Game Journalists Lambast Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Before Its Launch

21 years after the release of the original, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is now just hours from launch, and early reviews from gaming journalists with access to the game suggest it might not be the triumph that the game's developer The Chinese Room and publisher Paradox Interactive are probably hoping for.

While many have come to expect game journalists to reward mediocrity with 8s and 9s out of 10, Bloodlines 2 has apparently received no special treatment, currently holding a Mixed-to-Average score of 67 on PC and 64 on PlayStation 5 over on Metacritic.

Journalists have pointed out the game's underwhelming RPG mechanics, janky combat, performance issues, empty world, uninspired quests, and – most damningly – its failure to live up to the original 2004 Bloodlines. At the same time, the sequel earned praise for its main story, character writing, and performances, though that wasn't enough to lift it out of Metacritic's "yellow" zone, which is bound to deter at least some potential players.

Notably, this is not the first time Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has faced criticism even before its official launch, with the game previously coming under fire from the community for paywalling the Lasombra and Toreador vampire clans. Following fan backlash, the clans were added to the base game, leaving a bad taste in some mouths while also signaling to others that the developers are listening to the community.

As always, the only way to know for sure if the game is any good is to wait for more reviews from regular players to arrive – or better yet, try it out yourself, which will be possible in about 10 hours when the game finally hits the shelves.

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