Characters speak with theatrical flair, but they’re recognizably grounded in the Pacific Northwest. By the end of the demo, the club owner was distinctly displeased.īloodlines 2’s demo is a deft mix of familiarity and strangeness. But then I voted to switch allegiances and help the target take refuge with the Nosferatu, a clan of hideously transformed but highly resourceful vampires. The protagonist obligingly infiltrated a seedy area called the Jungle with telekinesis and smooth talking, convincing some drug dealers that they were a pharmaceutical salesman looking to make a deal. In the demo, the protagonist got a mission from a local leader and nightclub owner, who needed information from a recently turned vampire. Meanwhile, characters can give you contradictory goals that might ingratiate you with one faction or another. As in Bloodlines, you’ll use your powers and stats (things like charisma or “humanity,” essentially a measure of your gameplay cruelty level) to accomplish tasks in different ways. My hands-off E3 demo was drawn from early in the game and showcased a small set of special powers - I chose a form of telekinesis called Mentalism and the Tremere clan’s weaponized blood magic. (You can play either a male or female character, and the developers say they’re exploring other options as well.) The player is a fledgling vampire going through what Hardsuit refers to as a kind of “vampire puberty,” but they’ve had the good luck to get in touch with the city’s feuding vampiric clans.
Further investigation by Eurogamer has highlighted a “culture of silence” at a company not previously able to deal with harassment.Bloodlines 2 takes place in a Seattle where vampires and other supernatural creatures secretly hold sway over the city, maintaining a deception known as the Masquerade. The company is currently working with an external company to “conduct a thorough review of our process and a comprehensive employee survey”, but Wester himself has had to publicly acknowledge that he has contributed to the toxic workplace in the past, making a public statement on the matter.
CEO Ebba Ljungerud stepped down and Wester returned to the position just as allegations of sexual discrimination and bullying at the company emerged. Paradox Interactive has had a tumultuous couple of months. Wester said, “I would like to see how Bloodlines is received before we bet the next big money in the genre,” which follows on from the company’s change of CEO and decision to focus once again on the core grand strategy and management titles that they have had the most success with. Given the game’s struggles, it’s no surprise that Paradox will seemingly be a bit more cautious going forward.
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