I'm a casual fan of the World of Darkness, fascinated by bits of the lore I've dipped into throughout the years – but without a doubt the original 2004 Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is one of the best RPGs ever made as far as I'm concerned (at least when modded to actually, you know, run). The adage that whenever it's mentioned someone will install it holds true. Don't think I didn't see you hovering over that download button. I know I did.
The early '00s goth vibes, the oodles of vampiric stats, the creative ways to approach quests, the way it feels like both supernatural entities and the mortals living among them have actual lives they're living. And, of course, silver tonguing my way through every problem until I get brained to death in that sewer dungeon. Which is why the long-awaited sequel barely being an RPG at all has baffled me, as we touch on in our deservedly scathing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 review. But you know which game does carry the torch forward for role-playing in this universe? The extremely underrated Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong, which I'm ashamed to say I originally bounced off when it released in 2022.
