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.

WTF... this puts halflife 2 to shame. Wow halflifes a shootem up mono aS! this is a shootem up rpg with a thick storyline.. some of the missiosn are jsut plane creepy!. The haunted house one i had goose bumps and my hair was standing up all down my back (no i dont have a hairy back but you know what i mean) Well done whoever made this game. Halflife 2 gets the thumbs up for makin the engine but in terms of a gameplay this game smokes it completely what a rad game. Only disturbing thing is too much play gives you vampire dreams and you do feel a bit weird when you wake up and you fell like you've been suckin on someones neck half the night :o. Anyway back to more about this game. Its storyline is awesome, has real attitude and some great humoour. You can choose from different clans and some of the more powerful ones have their drawbacks for example the royal bloodline of vampires can't suck bum blood or Priostitue blood.. its jsut no healthy for the and they start to throw up. Id say whatever type of vampire you think you are theres one for you there. Best game i played in a long time.… Expand

This game ranks in my top 10 of best games both for storyline and graphic comparison ran amazingly on my 6 year old pentium 4 1.8ghz with 640mb ram and integrated graphics now thats ability to play on a wide array if i've ever seen one i had one glitch in the game however the unoffical patch at filefront took care of that i recemend both the unoffical and offical patches for this game before you play as it helps in the long run. But all in all the storyline was great and everything was where it should have been.… Expand

A very atmospheric RPG which, sadly, has an unfinished feel to it.

Yes, this game has bugs. That's what patches are for. I waited to play VTMB until one was available. Glad I did! I haven't had this much fun playing a RPG since KOTOR. Bottom line: If you like games like Morrowind, KOTOR, and Deus Ex, and you have a PC that can handle the load, then run out and buy this game immediately.

I believe the direct opposite from Jeff S. I think the Santa Monica part is slightly boring, but once you get to Hollywood it starts getting, well amazing. As I am writing this, Troika has recently shut down. So there probably wont be any more patches, which is incredibly dissapointing. But it isn't their fault, it's Acitivisions. The music, especailly the creepy music and the Chinatown/Asian music, is excellent. The game really takes you to it's disturbed, depressing, but amazing nightworld. In my opinion, if it had been staffed better and given more time to be released, it could have been one of the best RPG's ever. As it stands, it is still easily the best one of 2004, and in my personal top 5.… Expand

The storyline is the best. the RPG interface is nice. The graphics are good, but I found several places, which they're bugs are unforgiveble. My computer qualifies the highest standarts the game requires. In spite of that the bugs are there. I think it would be better if the story occurs in other places in the world. If other places were mentioned you would be experinced adventure.

I've played Vampire: tM RPG at home for years and this game was my first trial at the PC version of the game. I absolutely LOVED it! The storyline, the subplots and the atmosphere were incredible. The characters and dialogues were interesting. Some disciplines powers were not that awesome though. I would greatly recommend playing Malkavian or Tremere to get the most out of the game. It doesn't have much replay value since the story is the same for alll clans. Nervertheless, the game is very addictive, thrilling and intricately built (I would never have guessed that getting into a haunted house - even as a vampire - would be so scary). Many hours of fun to get out of it!… Expand

The narrative and dialogs are all very well written. Character customization actually alters game play and conversations. It's good to feel that your choices are meaningful for once. Troika did and excellent job setting up the atmosphere for this game as well, through art direction and music. There is great attention to detail that creates a sustained dystopian world that is easy to believe in and become attached to. The characters that inhabit it, also, are both memorable and believable.… Expand

Though it has bugs, and requires a bit higher system than Half-Life 2, I never though I would enjoy a romp around Los Angeles as a vampire. Guns, combat, girls, just to name a few put the spark in this title. The Source technology makes it shine. I wonder what will be next... Unreal 3.0 maybe.

I played this game and liked it so much I made a model changer script for it. (The game supports binding scripted aliases to keys like quake). There are a few games in life that you find yourself always wanting to replay. For me, Deus Ex, KOTR and Half Life are on that list. This game was added to that list about a year ago. It has 3 or 4 different endings based on how you play through the game. The ending is based on your alliances... which are formed throughout the entire game. So it has excellent replayability. (And no you cant cheat by watching the bink files. The endings are played out using the game engine).… Expand

Wonderfully complex adult game. Great for re playability. The different skills allow for many different play through methods.

The most awesome story ever, heaps of options, completely immersive, and just wait til the haunted house - most atmospheric level ever.

