Instead of paying for future new content, buyers are being asked to pay up right from the start. This could be the nail in the coffin for this entertaining vampire adventure.
For this column, we are testing a new payment model. You can read the first part of a sentence, the rest… . I need to talk to you about Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, because… . This annoys me and many other fans immensely, because… .
Are you annoyed? Upset? Well, now you know how many fans feel right now, who have been waiting six long years for a game that is now about to be released and says: All existing game content is only available if you pay extra.
Paywall despite full price
What exactly is it all about? I got to play Vampire: Bloodlines 2 for a full five hours, just in time for gamescom and our big FYNG show, and despite all the bad omens, I had a lot of fun with this action adventure!
Was that the final nail in the coffin for the game?
The problem for publisher Paradox isn’t that Sören Diedrich from GameStar is upset. The problem is that even die-hard Bloodlines fans who have remained loyal to the crisis-ridden game are now turning away in disappointment.
A few excerpts from various Reddit threads speak volumes:
What the hell? Do they need to give us more reasons to wait for a sale or just give up altogether?
(Source)I’m just not going to buy the game.
(Source)I hate what this game has become. It’s corporate greed in its purest form. They don’t listen to their fans and just do what they think will make them the most money. (https://www.reddit.com/r/vtmb/comments/1muvvwx/comment/n9lxx0h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button“ rel=”noopener” target=”_blank” data-icon=‘external’ data-mrf-link=”https://www.reddit.com/r/vtmb/comments/1muvvwx/comment/n9lxx0h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button”>Source)
I will not be buying this game. I was willing to accept a lot, including that it’s called Bloodlines 2 for purely marketing reasons and not for narrative reasons. But I won’t support a game that hides additional clans or classes behind paid DLC. $90 just to play the whole game is ridiculous, and I’m really fed up with it.
(Source)
The danger I outlined: Vampire: Bloodlines 2 could remain on the virtual shelves when it is released. And that would be a shame, because, as already mentioned, the game itself is really fun! If you ignore the name and the associated role-playing legacy, you can look forward to an exciting and immersive vampire thriller – if you’re still in the mood for it.
Paradox has already earned itself a dubious reputation with its numerous strategy games such as Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron when it comes to numerous DLCs of varying quality, buggy releases, and sudden discontinuation of support for games. The decision to artificially cut the game content in Bloodlines 2 is just another drop in the bucket.
The conclusion of my preview: Not a good role-playing game, but a great adventure!
However, one thing already rubbed me the wrong way when I played the game, and the new trailer from gamescom Opening Night Live confirmed my fears: Two of the six vampire clans can only be played if you pay extra.
To be clear: we’re not talking about paid add-on content that will be created after release and then integrated into the game. The two clans are already in the game from day one, but you have to unlock them with your wallet.
So if you’d rather scurry through snowy Seattle as a member of the Lasombra or Toreador clan instead of Banu Haqim, Brujah, Tremere, and Venture, you’ll have to bite the bullet— $90 for the Premium Edition or an as-yet-undisclosed fee after release for the individual DLC.
The new controversy fits Bloodlines 2 perfectly
The subheading sounds nasty, but it’s quickly backed up with arguments. The history of Bloodlines 2 so far reads as follows, let it sink in:
- 2019: Paradox and the then-developer Hardsuit Labs unveil Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Initial reactions are mixed, as many of the role-playing mechanics from the original have been heavily stripped down. Target release date: 2020
- 2020: Bloodlines 2 is postponed by a year, and Hardsuit Labs fires leading members of the project, including lead writer Brian Mitsoda, creative director Ka’ai Cluney, and senior narrative designer Cara Ellison. Behind the scenes, things are clearly not going well. New release date: 2021
- 2021: Bloodlines 2 is postponed for another year. Paradox parts ways with Hardsuit Labs and turns to The Chinese Room (Amnesia, Dear Esther, Still Wakes the Deep) to finally get the project over the finish line. New release: 2022
- 2022: Paradox boss Fredrik Wester does not rule out a release in 2023. An announcement of the final launch date is expected soon.
- 2023: Bloodlines 2 will be released… in 2024. Paradox cancels all pre-orders already placed, which upsets many fans.
- 2024: Bloodlines 2 will be released in 2025 – for real! As part of the umpteenth delay, the developers show new gameplay, which is not well received by fans. The generic-looking main character Phyre is also met with rejection. Publisher Paradox freely admits: “We wouldn’t start Bloodlines 2 again today!”
Bloodlines 2 more than deserves a happy ending! The game has overcome so many obstacles to finally make it into the hands of players – and now its imminent release is being overshadowed by a brazen DLC policy. Has the last straw finally broken the camel’s back?
We’ll find out on October 21, 2025.The last time I felt so taken for a ride was with Mass Effect 3. There, EA and Bioware pulled the same stunt as Paradox and The Chinese Room are doing today: The sci-fi adventure, which was fantastic in itself, came with a new character – the Prothean Javik – who I could only unlock via the paid
From the Ashes
DLC.Does this kind of business practice annoy you too? Feel free to write me in the comments if this issue bothers you as much as it does me, or if you think it’s a mountain out of a molehill. I’m curious to hear your opinion!
