Real Good Games Revisited (RGGR): Vampire the Masquerade Coteries of New York
Say the words ‘Vampire: The Masquerade’ to any gamer of a certain age and you’ll ignite long dormant neurons at such a volume you’ll either inspire a momentary comatose state or unbridled jubilation. Be ready. Fallout found in either path is better met with ample preparation.
This week’s Real Good Game Revisited title has nothing and everything to do with that 2004 classic. Which, by the way, was the first external game to use the Source engine. The games aren’t connected, as far as I know. They’re completely different genres, too. And released nearly two decades apart. Yet here I am, reminiscing of days gone by as I write this and the impact that game made on me.
Vampire: The Masquerade, the brand, according to wikipedia, is a tabletop role-playing game (tabletop RPG) created by Mark Rein-Hagen and released in 1991 by White Wolf Publishing as the first of several Storyteller System games for its World of Darkness setting line. It is set in a fictionalized “gothic-punk” version of the modern world where players assume the role of vampires, who are referred to as “Kindred.” and deal with their night-to-night struggles against their own bestial natures, vampire hunters, and each other.’ Cool.
The vibe of Bloodlines stuck with me most over the years. You felt like a vampire. Powerful, manipulative, and otherworldly. According to PC Gamer in their review for Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York, developer Draw Distance nailed that key aspect I’ve been so fond of, writing ‘Coteries of New York, in a way, occupies a sweet spot between the series’ tabletop roots and the videogames that followed.’
The game’s a visual novel – a genre I don’t indulge in quite often enough. Frankly, I don’t think enough of us do. Let’s drop the fast-paced competitive esports-ready games for a bit and relax with a nice narrative game about vampires and their political shenanigans. In case you need more reinforcement, RPS, in their wot I think, said the game is ‘essentially a collection of subplots for their own sake, largely set in stone. But they’re written with talent and confidence and I would gladly read some more.’ I’m in. Are you?
Oh, I forgot. Why is this in the unplayed pile? I don’t sit down and play visual novels enough. I said that above but I guess I didn’t allude to the real reason hard enough. There it is. I’m a sweaty esports-driven gamer too often and victims like this fall by the wayside. I’m sorry, entire genre. So sorry.
Get the game here