The game is very buggy and the combat isn't particularly well-done, but the RPG elements and the realism of characters more than make up for this. You're a vampire, you're pissed, and you're going to have to drink blood whether you like it or not; be it from a normal human being, other vampires, or donated blood transfusion packs. Again, buggy, bad combat, excellent storyline and engine.… Expand

This game is awesome! I recommend it to anyone who likes Vampire, RPGs, and the Source engine.

I love the White Wolf's "Vampire" (Both of them. I know: I'm a freak) And I found this game to be thoroughly enjoyable. I will admit it was plagued with glitches but the 36 (not counting failed attempts, restarts, crashes and the like) hours I spent were worthwhile. The "Jyhad" as the game calls it was ambitious with so many factions and stories crossing over each other but not unlike LucasArts' KoTOR II (Don't take it as a diss or a plug) the ending seemed rushed, as if all their ambition was stifled with a strict realease date. Though there are plenty of opportunities to get through situations by talking, more often than not violence is the only solution so abilities are weighted toward combat and stealth making it hard to end the game with less aggressive characters. The cast is lively and colorful and most of the voice acting is very appropriate. You can really get attatched (Oh how I loved VV) to the people who spend their lives and unlives in you. The final scene(s) despite the scenes leading up to it (Which in and of themselves aren't that bad) is excellent and really the perfect twist. Worth the time getting there. PLay it. A few times actually so you can see all the clans in action since people do respond to your clan throughout (very nice touch) but it's a far cry from perfect. Could have been easily though… Expand

I have played this game several times through without ever having a problem. People who rated the game low because of "HL2 looks so good, this game should have looked better based off the same engine"; I have two reasons to give. First, this game was released the SAME DAY as HL2. Do you honestly think that they are going to even compete with the developer of the engine? Second, this game was designed to run on mid-range systems (obviously mid-range at the time). Anyone having problems with high end systems (One user posted he had a P4 3GHz and a 6800GT, etc) there is something wrong with your rig. When I first played this game, It was on an Athlon 64 3000+ 512Mb RAM and a GeForce 6600. Everything on High on at 1280x1024 without ANY problems. The game looks amazing, even compared to HL2. The story is great. Replayability is the best I've seen. Now that I have it on STEAM, I'm sure I'll play even more.… Expand

One of the most interesting games I've ever played. Certainly we need more gems like that. The story is the strongest point here, as it should be. Sadly, making interesting games doesn't pay so developers sink (R.I.P. Troika). If you look at the history of innovative video games you can see more examples of that - Looking Glass Studios, Interplay . . .

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

Best storyline game of all time...make another one dammit!

Wow...I've been playing this for a few hours and this is definitely the must-have RPG of the year. Based on the HL2 Source engine, it's environs are rich and detailed. Characters are lively and move flawlessly, and the story is awesome. Get HL2, and get this game. Both are shaping up to be great games.

WHOA! I had no idea this game was coming out, all the HL2 hype nearly buried it. This is the most involving and beautiful game I've ever played, and it's hard to pull myself away from it long enough even to write this!

In response to James A: I am running this on a laptop, with 2.8 P4, 1 Gig of ram and an ATI 9600 and have the resolution set to 1600x1200 and haven't had it run slow at all - no choppiness, nothing.... The game is very well done overall. Melee feels "arcade" like, which is a bit of a disappointment. The Disciplines (spells) are all well thought out and have some interesting graphics. I am using firearms and have a moderate skill and finding it works fine - aiming might be linked to performance of your computer? Although guns rarely do even 1/2 the damage melee attacks do. The story is wonderful - not since Deus Ex have I seen this much attention to detail and intelligence in dialogue! Graphics are overall well-done with only Half-Life 2 outpacing it. The emphasis is definitely on the RPG side of this game, NOT the shooter side - so don't buy this if you want an intense action game. DO buy it if you want an immersive RPG with overall stunning visuals, excellent plot, and deep character development. The combat is average to below average - but, for me, it hasn't detracted much from the overall game.… Expand

This game is not a techno-fighter nor was it designed to be. If it runs smooth on your system it's incredible and well worth your time. Engrossing and deep with many sidequests and character development.

Like the reviews point out, the game is undermined by its buggy, incomplete feel. It does curtiously provide you with enough time to put on a pot of coffee while it loads, and reloads. I would be more interesting in replaying it if the game seemed to promise more variety the second-time through, but all I'd really be doing is switching vampires. Good time, overall.

