The Chinese Room says it's building Bloodlines 2 around 'doing things only a vampire can'

eurogamer.net:

Following the surprise news earlier that Paradox Interactive's beleaguered Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 is now in the hands of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs studio The Chinese Room, the developer has talked a little about its goals for the rejuvenated project, saying it's building its action around 'doing things only a vampire can'.

Bloodlines 2 has, of course, had a tumultuous journey since its unveiling back in 2019; original developer Hardsuit Labs was ditched following a number of controversies, almost resulting in the cancellation of the game, but Paradox eventually confirmed development had been handed to a new studio, now known to be The Chinese Room, sometime in 2021.

Bloodlines 2's re-reveal earlier this month was fairly light on detail, but Paradox did confirm the game would cast players as an Elder vampire in the «dark underbelly of Seattle, where vampires struggle for survival and supremacy». There'll be characters to chat with, combat, a need to keep a low profile to ensure vampire society stays hidden from humanity, and the promise of «complex political relationships».

However, in the first in a new series of developer blogs on Pardox's website, The Chinese Room has talked a little more about its creative approach to Bloodlines 2, saying it's aiming to deliver the kind of «compelling and rich plot you'd expect from an adventure game, but with RPG agency allowing you to act out your vampire fantasy». Crucially, it says its design ethos has been to ensure «everything you do in this game should make you feel like a [vampire]».

«In video games,» studio design director Alex Skidmore writes, «we often get to be a mighty hero fighting against the darkness. Vampires,