Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines was blatantly unfinished when it came out in 2004. Some of the Troika Games staff rushed to put together a patch when the studio closed, but there was still work to do afterwards.
Junk, but worth playing today. Especially while waiting for Bloodlines 2. (opens in new tab)(Being immortal helps.) Whether you’re revisiting Bloodlines or playing it for the first time, here are some tips to help you get the best experience.
Download unofficial patch
A modder named Werner Spahl, also known as Wesp5, has taken on work left unfinished by the developers. His unofficial patch is an essential fix. Up to version 11.2 there is a changelog longer than a few novels.Downloading unofficial patch (opens in new tab) This is an essential first step if you want to play Bloodlines now.
Select patch version
The second step is to decide whether to install the base version of the unofficial patch or the plus patch that restores the cut content. (If you get a Bloodline Gog (opens in new tab) Comes with basic version without plus option. Download full patch here (opens in new tab).)
I admit I have some doubts about restoring plus patches. It puts a cop in a tutorial where you can talk about your past to learn how dialogue skills work, and his voice acting is pretty rough. There was an entire side quest to end, which “wasn’t even in alpha”, and essentially had to create a complete cross with a description that didn’t match the rest of the game. The existing side quest (Bloodlines can get pretty thirsty, even in games about vampires) where collectibles are exchanged for sexy posters of the game’s female NPCs has been expanded and made more sticky.
Still, I recommend the plus patch anyway. Some of its additions are admittedly rough around the edges, but so is everything about Bloodlines. There’s a sewer rat who is also the driver (but he only appears if you’re playing Markavian). worth it.
Use the console when you need it
It’s also worth knowing that Bloodlines has a console that can be opened by pressing ~. Useful commands are “noclip” when stuck in a door (it happens), “god” for godmode (type “god” again to turn off), and “giftxp n” (where n is the current replaces the unused xp sum). ). Sometimes you don’t want or need a console command to terminate Bloodlines, but it’s there just in case.
Regarding full-scale mods, not patches, We have a lot (opens in new tab), but not what you want in your first playthrough. In fact, given how the pedigree varies depending on which clan you choose, it’s worth doing a second run of her with the same setup before even thinking about tinkering.
Pick a good beginner clan
I didn’t say this upfront, but two of the vampire clans are designed for a second playthrough. Nosferatu looks so blatantly undead that he can’t appear in public, and playing Sewers means you’ll spend most of the game traveling through them. Challenge his run choice. Markavians have a limited ability to see the future. I mean, they already know the twist, so there are plenty of bespoke dialogue options that ruin the twist. These future insights also anger the Markavians, so playing them means hearing voices and hallucinating. They are your new Game Plus clan and we highly recommend rocking your second.
There is no problem if you are new to other clans. The rebellious punk Burjah and the animal-shaped Gunrel are excellent combat options. Tremere’s blood magic specialists are the most powerful. Arty bohemian bullfighter and power dresser company Ventrou are good at getting out of trouble. Bloodlines is the kind of game where you can solve things in multiple ways, so choose a clan that reflects his style of play.
Play like an immersive sim
Bloodlines is a ventcrawler, not a Deus Ex-style immersive simulation, but it’s the kind of RPG worth learning how to pick locks and hack computers. Bloodbuff powers can temporarily improve lockpicking and hacking with Auspex if you haven’t earned enough points in the associated skill. If your Persuasion score is high enough, blue text can often solve your problem. Stealth is also a valid option.
You will want to explore too. For example, it’s easy to miss a side quest if you don’t run into an abandoned hospital in a downtown hub or hit a nightclub. They’re necessary people and worth tracking down.
However, Bloodlines isn’t necessarily a great stealth game. Scores in sneaking are more important than line of sight, and many places that appear bright have guards who act like they’re in the deepest shadows. Does it look brighter? Well, let’s go.
learn to fight
Stealth and charm will get you through most of the early game, but in the end you’ll have to kill a bunch of people. Chat with Nines Rodriguez hanging out at Last Round. (He’ll also help you improve his Brawl and later his Melee skills if you ask for some pointers.)
Bloodlines provide a lot of experience, especially if you’re following all the side quests, and you should eventually start packing them into your combat abilities. Fireaxe is a great weapon in ), and Ranged Combat is also worth using later. The Plus patch adds shortcuts that let you skip the most boring battles. You can hack computers to unlock doors and bypass most sewers. Make friends with the NPCs Yukie and Chunk for maximum persuasiveness. It also offers shortcuts, but boss fights are inevitable and really bullshit.
They usually come to the end of an area with no way back to quickly escape to the shop, so weapon vendors Check in often. Their inventory will be updated after most main quest steps. Buy new armor, grab a flamethrower when it goes on sale, and a machine gun if you haven’t looted it from a hunter. They’re worth it when fighting bosses that mutate into warforms like JRPGs.
Bloodlines could very well be a 2004 game in some ways, crashing to desktop a few times in the last playthrough (F9 is quicksave and will be required) but worth playing There is His lighting combination of contemporary setting, gothic atmosphere and strong character make this piece unique. Until the sequel comes out (fingers crossed), it’s unmatched.