It doesn't feel done. Seriously. That shows even during the opening cinematic. Broken animation, strange audio quirks, and a strange, jumpy behavior all persist throughout the game from that point on (even with patch 1.2). This game, however, is really great. The story, the acting, the combat, the RPG element... they all shine. Sadly, the last 15% of the game feels generic. Well written, as it always is, but I feel like I've seen it before. Also, "talking characters" have a much, much harder time than "fighter characters" as so much of the game ends up with combat. If more time had been put into clan balance, the last few missions, and overall polish - we would have one of the best games of all time on our hands. But, I guess we'll just have to settle for one hell of a game!… Expand

I usually don't play computer, but I'm totally in love with this game. It so funny and exiting...is there anything else on the marked like this? I can't find a single bad thing about this game, maybe because I'm new to this.

Yes, Bloodlines is buggy, almost terminally so. Still, it's easily the best game I have ever played on any system, so this is going to have to be a 10. You'd just better have more than 512MB of RAM if you want it to run.

I bought this game when I realized my computer couldn't play Morrowind IV: Oblivion and I was on the market for a fresh new RPG. This game delivered, and then some. If you liked Knights of the Old Republic, you'll like this game (perhaps better than KOTOR II). It's an excellent mix of action and story with a perfectly crafted atmosphere and really good ending.

This game has to be the best Vampire game i have played.

An excellent story and a variety of classes and character types make this an enjoyable and fun game to play.

A great game. But the potential of the valve's source engine is quite wasted here. Anyway, Bloodlines remains a great gaming experience. A reference for action rpg.

To make it clear; anybody who doesn't give this game 10/10 points has no idea of its true potential, not only the different endings make it repayable, but also the vast amount of characters and possible ways of developing your Kindred. I'd personally say 20/10 points and with the fan patches it's just perfect; just need to find out how to use every inch of the console in the right way!… Expand

A wonderful well thought out game with plenty of atmosphere, wonderful characters, exploration, and adventure. The RPG elements make it very replayable. The downside is that it is known to not run on all systems, and the developers went under before they could finish patching it. The intro video looks like it was half finished when the game went on shelves. If you are lucky enough to have this run on your computer you are going to have one good time.… Expand

Great game, fantastic adaptation of the world of darkness. I'ts only let down by a few nasty bugs.

Action 8/10 Story 10/10 Voice Acting 10/10 Freedom and Interactivity 10/10

This game is awesome. Every RPG lover's wet dream! I don't remember last time i've played a game with such an in-depth and unique story. Great dialog, wonderful atmoshpere, cool Vampire powers. This game rocks!

I?ll agree with previous comments made about bloodlines gameplay, and add that more than any other cRPG (even KotOR) the character choices you make really do influence how you interact with NPCs. If you let your humanity slip, you?ll approach the world as an immoral monster. High seduction? You?ll find good looks can get you farther. While some have described the combat as ?clunky? I haven?t found it so at all. It does depend heavily on your stats, so if you don?t put points into combat related attributes and talents, expect to have your butt handed to you on a regular basis. My only complaint is the lack of clothing/character model options. If you could change your look a bit more, it would be a totally immersive game. I?ve had no major graphics glitches, and I?m running an athlon xp 2600, 1 gb of ram, radeon 9600 128mb graphics. Hardcore VtM fans will note some significant departures from the pen and paper system, but I?ve found most of these compromises helped the flow of the game, and contributed to the overall experience. Each clan is represented well, though the character quiz heuristic is horribly broken. But if you know what clan you want to play, that doesn?t really matter. In any case, this is one of the most intense RPG experiences I?ve ever had. Spooky as hell. Very dark, but infused with Troika?s offbeat humor that gives the game some singularly hysterical moments. This is as close as you?ll ever get to feeling what it?s really like to enter the World of Darkness. Here?s hoping they make expansions and sequels ad infinitum. … Expand

This game is brilliant, a legend nowadays equal to Fallout, Arcanum, Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment. If you are a fan of non-linear RPG with beatiful story and rich dialogues, and you enjoyed the games I listed, then you will love Vampire the Bloodlines.

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.

Runs bad, doesn't flow well, isn't too much fun except for a few good scares. How could Half Life 2 have done so much with this engine, and this game did so little?

Pre-patches and mods, I would agree with the 8.0 rating. This game was simply rushed. However, now that the gaming community has fixed most bugs and reintroduced most cut features, VTM:B's strengths begin to shine free of the tarnish of poor production quality. The action isn't bad, but the true appeal here is simply the best combination of voice acting, characters, setting, and writing ever witnessed in the RPG genre.… Expand

Like Troika games previous efforts, this game doesn't feel finished. there were many times when i needed to search the forums for work arounds to problems, which prevented me from advancing in the game. in fact, this game is so buggy that a 'fan created' patch was released to fix some of the bugs. an official patch is now avaliable but in my opinion its too little too late.

