Vampire
A new tease for Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 is here to show off a little more of Bloodlines 2’s protagonist, Phyre
Steam is starting to pick up again for Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 and as Halloween is here, it feels like the right time to get a look at the main character we are going to be playing in the game. The main character as well as how the RPG system and narrative of it all is going to function now that The Chinese Room has taken over. Both of these things are mainstays for Vampire: The Masquerade in general, so it is something they are going to need to nail before it drops on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2024. Now, we get a nice little sample of it all still in the "early" stages of it all. Even if it feels as if it has had a lot of time to marinate up until now.
In this nice and new video we have for Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2, we get a little bit of gameplay as well as an introduction to Phyre, our character in the game. Yes, it is pronounced as you think and is a weird name for one of the kindred, but we will go with it. Here we get to see a specific version of Phyre in the game as she is designed as female and is left with a nameless clan, currently. All of this is something we will be able to modify when we play it so we can make Phyre our own character as we wish. Even if the name has to stay, we can select the gender and one of the vampire clans we want. That is how we will have specific powers in the game as well as help round out the character. Even if this does and the concept art for the character does kind of tell us that Nosferatu might be off the table for our clan if we so want to go that way. We could be wrong.
All is not well with our vampire here, though, as there seems to be another voice in Phyre's head that is guiding us along too. That and a mystical symbol etched into Phyre's skin that seems to be draining the power of this elder. I have a feeling the latter is to make sure we start out powerful, but not as powerful as a vampire of the age Phyre is stated to be. Thus giving us something else to build toward. The voice, that of a different character Fabien, is there to help with the RPG elements of the game and, most likely, as an exposition dump for those not fully up on the lore. Between these two, though, we will help tell the story of Phyre and offer up what we think is the truth of their story, and build up what we can in the society out there in Seattle. A fun way to do it all, but maybe not the way I would have gone with it.
Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 — Narrative & RPG System
Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room introduced Phyre, the lead protagonist in Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2. An Elder Kindred Embraced during the early 17th Century, Phyre influences Seattle’s power structures with fully-voiced conversations. Players will customize this protagonist, choosing gender and clan - as well as outfits, behavior, and the blood they feed on, all of which affect the way Seattle reacts to Phyre and their progression. Paradox will announce the playable vampire clans on the game’s website in the coming weeks.
In Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2, players choose one of four clans for Phyre and begin exploring Seattle’s dark vampiric-inspired underbelly. Along the way, players learn about the world around them through Fabien, the strange and ever-present voice in Phyre’s head. With branching dialogue options, every conversation with Seattle’s powerful elites shapes how the environment and characters react to Phyre, impacting how the story unfolds.
To dive into what I think this all means for Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2, I have a feeling that the base design for Phyre means we will have the Toreador, Ventrue, Brujah, or Tremere to select for our clan in the game since we will have only four options. They are the ones that would easily fit the look of the character. Given that there is also a "voice" in our head no matter which we go with, means that Malkavian will be out since that is their schtick in general and would make for a lesser story. While clever to use the thin-blood aspect of the newer game to try to sap the power so we do not start as a god from the start is nice, that is going to need a lot of filler for the casual fans and even dedicated fans of Vampire: The Masquerade. I am not saying it is a hard thing to do, but something I hope they thought out so many out there just do not roll their eyes or just put the game back down once it all plays out.
What do you think about what we have and how it is using the lore of Vampire: The Masquerade here? Do you think we could have different clans from the start or others down the line at that, or will it be the four we get and nothing more? What do you think about the voice in the head aspect and will that lean the wrong way for some fans of the IP or will it be the perfect way to fill the players and character in along the adventure? Creep on into the comments below to leave your thoughts and discuss all of this. We will share all that we can for Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2, so please keep on checking in for those updates and the many others we have planned until the game finally lands out there for us.
