This is a great game with amazing role playing opportunities but unless you're willing to use unofficial patches and the console to get past issues, choose a different game. On a modern system, this game won't run without an unofficial patch and even then you run into hiccups. Still interested? Well, sit down because I'm going to tell you why this game is the vampire RPG you've been looking for and more.

Ever craved more after Skyrim's tiny vampire section? Well, here it is, with fangs and bloodlust to match.

This game puts you in the middle of an urban city environment based in 2004. You've been sired by a vampire against the Masquerade and if not for Kindred (vampires) political machinations, you'd be ash alongside your sire.
Now, you are thrust into a world of politics, monsters and blood, all whilst hiding your true nature. The clan you pick has a decent factor in on this and some more than others. There are different ways to handle situations throughout most of the game and it's really just near the end where the rewarded path becomes the least successful which is quite discordant.

Each situation is very different, leaving very little of that normal copy and paste side quest/main quest situation, giving you a fulfilling storyline to warm your undead heart. Mechanics have you thinking like a vampire- a game where you are the predator and sometimes, the prey don't know how close they were to their death, spared because it was too much effort. Your judgement, skills and so on will determine how you approach things.

The penalties for violating the Masquerade by exposing vampiric activities to the Kine (humans) can be severe if you're not careful. Feed on anyone out in the open, use certain powers openly, amusement, even the wrong speech choice can get you in trouble. Five strikes and it's an automatic final death/game over. Humanity Loss, unfortunately with the XP you can spend to undo is a little less dire but be careless and not fix a severe deficit and suddenly you're looking at a frenzy where you literally lose control for a bit. Injury and thirst for blood can bring out the vampiric beast within. Mostly, a savvy player will sidestep these pitfalls but occasionally, you’ll find yourself desperate for blood and a crowd of unwitting humans after a hellish quest so stock up on those spare blood bags.

Gameplay can get frustrating and there's no difficulty bar. My best advice to new players is don't get intimidated, and you'll make it through, even if you need to add self-advantage.

I won't spoil the main game but the World of Darkness universe is an amazing playground for your vampire RPG-ing wants. You have to play it for yourself and carve out your potential eternal life, although be careful. The wrong side at the end can leave your legacy as a fate worse than death. It’s a game of consequences with logic behind decisions and outcomes based on your choices. Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines is a great vampire RPG, arguably one of the only chances you'll have to play a vampire as they were made to be and it leaves you wondering why more entries couldn't have been made. It is 'the' vampire RPG everyone wishing to sink their fangs into the night must have and the price is worth the gamble to get it running on newer computers.

My final score for this game is 9.5/10 and the half point loss is for the bug that required no-clip and the fifteen reloads it took to get through to the next section for an otherwise game breaking bug. Any older game made for XP and earlier you pick up at this point will come with all kinds of issues but this game was released as an unstable beta, requiring years of caring work by Wesp5, who deserves an eternity of gratitude for getting this game to run as well as it does.