The game have an amazing atmosphere, awesome voiceacting and being a Malkavian is one of the most fun PC RPG game roles I have ever played. It does have its share of bugs though, you often get stuck in doors that refuse to open and close or the game simply freeze and so on. A great game in many ways but as some reviewers have pointed out, it lacks a true finishing touch to really make it an epic game.… Expand

Barely playable at release, but with the fan patches this is now one of the greatest RPGs ever made. RIP Troika.

The most fun I've ever had gaming. probably my favorite game. Was a bit glitchy when released.

First of all, if you are the kind of person that likes to bypass all the talking in the games you play and you have the "lets kill some" attitude, stay 1000kms away from this game. Like a good wine, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is a game to be appreciated to its full extent, with time and without rushes. Anyway, this has to be the best storyline ever made for a game. I won't even mention the main plot, which is, by the way, AMAZING. Every small side quest has a very well written and interesting story behind it too. The plague quest or even the serial killer one have better arguments then most top selling games nowadays. Also, the Source Engine allows some "moments" that you won't forget so soon. The Haunted Mansion is just plain frightening. And I'm not exactly 14 years old. I was actually jumping away from the screen in my chair. The combat system is kind of basic, but the different powers make it always interesting. It's a must to replay this game to actually understand how different clans offer different approaches to the same situations. All in all, Bloodlines is just mandatory for everyone who enjoys a good story. If you like vampires, you will fall in love with this game. Never vampires were so deep, emotional or real. Definitely a game that will suck you in (pun intended :P).… Expand

A great game, well designed levels and the FPS/RPG element is almost, key, almost, perfect. The multiple factions and stories string together well but not smoothly, at times it may feel like story elements completely drop off the radar and at other times it seems all main story is gone and the side quest story is all that remains. Graphically the game is what you would expect on the source engine. The major issue is bugs, if you can ignore them all. (graphic glitches, loading issues, cut scenes problems, crash bugs and a few instances where events don't take place and you must reload from your last save and place through the sequence again to get it to 'click') the game is worthy of a sequel no doubt, but aswell there is no doubt one will never be seen. It's a solid 9.5... but loses 1.5 to bugs.… Expand

Best game ever made period.

This is simply one of the best PC-RPGs I have ever played.

One of the few games out there that has real re-play value. With the unofficial patch this game can finally be enjoyed rather than endured.

Bloodlines suffered initially from nasty bugs, but after patching this game plays fantastic and is one of the most true-to-form and well presented games I've ever seen. Those seeking a weaving, twisting plot and interesting characters need look no further!

Dont bother if you use Vista. It will take hours of fidling and may work for you. An exercise in frustration trying to get it to work.

This game rocks. Great gameplay, fluid storyline, and sweet graphics. Game even runs well, on my lower end system...the best RPG I have ever played. I give it the "Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing" quote YOU"RE WINNER!

A masterpiece from the makers of Fallout. Truly awesome.

I'm not sure if the people listed above are playing the same game as I am. Not only does the game run slow on my machine (P4 3ghz, 2 gig of ram, 6800GT) but combat is absolutely awful. Melee feels totally thrown together and never flows very well. Guns, so far, seem worthless since I can't seem to hit someone about 3 feet in front of me. My firearms skill is still pretty low, so hopefully my bullets will find their mark as I progress. For a game based on the Source engine, I was expecting something a little closer to HL2 in the graphics department. Outdoor environments look nice, but most indoor stuff looks low res and horribly textured. NPCs are a mixed bag as well. While I have run into a few very nice models, most are hideously constructed, with nasty textures. I am quite enjoying the RPG aspects of the game. Most of the dialouge is well written and acted (if not cheesy and cliche' in parts), but once again, combat rears it's ugly head and pulls me out of the World of Darkness and into the world of frustration. … Expand

To James A: If the slowness you are experiencing in combat is in the form of not being able to make the character do what you want (not responding to keys at times) then it's an issue with the Source Engine, many people experience this issue with both CS:S and VtM (same engine) and it can easilly be fixed by setting priority of the vampire.exe to low in the taskmanager. (CTRL-ALT-DEL) as for the game, I like it :)… Expand

Thanks cap g that worked great. Props to troika this game was so well designed.

