Vampire: Bloodlines Reviews

Troika’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is the subject of another handful of reviews around the ‘net. The first is over at GamerFeed with an overall score of 4/5:

Yet, even with the glitches and gameplay issues taken into consideration, Bloodlines is a very compelling game. It’s worth it to replay the game a few times using different clan options to see how everything works out. It’s also fun to toy with the different means of solving problems, whether you prefer traditional investigative skills, sneaking, non-stop violence, or computer hacking – all of which you have plenty of opportunities for. While the glitches can break the roleplaying experience, they don’t completely ruin it. In fact, the fantastic facial expressions and impressive conversation engine is enough to make up for game’s shortcomings. The graphics and gameplay issues ultimately amount to a number of minor nuisances, which sadly don’t appear as though they could have been that hard to fix. Despite this, however, Bloodlines is a roleplaying experience that should usher in a new sense of immersion into environment and character. This is the first of its kind, and it seems like things will only get better from here. For all those who have been dying to become a creature of the night, Bloodlines is definitely the right game.

The second is at GamesFirst!:

Is it worth getting? Yes. Especially once patched, it will be the killer game it so clearly has under the bugs. But you are warned that, until the patch, you may not be able to play it to completion on your system.

Vampire Bloodlines is no-holds barred dark, adult and deadly — what more could a virtual vampire want?

The third is at GameDaily with an overall score of 4/5:

Yet, even with the glitches and gameplay issues taken into consideration, Bloodlines is a very compelling game. It’s worth it to replay the game a few times using different clan options to see how everything works out. It’s also fun to toy with the different means of solving problems, whether you prefer traditional investigative skills, sneaking, non-stop violence, or computer hacking – all of which you have plenty of opportunities for. While the glitches can break the roleplaying experience, they don’t completely ruin it. In fact, the fantastic facial expressions and impressive conversation engine is enough to make up for game’s shortcomings. The graphics and gameplay issues ultimately amount to a number of minor nuisances, which sadly don’t appear as though they could have been that hard to fix. Despite this, however, Bloodlines is a roleplaying experience that should usher in a new sense of immersion into environment and character. This is the first of its kind, and it seems like things will only get better from here. For all those who have been dying to become a creature of the night, Bloodlines is definitely the right game.

And the fourth is at The Adrenaline Vault with an overall score of 3.5/5:

Bloodlines is a strange case of polarized objective / subjective opinion. From a purely objective standpoint, the poor use of the Source engine’s capabilities makes for a disappointing offering. Speaking subjectively, I’ve enjoyed Bloodlines more than any other RPG since Knights of the Old Republic or perhaps Morrowind. Had Troika spent more time perfecting the graphics and sound, I would have more than likely given this a Seal of Excellence, and not just because the designers have done such a great job tipping the hat to the gothic subculture. Given some extra post-release love via heavy handed patching, Bloodlines has the potential to become a truly majestic role playing game. As it stands right now, it’s like eating a bagel with some mud on it. Sure, the cream cheese might be divine, but you’ll still be able to taste the mud. If you’re going to pick this release up, brace yourself for some serious mixed emotions.