1. signcontrast

   10

   For roleplaying translated to video gaming, Vampire Bloodlines appeals like no other game out there.
   
   I start with its one flaw. When it first came out reviewers more or less panned it because of its bugs which made it unplayable for many. I personally never experienced any bugs that destroyed my gameplay experience, but no doubt, it had a few glitches that forced me to save frequently to be on the safe side and be a little patient with it, like a wild animal - wondrous but unpredictable. That said, there are many free user-created patches which solve this problem, easy to install and find. I found them almost ten years ago, well-before I started using mods.
   
   But why bother with Bloodlines if there are other newer games with professional support? Well, there is still no game out there that captures horror cyberpunk in video gaming so well. It matches Deus Ex for crafty grit and conspiracy. It horrifies while pulling you in. Several stories play with zombie survival, even subtly introducing a George Romero-style character. Other stories feel more like the movie Session 9. Most stories, though, put you in the shoes of a capable investigator who's in way over his head - think Blade Runner, with less cyborg and more vampire. You rifle through drawers, question strange personalities, occasionally run for your life, sneak down hallways, fight notorious killers, meet a variety of damsels in distress which put Witcher to shame, and maneuver between gritty Chinatown Tong. There's simply enough style to cover 5 games and yet they cohesively run together to present you with "the World of Darkness."
   
   Aside from the stories and mood, the music supports the general atmosphere (with all its turns) with songs from artists like Collide, Massive Attack, Chiasm, and Rob Zombie, as well as some more ambient tracks. Bloodlines immerses, if nothing else. But what about the gameplay ask modern players?
   
   It's well-conceived but nothing spectacular. It will feel much like Deus Ex yet again, but with the graphics those fans wished for. True, by today's standards of fps, Bloodlines doesn't amaze. There are relatively few gun choices, relatively simple combat effects, and you don't get a ton of fancy moves or smooth-as-butter controls. What it gives up in combat play it makes up for in choices and character build: just like its runner up in rpgs, Deus Ex. Comparisons here are unavoidable since the controls can seem a little clunky compared to modern games, but the variety of choices balances this. Few games offer such variety in character building though, except for maybe Fallout 3. And few games emphasize those skills as well through multiple routes to solve almost any confrontation. One might sneak past guards, persuade them to allow you to pass, seduce them with a wink, intimidate with the help of some vampire glamour, find a back entrance and pick the lock, go in guns blazing, or even charge in with a katana like Musashi himself. There really, really, is no game out there that rewards attention to character creation like this. Between the quest options, the clan choices in character creation, the character build choices, and your influence on factions, possibilities are endless. It is literally the only rpg or fps Iâ… Expand

   • Helpful? 8 of 8 users said Yes.
2. TheangryOne

   8

   An excellent vampire RPG. Its dark, gripping and often humorous setting makes it the perfect palate cleanser for those of you foolish enough to watch Twilight . Just remember to download the unofficial patch, otherwise, the game is almost unplayable.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
3. ChrisB.

   7

   Graphically interesting, the game suffers from flaws in this engine and can also randomly crash on you unexpectedly, even with the official 1.2 patch. At times the animation can just look outright silly, and some of the cloth effects are rediculous to. Story wise, this game delviers a very interesting and compelling story, though there are several frustrating moments throughout the game that suffer from severe balance issues for either being a trivial encounter at higher ends of the game, or jsut over whelming encounters that unless you get set up perfectly for you have very little chance of completing. Over all, even with it's imperfections and wonky character animation and design at times (and rather oddly small maps compared to teh characters) the game has a very compelling story to play through.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. CatherineP.

   2

   This is the kind of game that seems very impressive the first few times playing. but after a few hours its many faults begin to show. i believe this is the reason for the high ratings its been getting. the bugs make the game too fustrating to be enjoyable.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 26 users said Yes.

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