What happened? The first half of the game is pretty good, but then it just starts to get repetitious. The situations and characters are great, as well as the overall storyline. The game feels more like an adventure than a nuts and bolts CRPG, which is actually refreshing. This is a classic Troika Game, where the underlying systems are in place but someone forgot to polish and account for the fun factor in big sections of the game. Very buggy but as a developer I forgive you knowing some EP ass or marketing joyboy or publisher bigwig dropped the ball and under-[planned/staffed/bid] your project. From a DTBWWYG standpoint, it kicks ass though.… Expand

This game is INCREDIBLE. It is so very very fun to play. The issues that detract from the fun are all technical, not game play. Once you've got the thing running it's a blast with great replayability.

A very fun game. i played it over a few times and enjoyed the variation of powers, along with quests i missed the first time.

A great RPG game! A great story & interesting places... Sure, it was buggy at first, but the patches fixed it, but how can a patch be "too late" ? Is there a rush to enjoy the game?

Once properly patched to eliminate bugs, Bloodlines stands out as perhaps the finest and most engrossing mature RPG's ever created for the PC. If you are even a tiny bit intrigued by this title, then I encourage you to go ahead and purchase Bloodlines. I promise that you will not be disappointed by this uniquely fascinating RPG classic.

I just played this for the first time, three years after the original release, and I'm really impressed by the story, atmosphere, and especially the dialogue. Excellent game. Certainly not perfect -- I thought it could have focused more on story and less on sewer crawls -- but it's still a wonderful game. The bugs are largely gone with the last official patch.

Best game i have played in....a loooong time. I would give it a 10, if not for the bugs. There where a few times I had to cheat (noclip in the console) to get unstuck. But the story, characters, everything but the bugs, are freakin amazing. You really feel the grit of the World of Darkness.

Great in every way. Full immersion character development and a modern story line that's nearly believable. A great game even non-vampire fans can enjoy!

This game is amazing. Best RPG I have ever played. The graphics are amazing, the story is amazing, the gameplay is amazing. You play as a vampire, and you really feel a part of the world. The vampire skills are very cool. This game is one of the first games where I actually feel like a part of a living breathing world. I would even say this game is better than Half Life 2 which is the engine Vampire uses. … Expand

Best game I've ever played. hands down. I wish more game companies cared as much as Troika does. Bravo, guys...

To my own surprise, I'm hooked on this over HL2. Wonderful integration of RPG systems and action combat, gritty mature storyline, and a completely immersive world. I didn't know about this game until a week ago- but I hope this the first of a series! Valve we need more games like Bloodlines!

The artistry is there. It really is, and the art is what's missing from bad games, not the technology. I know everyone mentions it, but the hotel mission is as beautifully conceived and executed as anything in Half-Life 2. You'd be cheating yourself not to buy this.

The Best rpg/fps hybrid i have ever played. Bearing in mind im playing a fully patched version as this game has a lot of problems with bugs unpatched. But if you have played games like Bioforge, The Nomad Soul, System Shock 2, Deus Ex and want something that re-captures the magic and the atmosphere of those classics then this is the game for you. In a pc game atmosphere and story IS everything. The story and dialogue and characters in this game are unbelievable. Best dialogue in a pc game for a long time. Finally a successful marriage between the instant gratificatino and appeal of an FPS and the deep gameplay of an RPG. You will need a relatively up to date pc to run it in all its glory though. But trust me this is like the offspring of a mating between Fallout and Halflife 2 Please Troika let there be a sequel (or add-ons even).… Expand

I have played this many times since it first came out. It's one I consider quite classic (like Diablo, or FFVII) even though it may have it's flaws (which I personally notice very few but they are worth noting). One of which is the pointlessness to using guns, the whole mechanic about it is about as weak as the guns themselves. Now I understand using a gun on a vampire should be pointless but you dont always fight vampires in this, sometimes they are just people, or sometimes Ghouls both of which will feel a bullet hit them and it will hurt, but in this world they take bullet hits as good as any vampire. Besides that however there is just to much for me to love in this game, great graphics (thank you Valve for your wonderful source engine) awesome story as well as sub plots and the like all of which are very fascinating and in my opinoin the only way to truly appreciate this game is to play it at least twice to see it from the perspective of a different clan as each has its own unique experiences. For instance, Nosferatu cannot walk above ground for they are obviously not human and that would break the masquerade, theres one clan that is insane and their dialect when speaking makes it obvious as well as some nice little touches to the TV and some other things that will make you wonder if your not insane too. So yeah, this game is worth getting and playing alot if your an action/rpg fan biggest problem honestly to me is the world feels to small but trust me most times you may not notice. Try this one out, it's worth it.… Expand

Great game if played with the bug fixes. Sadly the dev team isn't around to make a sequel.

