Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Dev Diary Discusses "Visceral" Combat
Jan. 28, 2024Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Dev Diary Discusses “Visceral” Combat
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 developer The Chinese Room talks about the sequel’s “visceral combat” systems, and how they interact.
The next entry in the World of Darkness vampire series, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, got another dev diary. Transparency from developers is always appreciated, and it is no different here with The Chinese Room. Their seventh Developer Diary will touch upon the sequel’s “VIsceral, Immersive Combat”. So what will it be like to feel like a vampire? Will we get all the tools to leave bodies in our wake? Let’s find out!
Way back in the developer’s first diary, they touched upon what their thoughts are on making the player truly feel like a stalker of the night. They want Phyre, the protagonist of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, to feel empowered, fearlessly stalking their prey while also instilling a bone-chilling amount of fear.
Creative director Alex Skidmore returns to discuss Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s visceral combat, one of the most important systems that should empower the player. Just like the first game, creating an experience that allowed playerchoice and agencywas an important goal. The original game allowed players various solutions to tackle problems – be it stealthily, through brute force, or other crafty means.
This all returns in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. And with a bloody vengeance. Skidmore describes the three different “styles” that he thinks players would gravitate towards.
The first gameplay style that they’re featuring in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is what Skidmore calls the “Strategic Stalker”. Think of this as being a bloodthirsty vampiric Batman, surveying the combat arena and taking their time, meticulously controlling the battlefield before they even emerge from the shadows. Take enemies out one by one to even the odds, or even just feed upon some of the hapless souls below so you’ll be powered up when you eventually do decide to join the fray.
Skidrow compares the gameplay of Strategic Stalkers to that of the Dishonored series or a stealthier Fallout and Elder Scrolls character.
The next major style in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is called the “Action Brawler”. Instead of the more subtle approach that the Stalkers employ, brawlers thrive on being on the frontlines, right in the thick of things. Punch first, ask questions later. The Chinese Room does reiterate that any character type from any clan can thrive in the middle of combat, not just those of the Brujah Clan.
Vampires that lean into the action side of things will control the battlefield by decimating enemies, dealing as much damage as they can while also feeding off their blood to sustain the carnage.
Lastly, Skidmore outlines the “Narrative Adventurer” as the last gameplay style that players of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 would lean into. Players of this type engage less in the combat and stealth systems and prefer the immersive sim, narrative, and exploration that the game would come to offer.
Skidmore does admit that they feel like most fans of the original would appreciate tools that could allow them to fully immerse themselves in The World of Darkness. This is especially true as the original’s combat was basic, but serviceable, at the time.
As The Chinese Room’s more popular games (Dear Esther, Amnesia: a Machine for Pigs, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, among others) are not combat-focused, having an immersive experience that everyone can enjoy is one of their key development pillars.
Of course, this is all fine and dandy when thought of by themselves, but putting all three styles into a crock pot that would be easily accessible by all would be paramount to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s success. The “Strategic Stalker” and “Action Brawler” are two sides of a coin and quite polar opposites. Skidmore anticipates that most players wouldn’t lean on the extremes for too long and that a far greater number would employ tools from both styles instead.
“Immersion over complexity” is what Skidrow confirms. They are creating a “streamlined control scheme” that will let players be able to flow through abilities that focus on the three gameplay styles.
Finally, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will be having “VIsceral” combat, a common buzzword being used today for a game’s fighting system. However, it does seem like the developers acknowledge this word, and embrace it. Being an Elder Vampire who’s over a hundred years old,Phyrehas become quite familiar with death, fighting, and violence, so even the most extreme executions would not phase them at all. Expect limbs, blood, and gore to fly around the battlefield in Phyre’s wake.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 seems to be shaping up like a good vampire game. Will it be a good Bloodlines game, however? Only time will tell when the game eventually releases. Skidmore also confirms that the next major update from them will talk about the third pillar of their development philosophy, “Exploring the World of Darkness” in about two weeks. However, a gameplay trailer featuring a deep dive into the game will be revealed this January 31st.
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Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
