locks, music cutting out, weapons infinitely firing, crashes, visual and mechanical bugs, broken quests, doors that don't unlock forcing you to noclip. I would be lying if this wasn't an immensely frustrating experience. I would experience 1 glitch for every 30 minutes of playing, and sometimes MANY more. It felt like I was fighting the game just to play. It's like trying to take your rabid dog on a walk; you want to just enjoy the time outdoors with your pet, but the maniac is ruining it by acting like an absolute inane psycho.
Then there's the design of the game. As many have said before me, this game loses a lot of it's diversity of choices around the halfway mark, due to the games rocky development cycle. I don't outright hate this; the jump to constant fights and gun-battles reminds me of classic 90s action movies, where there is character building and fun times, then the experience unloads everything it has in an action spectacle at the end. But especially with how masterful the game is in the first half - arguably one of the most fun and perfect experiences I've ever had in gaming - it is very sad that the game really tightens its belt in the second half. It's just disappointing, because you know with infinite time and money, they had so much potential to make this something even more astounding than it already was.
This game is a wonderful struggle. Deeply imperfect, yet there is also nothing quite like it. Once it gets its fangs in you, it won't let go; yet those fangs are painful, and every moment you spend with this game will feel like a struggle. A mix of pain and pleasure, just like a classic vampire.
Is this a good game? Absolutely. But it's difficult to recommend. I would recommend this firstly to people who love vampires. This is absolutely in the canon of required engagement for vampire lovers. I also advocate for gaming nerds to play this; people who like older, classic games, or complex games. In a lot of ways, this game reminds me of Pathologic; a game better talked about than played, because the act of playing it, while deeply engaging and fun, can also be very excruciating and annoying.
But that's also the joy. This game exists, and not only stands on its own as an eternal classic in the medium of games, but also as a wonderfully modern game that still executes on everything it does nearly 20 years after release. This is a very special experience. Not everyone will have a good time with Vampire The Masquerade. But if you truly love gaming as a medium of entertainment and artform, you would be doing yourself a huge disservice to not try and immerse yourselves into this truly unique experience.