Vampire the masquerade: Bloodlines isn't a roleplaying game! i would say it is a FPS adventure with dialogues with NPC characters that make the game experience more rewarding. The character development system is well sorted out. The combact system is based on real time even if you're accuracy and both damage with melee or fire weapons are determined by your skills. The musics are really good and well chosen for the game dark atmosphere. A game well done produced by Troika Games (that has also produced Arcanum). The mission in the hotel was really creepy and one of the best level in the game! Sure a game that has to be bought!… Expand

This is a totally unique first-person RPG experience. Troika did an amazingly job crafting a believable vampire world full of interesting characters you can meet and get to know. This is truly a game you experience rather than just play. Even though I played it years ago, so many scenes are so fresh in my mind…the haunted mansion, the docks, chinatown, and so much more. It's a classic that totally deserves a spot in the greatest games of all time. Just be sure to download one of the unofficial patches for it.… Expand

The most atmospheric game I have ever played. Voice acting puts even games like Mass Effect to their knees (and I'm a huge fan of ME). Soundtrack fits the theme perfectly. If I was a billionaire I would propably fund the studio to remake this game with new engine and plenty of time to refine it and big marketing so that this masterpiece would get the attention it deserves. This is the only game that has scared me even with my big brother in my room and sunlight coming inside the room. Those creepers without torso coming jumping at my face really haunt me in my dreams still! I think this is a classic that unfortunately won't be matched in a long time when it comes to atmosphere and story quality. If you like good stories this is your game. If you hate bugs, download unofficial patches. If you want to get immersed in the best world yet made in the industry, buy this game.… Expand

This was probably the only hybrid between RPG and a first person action game done right. Versatile character system enables different character builds and styles of gameplay. Skills and powers are well utilized in non-combat gameplay. Writing, story, setting and atmosphere are superb. Bugs, which were a major flaw of the game when it was released, are fixed by Wesp's unofficial patch, confirming the old adage of "Bugs can be fixed, but (good / bad) design stays forever". Too bad that the endgame was combat only, thanks to the rushed development.… Expand

This is easily one of the best RPG games I have ever played. The voice acting and dialogue is extremely well done, and the choices in the dialogue are smart and interesting. The level up system is easy to understand, and the classes are all interesting and unique. Beating the game will take a good 35 hours easily, and beating it again is very with another class is still fun.

Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines,This game is HUGE,and ROCKS my socks off BIGTIME,If playing ISO-files or the original cd `s : I`ll recommend for smooth playing on XP/Vista/win7-players the unofficial v.7.3 patch (64-bit ready as well,) ,also recommend the Respatcher installed for widescreen-mode playing..But If purchased the game through Steampowered.com ,my experience is that the official patch v.1.2 or the unofficial v.7.3 patch wont run the game,I haven`t found a useful patch/fix or working tips to run it so far. (got the Engine DLL error,Less than 15MB RAM available) .. Back to the game: A huge RPG-game with long playtime,It blends from First to third-person-view..Great graphics (still today) I`ll think a bit like a "blood-drinking Grand Theft Auto3" ,Do a main-quest,or take many side-quests all over the city for different characters from different vampire-clans. Excellent storyline,really awesome soundtracks,cool characters,black humour,plenty of different type of weapons,really creepy,fantastic and also among the most fascinating levels I`ve ever seen & played in a PC-game,Play as silent stealth,or play as a sword-swinging "give-a-damn-Rambo",you choose..Hack computers,lockpick doors,crawl inside buildings using vent or sewer-systems,manipulate or seduce people for blood and info,buy & sell items you come across,Build up your character`s strength,stamina & personality,This is fun fun fun.. This game got everything for everybody..One of my 5 best all-timers still today! This game really should have deserved a international blockbuster-title if Activision had time to repair all the bugs on the original-game,before the release back in 2004..But today there`s patches (fixes) out there,And people really should give this game a second try.! :)… Expand

