Today The Chinese Room and Paradox Interactive had a few interesting reveals to make about the upcoming RPG Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, including the playable protagonist.
We hear from narrative director Ian Thomas, who introduced the main character, an Elder Kindred embraced during the early 17th Century named Phyre.
They wake up in Seattle after a slumber that lasted over a hundred years and of course, they struggle to find their bearing.
Phyre can be customized including gender, looks, clan (among four), and elements of background, and their exploration of this unfamiliar Seattle will be accompanied by Fabian, a native thinblood who is always present as a voice stuck in our protagonist's mind.
Above you can see concept art with various looks available for Phyre, and interestingly, the way we dress in the game will have a narrative and dialogue impact, changing how NPCs react to us.
Decisions that the player makes about the character's background are also reflected in the game, and the choices you make in the story, the way you portray Phyre, and the way you behave, will cause the game to end in different ways, including the way you affect Seattle in the long term and the destiny of some characters.
Incidentally, we also hear that soon the clans available in the game will be revealed. You can check out the video below.
The accompanying press release also included a comment from Thomas himself.
Creating a character that resonates with players in the World of Darkness, yet shakes up what they know about Seattle, is a core pillar of our storytelling.
We maintain Vampire: The Masquerade’s essence and leverage its dark undertones to weave Phyre’s intricate narrative. Leveraging a protagonist adds weight to the narrative choices with room for players to customize Phyre’s background throughout the story. All these elements combine to create a deeply immersive experience that players expect from a Bloodlines game while maintaining our signature Chinese Room flair.
We also hear from Sean Greaney, Executive Vice President of World of Darkness at Paradox Interactive.
Bloodlines 2 comes to life with Phyre as they wake an Elder vampire in a very different world than they remember. They have a certain edge to every encounter, whether combat or social - a few hundred years’ practice makes for an advantage.
Seattle adapts and changes to the choices and dialogue options players choose, resulting in a different story experience.”
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, was delayed indefinitely after the departure from the project of the previous developer Hardsuit Labs.
It's now back developed by The Chinese Room and it's coming for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in fall 2024. A gameplay reveal has been promised for January 2024.
