They sure don't make games like this anymore. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a classic, and a fantastic action RPG, made back when Activision wasn't the corrupt, disgusting giant company it is now.
Additionally, Bloodlines 2 does not hold a candle to this game, aside from modern combat improvements. Overall, this original Bloodlines entry is still the best.
Pros:
+ Various different play-styles, attributes, vampire types and weapon types to choose from, along with a decently sized tree to invest additional points in
+ Fantastic industrial/goth vibe, art direction and overall aesthetics
+ Great overall 'people vs. the elite' plot, with interesting quest lines, sub-plots, characters and places
+ Fantastic writing. It is not bound by political filters and is not afraid to offend with its dialogue, dark themes and humor
+ Great voice acting
+ Combat has aged well, for the most part. There are attribute checks for certain things, as there are no sprint, dodge or block mechanics. Gunplay and melee combat isn't bad, as hits must still land for damage-based skill checks
+ Other playstyle options available, such as stealth, lockpicking, charisma/persuasion, hacking, investigation, romance/seduction, etc.
+ The characters are delightfully and noticeably expressive in their facial expressions and movements
+ A lot of attention to detail and more involvement than you will find even in modern RPGs
+ Not too long and not too short, at around 28 hours if side quests are completed
+ Great licensed soundtrack from artists such as Ministry, Lacuna Coil, Die My Darling and more
+ Still the best Bloodlines entry in the series
Cons:
- Requires the community mod 'Unofficial Patch 11.5' to be installed, for the game to run on modern hardware. The game has not been officially patched in quite some time. Note, the link to the download can easily be found pinned in the game's discussion page, and installation is very straight-forward, quick and easy
- The camera is uncooperative in tight spaces, due to the fact that some weapons force 3rd person perspective while equipped
- One of the final boss fights (tentacle monster) was rushed in development and is nearly impossible to beat with any build, without cheesing or using all available blood packs if you have them
- Corpses despawn and NPC movements don’t always track between different scene/area transitions
Mixed:
~ This RPG uses skill checks, which may or not be everyone's cup of tea. However, combat-based skill checks only decide damage, as each hit/shot still must make contact with the enemy from your own skill and aim
~ Five possible different endings, depending on who you choose to side with throughout the game
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys RPGs, even to those who haven't found themselves liking the vampire genre, for I myself don't usually and still had a lot of fun with this game.
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