I'll begin by saying that prior to trying out the game I've barely known anything about the World of Darkness or the tabletop RPG, yet the game's setting and story immersed me fairly quickly. Once you get past the mediocre 45 minutes of a tutorial, that's when the game truly begins. It starts off more like a crime/noir style story with vampires, but eventually you get to try out all sorts of missions, ranging from full-on action, to stealth, to horror. The RPG elements are very good, because in the beginning you get to choose to play as one of 7 clans, all possessing different strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. And as you progress through the game, you can choose to level up any of the available skills, and there are many. The story itself is pretty good too, many of the characters are memorable, and many of the locations are pretty atmospheric (even though some missions are really bland, like the sewers level). I'd say the game gives off some Deus Ex and GTA vibes, except with vampires. Now then, the game has aged quite significantly over the years and you can quickly see that the combat mechanic is nothing special. However, since the game is not all about combat, this is not a big flaw. Overall, if you've tried to explore and do all the sidequests, a single playthrough should last you at least 30 hours, and since you can play as up to 7 clans, the game has a good replayability; and although the story is very linear, the game has lots of sidequests, and of course multiple endings. So I'd say it's one of the better RPGs I have played.… Expand

RPG with vampires, can you ask for more? :) Amazing story, characters, dark setting, quests, graphics (at the time, good even today), horror atmosphere. This is one epic game.

It's THE cRPG. One of not so many out there. One of the most skillwise and choices&consequences productions out there. The story seemed very good to me. The art design is genius, quests are interesting. The voice-acting is very good and beats, e.g. the crappy work of Skyrim voice actors. Why 5/10 though? A sh**load of bugs, crappy fight mechanics, non-existing AI and sh***y level-design. Bugs are serious, often game-breaking and forcing us to load the game, the level design is terrible and collisions are broken - often we get stuck because of a chair or something like that, unable to defend ourselves. The only exception of that was the haunted hotel - one of the scariest levels in the history of games. I played about 10 hours of it, but it was too tiring to struggle with bad coders' work, fighting uninteresting and stiffy enemies through a badly designed levels, just to see a good writers' work. It could be one of the best games, but in reality it's mediocre.… Expand

The absolutely best RPG I've ever played to date. Many modern games have done a few things well, but VtMB is still he full-package greatness. Let me boil it down in 3 points. 1) Absolutely UNIQUE play style between many bloodlines (races) way beyond simple +1 to melee or +2 to spell damage. The extent of which is still unmatched in any game to date. Ex: One bloodline have you hiding in sewers, making old lady faint from the sight of you. Another bloodline have you manipulating people's mind with psychotic hilarity. It's a step-up addition to the traditional persuader, gunner, slasher, sneaker, hacker approaches that this game also has. Except this step-up doesn't just play different, it FEELS different. 2) The more outrageous the character, the more difficult it is for the writer to maintain the suspension of disbelief. This game has some of the wildest characters in video game and I never blinked. The game is so filled with great nuggets of excellent writing/design that if you keep exploring, you constantly keep getting amused for many playthrough. 3) FULLY voiced game with some of the most convincing voice-over in video game. Combine this with the most effective facial and body animation to add body language. The characters feel so alive and believable. Compare this to the character animation and voice work of Half Life 2 (original) and Knights of the Old Republic, and you can see what a technical marvel this game was. Play the dialogue scenes of this game, then switch to "modern" titles like Fallout 3 or Mass Effect 2. The game was not just ahead of its time, it's still ahead in our time. Today's games like LA Noir experiments and sell it off like a gimmick, VtMB had VO and animation working just fine in a real game long ago.… Expand

NOTE: YES, You can play this game on Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit. Just select the .EXE for the game and click on Run in XP Mode with Service pack 3. So far it's a unique game. I waited until Steam had it on sale for $4.99.

This is an often overlooked game which is easily one of the best RPGs ever made. The game combines the typical RPG settings with some survival style action. The result are an amazing, complex story which you get to experience through a very dark atmosphere, often reminiscent of the older Resident Evil games ( although this time you are the monster ). There is a good variation in how people respond to you based on your clan and the extra options available based on your talent selections. There are some clear bugs and occasional lackluster enemy AI, but these issues don't really hinder your enjoyment of the game.… Expand

At first glance, Bloodlines is repellent; cutscenes, animations, sound effects & environs are glitchy and of shockingly low quality, character models are hideous and it's hard to believe this thing uses the same engine as Half Life 2. Post tutorial levels, the game finally gets going and whilst the above grievances remain there are exceptions; thankfully most major characters are well crafted with excellent voice acting, some even have half-decent models & textures. Vampire has the bare bones of a playable and even addictive game, it's just a shame it's such a damned unfinished mess.… Expand

