Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2’s story will revolve around the idea of control, developer The Chinese Room has revealed, while sharing details about its approach to narrative atmosphere and themes in a recent developer diary.
Although Bloodlines 2’s new developer has at least some changes in mind for the troubled sequel, it sounds like we’re in for an appropriately dark adventure throughout its Neo-Noir take on Seattle.
“The story of Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 is, at its cold, unbeating heart, about control: the amount and kind of control you have over others, the control they exert over you in turn, and the control you lose—and slowly regain—over yourself… and your fate,” the game’s second developer diary reads.
“You wake trapped in Seattle, the full extent of your power artificially suppressed—diminished to a mere pawn, to be used and exploited. After all, what are others if not our most disposable assets?”
Bloodlines 2 is set to be a Neo-Noir experience that “blurs the lines of morality and explores themes like revenge, paranoia, alienation.”
The game’s main NPCs have their own uses for our character, but playing along and biding one’s time might prove more fruitful in the long run.
Interestingly enough, developer The Chinese Room has decided early in development to put players in the shoes of an Elder Kindred, which sounds like a departure from former developer Hardsuit Labs’ intention of having us playing a Thinblood, at least initially.
“Kindred do not relate to each other the way that we do, especially extremely old Kindred, like our protagonist,” Senior Narrative Designer and Writer Sarah Longthorne notes. “They don’t have ‘friends’, for instance – everything is about power and possession, which are the antithesis of any genuine connection.”
As much as navigating the intricate web of relationships with other vampires will likely take center stage, we’ll also have to consider how we view the humans who also inhabit Seattle.
On the one hand, they provide much-needed sustenance. On the other, Bloodlines 2 raises the question of whether or not it might be possible to form a deeper bond with them.
This all sounds promising on paper and, hopefully, will make for a memorable time as an Elder Kindred when Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 launches in fall 2024.
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