Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

When it staggered half-formed from its grave in 2004, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was defined by two qualities: its mesmerising ambition and its maddening lack of refinement. Despite being released in an unfinished state, it has gained a following over the years and influenced subsequent immersive firstperson RPGs. The sequel, developed by The Chinese Room following Hardsuit Labs’ abortive first attempt, is a similarly compromised affair, but exhibits only a fraction of its predecessor’s ambition. While it occasionally evokes the original’s atmosphere, it’s undermined by flat action, a shallow open world and unimaginative quests. It also isn’t an RPG, a fact its second developer has been open about, but something that critically hinders the experience nonetheless.

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The storytelling, at least, is as strong as in the original game. It places you in the pulseless body of Phyre, an Elder Vampire who awakens in 21st-century Seattle after a century-long slumber. Phyre discovers a magical mark on their hand, compromising their powers, and the spirit of a vampire detective rattling around their skull. To discover what’s behind this confluence of events, Phyre reinserts themself into Seattle’s vampire society, riven by factional disputes and power struggles.

The central mystery is intriguing from the off, taking you from the highest echelons to the lowest gutters of the bloodsucking world. The writing and characterisation ooze wit and flair, as The Chinese Room delivers a crypt’s worth of loveable weirdos. Narcissistic princes plagued by disorienting visions, flamboyantly queer Nosferatu spymasters, quirky scientists with a sickening fondness for humans – Bloodlines 2 is strongest when you’re chatting with its kooky Kindred. Nobody demonstrates this better than Fabien, the deceased detective who quite literally lives rent-free in your head. The fast-talking Malkavian is the best thing about Bloodlines 2, thanks to the game’s strongest writing and a terrific vocal performance from Ronan Summers.