In a time where "role playing game" seems to mean either Star Wars-esque space RPG or Tolkien-esque knights, wizards, and elves, this game stands alone as a genuinely unique RPG experience. The game is a little opaque at first, since even veteran RPG enthusiasts will find themselves scratching their heads at at skills and classes they've never met before, not to mention becoming accustomed to the bloodpool/feeding system (which is essentially a more complex mana system) and a non-traditional but pleasantly simplified experience system. Nonetheless, RPG enthusiasts who investigate this diamond in the rough are sure to be surprised at how deep and rewarding a game VMB turns out to be. It's full of unique characters as interesting and fully developed as any you'd find in an RPG from Bethesda or Bioware---if not more so! The game also goes above and beyond the RPG call of duty by rising above mere fetch quests and combat, sending you on a variety of interesting missions. Don't be surprised to find yourself playing action one minute, mystery the next, and horror the next. (Not just horror in the sense of "look, there are vampires in this game", but the game has some truly scary situations, ranging from merely creepy to nail-biting.) Finally, even when you're killing time in between quests, the game will charm you with its originality and atmosphere. When you find yourself sitting at your desk in your safehouse, checking your email on your computer while laughing at the hysterical "frickin' chicken" commercial on the radio for the hundredth time, you realize that this dark world is simply a place you like to be. VERDICT: If you're thirsty for a rewarding RPG campaign but are getting tired of swimming in an ocean of Star Wars and Tolkien, you should definitely pick this up. It's worth every penny of it's $20 price tag, but if you see it on sale, you'd be a fool to pass it up.… Expand

This is probably one of the games that has the most bugs, the most glitches, and the most crashes I've played in the past ten years. It is also one of the best games I have ever played. The theme and mood are perfectly put together. Most of the quests are both exciting and interesting, without any filler whatsoever. It is incredibly fun to experience the growth and development of your vampire. The only aspect that will bore you and aggravate you will be the bugs, glitches, crashes, and sometimes sub par AI. Even the voice acting is well done. Easily, one of my current top five favorite games of all time on the PC. Even with all the glitches, bugs, and crashes. Do not miss out on this one! It took me about 43 hours to complete.… Expand

Couldn't even get it to work after paying a full $20 on steam, I'm a little upset to be honest, I heard great things about this game from my mates and I can't even play it. Thanks.

story! gameplay! atmosphere! the best vampire game I've ever played. they should make a movie franchise on this stuff instead of twilight. can be buggy but its still worth it. they aren't as bad as people make them out to be.

The story is good, the gameplay is ok too but the game is full of glitches... having promised MP and then scraped in the end, low replayability value but still a good game.

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 I’ve ever played through twice. What else is there to say? The game world, you must have gotten by now, is open in most ways, though it does restrict you to certain city zones in each chapter- later opening them up. Your choices have both long and short term effects, and sweeping reach (you decide or effect which factions win, or if they fall somewhere in-between, sometimes mistakenly). The voice-acting is superb and varied. The artwork is gorgeous and evocative. Every ounce of this game was made with love, and it’s a travesty that its initial bugs scared people off this game. That is, after all, why I'm writing this review. In the vague hopes that developers will discover this gem once again, as they have done with Deus Ex.… Expand

though this game can't compare to the likes of fallout or elder scrolls, for the price it's a pretty solid game. there isn't much in the way of exploration - your stuck in the same city for most of the game, until you hit the next chapter, which just means another city, but still not much to explore in them. The game is very bloody and dark - this can be a good thing or a bad thing, but that is one thing I should mention. There also isn't much in the way of character looks customization - you are stuck with either male of female of each type of vampire. You get different armor, but since everytime you aquire a new one it's a straight upgrade from your previous, there is little motivation to try and weaken yourself just for a new look, besides there aren't that many armors in the first place. The game is also very buggy - at one point I literally had to start the entire game over because I broke the main quest with no way to fix it. Though there are many skills there is a definite advantage to making your character a certain way. Firearms are terrible compared to melee - that's just the way it is. Some speech skills are superior to others, and depending on your type of vampire, might be totally not needed because you can also use some vampire abilities for speech checks as well. now that I got the bad out of the way... The good parts are that the difficulty is pretty well balanced and the quests can be completed in any fashion of your choosing most of the time. you can be sneaky, or go in all crazy, or be charming, or some combination of your choosing. A word of advice: don't start your first playthrough as Malkavian or the game might not make much sense.… Expand

A Legendary game let down by its publisher (ACTIVISION) and a variety of other issues. Unpolished (especially gameplay) but yet somehow it still deserves a 10/10. In reality it deserves a 9 but crap like Mass effect and Halo gets 10/10 these days so it would be shameful to give it any less. A heavily flawed masterpiece.