While I was ultimately disappointed by Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 as a sequel to the first game – which is, after all, one of the best RPGs ever made – there are some areas in which it stands up to it. This vampiric portrayal of Seattle, across a narrative spanning almost a century, does feature some striking imagery that'll be sticking with me for some time. It's just a shame that a lot of it feels wasted on this unambitious sequel that heavily de-emphasized the series' RPG elements – this is a world I'd love to get lost in for an epic, goth-tinged adventure. Be warned, opening this coffin has some spoilers for Bloodlines 2 scenario premises, but not outright narrative spoilers.
That's because, for as much as I remember the many different approaches to quests and detailed dialogue of the first game (the silvertonguing matched, surprisingly, by Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong) – the original Bloodlines' locations are just as striking. The bleakness of the Santa Monica starting location and the beach under the boardwalk crime scene, hanging out in The Asylum nightclub, walking the neon-lit Hollywood. These locations were small, but dense – managing to feel like lived-in spaces bursting with possibilities despite having to manage the scope of an overly ambitious '00s game. While Bloodlines 2 is sometimes able to match up to those aesthetics, the same level of ambition isn't felt – which is disappointing. But, successfully, some images will definitely be sticking with me nevertheless.
