Much of your time will be spent early on creating the titular coteries, or vampire broods that I'm honestly shocked the game didn't call "squads." It's up to you to decide who you want to seek out, make an attempt to prove your worth to either by conversing with through the correct dialogue choices, or completing missions for. These are all systems that work well together, even though they aren't particularly challenging if you've ever played a time management RPG/visual novel before. You'll need to Feed with a Feeding Opportunity to slake your Hunger, and if you don't, well, you'll be looking at some damaging repercussions. ![]() Some choices are only available if Hunger is high enough.It can also block off some choices. When it's maxed out, you'll get a warning after completing story. It can be driven higher when you use vampiric powers, tend to your wounds after a fight, or otherwise abuse your well-being (like not resting after visiting others around the city). You're driven by Hunger, which is portrayed by a bloody frame around the screen. Your story is characterized by branching decisions as your new vampire family guides you through learning the ropes as a baby vamp. It’s always good to have a way to check terms there if you forget. You may also spend a bit of your in-game time checking out the dictionary to make sure you haven’t forgotten some of the slang word usage, as it’s all culled from the world of the tabletop universe of Vampire: The Masquerade. You’ll be spending 97% of your time reading and 3% making decisions and clicking on the ones you’ve chosen. The game plays out in classic visual novel format with minimal animation, large images and character portraits, and plenty of text to wade through. I rather enjoyed these first moments, because they did a good job of setting the tone and introducing the concept of the Masquerade, or how vampires remain hidden while in plain sight to the rest of the world, but I would have liked a way to customize the character I chose. Each character has a slightly different opening story, but sooner or later you’ll be downing blood. I was in a particularly silly mood after realizing just how much the game was ruined by some terrible writing, but more about that in a moment.Įssentially, no matter who you choose, you end up becoming a vampire and find yourself pulled into a dark world of secrets, strict rules, and the seedy underbelly of the vampire side of New York City. I tried out the other characters as well, giving them the monikers Squanchy and ButtBoy. But then again, according to him, she made money repurposing memes, so maybe he was in the right. Naturally, I chose the hipster Toreador character, though I came to regret that decision once I realized he was an artist who despised his own sister's work because she dared make a living out of her craft. ![]() Finally, the Toreador character sought thrills in the worlds of art and romance. The Brujah character was one that would "rebel against power and rage against authority." The Venture character was a top-level corporate executive all about wealth and control. While you can change their names, unfortunately you can't change their gender or appearance, which seemed a bit odd in a game that's all about attempting to make you appreciate front and center what it's really like being a newborn vampire. You can choose between three different characters, each with their own names and back stories. Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York places you in the role of a fledgling vampire, or a "Childe" (newborn) of a mysterious "Sire." (your vamp progenitor). ![]() Unfortunately, while featuring stunning artwork and an enjoyable enough premise with decent mechanics, it was hardly an adventure I wanted to suck dry. It’s going to be a while before Bloodlines 2 is finally out following its delay, so I eagerly sank my teeth into this installment. Thus, Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York spoke to me. You may also know that I’m a huge visual novel fan. I wasn’t particularly interested in vampire lore or anything, but out of the “classic” fictional monsters out there, vampires have always struck my fancy. There was nothing more exciting than pretending I was a cool, brooding vampire who used bright red fonts and wrote in brackets to express myself. At an embarrassingly young age, I used to troll AOL chat rooms looking for "Vampyre Taverns," spelled just like that.
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