Wondering what made the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines so special, so much so that the sequel persisted through development hell? Now’s your chance to find out, with the first Bloodlines 50% off on Steam.
It says a lot about the love fans have for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, and the perceived value of the name, that publisher Paradox Interactive went back to the drawing board instead of canning this action RPG game‘s sequel entirely.
So, with The Chinese Room working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, there’s no better time to sink your teeth into the original and thanks to Steam’s Halloween sale it’s 50% off, making it dirt cheap.
Unlike Bloodlines 2, which casts you as elder vampire Phyre, this entry throws you in at the deep end. You’re a newly-turned LA vampire who, before getting their neck ventilated, had no idea vampires existed.
But that’s one of the most entertaining aspects of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Like the tabletop RPG it draws upon, humanity can never discover the existence of the undead.
So when you save the life of a human, by giving her your blood, and she turns up at your apartment, you’re looking over your shoulder to check that the vampiric authorities aren’t about to descend on you.
And as cool as it is to have vampire powers (there are seven clans to choose from, compared to Bloodlines 2’s four) you’re horribly, horribly aware that you’re at the bottom of the supernatural pecking order.
Yes, you can make some explode into a shower of red goo and slaughter vampire hunters left, right, and center. But the moment you’re back out on the moody streets, you’re left wondering who the hell you can trust.
Just which vampire has your best interests at heart? Grizzled vampire biker Jack? The Harley Quinn-style club owner? Is your own ghoul going to plunge a stake into your heart?
Unfortunately, the game was a little buggy at launch and while it’s become a cult classic, it wasn’t the smash it needed to be.
However, nearly twenty years later, fans are still patching the game, even restoring cut content, and it’s become a must-buy for any budding bloodsuckers. Why not shoot to become the vampire prince of Los Angeles? I’m sure nothing will go wrong.
You can get Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines on Steam right now, priced $9.99/£7.49 down from $19.99/£14.99.
If you’re after more neck-biting, here are the best vampire games on PC. Or if you’d like to explore the world of spooks, check out these ghost games instead.