Lauren spends most of her time dead in League of Legends, or equally as dead in Valorant. Don’t ask her about Vampire: The Masquerade.
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Some things go together perfectly. Strawberries and cream. Blood and wine. Lauren and Vampire: The Masquerade. There are jokes in the PCGamesN Slack about my VTM fanaticism, and how it has transcended from being a perfectly normal fandom to a full-blown obsession that some people (not me) would deem unhealthy. I’m not bothered, though: they don’t know I’m a Ventrue; I can do what I want.
On Friday, October 16, a post appeared on r/vtmb, the Bloodlines-dedicated Reddit page. “I just went to a Genitorturers show in Brooklyn, it was great,” it reads. “But at one point, they asked us if we knew about [Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines], then they said they’re remaking the game. Is this true?” For those who don’t know who the Genitorturers are, they provided ‘Lecher Bitch’ for the Bloodlines soundtrack.
This was followed up by a second Reddit post from the person who claims to have leaked the Forza Horizon 6 Japan setting (the Forza post has been removed). “I can confirm that it is in the works. NOT a remake, but a remaster, with some caveats. That’s all I can say.” I almost fainted. But I can’t, because I’m a vampire.
So here I am instead, presenting you with 1,037 words on why this remaster better be real. Strap in, folks: I’ve got a lot to say.
For those uninitiated, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is a 2004 action RPG made by Troika, a studio formed by Fallout legends Tim Cain, Jason Anderson, and Leonard Boyasky. You play as a Fledgling – or young vampire (Kindred) – who has to deal with the political machinations of the government-esque Camarilla and rabble-rousing Anarchs. Set in Los Angeles, you can choose your unique class (or Clan), as well as your alignment. You could play goody two shoes to Prince LaCroix, throw in your lot with Nines Rodriguez, or even betray the Kindred as a whole and side with the Kuei Jin, a unique vampiric race that hails from the East. There are different endings that depend on your choices, and a slew of weird and wonderful characters to encounter on your journey.
What really makes Bloodlines special, though, is the setting. The dirty streets of Santa Monica; the sleazy feel of Hollywood: there’s a consistent element of grit and grime, soundtracked perfectly with Rik Schaffer’s signature grunge. There’s the glitz and glamor of bright lights and sequin dresses, but there’s blood in the alleyways and cobwebs in the corners. It’s easily the best recreation of the World of Darkness setting that I’ve ever seen, and perhaps one of the most believable versions of a fantastical LA.
The world is populated by a cast of quirky, unforgettable characters. From Santa Monica’s dual Anarch barons, Therese and Jeanette, to the formidable, tricksy Ming Xiao, the night is filled with a vast array of feuding personalities that you never quite get a handle on. Is LaCroix the white knight saviour he claims to be? Is Nines really just a rebel with a cause? Does Ming Xiao actually want to help you? The characters themselves are impressive, but their political machinations are even more intriguing.
While Baldur’s Gate 3 nailed both the feel and the silliness of Dungeons and Dragons, Bloodlines perfectly encapsulates the political manoeuvring of a VTM table. The vampire ethos revolves around secrets and betrayals: at my own table, my boisterous Nosferatu Eins seems a little silly, but is inherently cunning. Bloodlines is fraught with betrayals and backstabs that you don’t see coming, yet is simultaneously campy and silly. It perfectly encapsulates the fun elements of VTM, while authentically portraying its darkest ones. I’ve argued before that Bloodlines is the best digital interpretation of a TTRPG – even post-Baldur’s Gate 3. I remain staunch in that belief.
That, in turn, makes it perfect for a modern audience. Interest in TRRPGs is at an all-time peak, thanks to BG3, the Dungeons and Dragons movie, Stranger Things, and new Wizards of the Coast projects like Warlock. Videogame adaptations of board games just make sense these days. Ahead of Vampire’s sixth edition, there’s no better time to reintroduce people to what VTM should be.
A remaster, then, is perfect. It’s no secret that Bloodlines is a slog to play – without the unofficial patch, it’s effectively unplayable on a lot of modern PCs. There are some severe bugs, hitboxes are janky, and some levels are woefully padded out and needlessly difficult (Nosferatu Warrens, I’m looking at you). A remaster can fix all of those problems and add some visual flair to, hopefully, make things even grimier.
Bloodlines will always be a difficult game – that’s par for the course with older titles compared to modern ones. Combat isn’t always pretty, and the Ming Xiao fight is actively painful if you’ve not specced into firearms. A remaster – depending on the scope of it – could smooth some of that out, but a part of me wouldn’t want it to. Quality of life fixes and bug squashing aside, that’s part of why I love Bloodlines – it doesn’t pull its punches, and it doesn’t care about your feelings.
I could talk for a very long time about this game. It’s the perfect example of translating a TTRPG into a virtual setting, and it still stands up as the best VTM videogame ever made. A remaster would give it the polish it sorely needs, while reintroducing it to a modern audience ahead of V6’s launch. The stars have aligned: it all makes sense.
The World of Darkness is currently hosting its Month of Darkness event, and we’ve seen new information drop for both the upcoming Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish and Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn. Perhaps October 31 will see the Bloodlines remake made manifest; maybe we’ll need to wait a little longer until we’re closer to V6’s launch. Either way, I hope these rumors are true: there are visually enhanced stop signs that need a good talking to.
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