Atmosphere and suspense can carry a story a long way. The right setup, premise, mystery, and a sprinkle of urgency can engage you even if you have no idea what’s going on. While visiting other head vampires a Code Red alert is sounded, sending the extravagant and modern vampire HQ into lockdown. Across town, another gathering has been attacked, and the brethren there have been slain, sending the community into a frenzy in an instant. In order to figure out what’s happening and ensure no one else dies, none can leave the HQ until the situation is resolved. Even if you’ve never played Vampire: The Masquerade, you’ll find it hard to ignore this introduction to the world in Swansong.
Emem is a former jazz diva and current century-old vampire belonging to the Toreador clan, Galeb is from clan Ventrue and carries out the Prince’s orders, and Leysha is a Malkavian investigator. You’ll play as all three over the course of the game, with each new perspective adding layers to the story. Emem is fierce and loyal, though not necessarily to the new Prince Hazel Iversen (if you decide not to be), while Galeb seems almost unable to upset the Prince. The same goes for Leysha, whose ability to blend into the shadows and see premonitions makes her the ideal investigator in any situation. Between Emem, Galeb, and Leysha, we essentially have characters that can use their wiles to seduce, interrogate, and investigate, respectively, and that’s the perfect set of skills to solve a mystery.
