The best vampire games and mods to play until Bloodlines 2 releases later this year – The Next Web

Paradox Interactives Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 is among the most anticipated games of 2021. Unfortunately its been pushed back toward the second half of the year.

And thats a long time to keep the beast at bay for those of us who were excitedly expecting it last year.

However, as weve recently seen what can happen when a much-anticipated game is released a little too early, we here at TNW commend Paradox and developer Hardsuit Labs for making the decision to keep BL2 in the oven for as long as it needs.

Because, and I cannot stress this enough, there simply arent enough good vampire games out there. WhenHollywood went into a vampire frenzy for about a decade after Twilight sold a gazillion books it seemed like a no-brainer that gamings bloodsucker genre would extend beyond the shadows of Castlevania and the original Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Alas, such mortal pleasures did not come to pass.

That doesnt mean there arent some good vampire games out there, theyre just not as easy to find as a WWII shooter or D&D-inspired hack-n-slash game. And sometimes you have to veer off the beaten path to find what youre looking for.

Thats a subtle way of saying this list is a mixture of new titles, old titles, and mods you may have missed. And, of course, since its a list about video games it has Skyrim on it too.

First things first though, lets not forget that the excellent interactive fiction titles Vampire: the Masquerade Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York both released on PC and consoles. If you havent played them, theyre a lot like those old Choose Your Own Adventure books except you can pick your character and the graphics are really pretty.

Theres also Night Roads on PC and mobile.

But if youve exhausted those and still crave more blood, heres the list.

If youre drooling like a Toreador in an art gallery in anticipation of Bloodlines 2, the natural first stop on your tour of vampire video games is the original title.

Vampire: the Masquerade: Bloodlines

BL1 holds up surprisingly well. Those familiar with the World of Darkness will enjoy the clever onboarding experience for characters of the various titular bloodlines. Those new to Vampire: The Masquerade would be hard-pressed to find a better entry point. The gameplay is a little rough around the edges (its an old game) especially when it comes to combat, but its absolutely worth sticking with it just to enjoy the story.

From what we understand you dont have to play BL1 to enjoy BL2, but BL1 is chocked full of delicious lore and excellent storytelling. If you want to play a game that lets you be a bloodsucking vampire, this is the one to start with.

Vampyr

This one isnt exactly brand new, as it came out in 2018, but its still among the newest dedicated games allowing you to play as a bloodsucker. This ones an action RPG game with a decent story and some excellent moments. Its not related to Vampire: The Masquerade, but its still a lore rich game in its own right worth checking out.

Crusader Kings III and Fallout 4

Okay, neither one of these are games about vampires but both of them have incredible modding communities that have turned them into whats arguably the two best bloodsucker experiences you can get in video game form.

The Princes of Darkness mod for Crusader Kings III turns Paradox Interactives amazing dynasty simulator into the ultimate dark ages vampire game. Crusader Kings III is a massive grand strategy game that allows you to live out the lives of an entire noble dynasty during the period of castles and knights.

As you may have guessed, the PoD mod turns it into a Vampire kingdom simulator. Its an excellent mod that turns CKIII into an entirely different yet equally compelling game, and it follows the official World of Darkness lore thanks to both franchises falling under the Paradox umbrella. But, best of all, its free as long as you already own CKIII.

Fallout 4 is another game that didnt set out to be a vampire game but thanks to the Sanguinaire mod, its now one of the most robust and accessible vampire simulators out there.

Whats interesting here is that the vampire character youll create in this full-fledged overhaul of Fallout 4 is based on joint lore from the World of Darkness IP and the Vampyr game. So if you happen to be on an all-out vampire gaming binge until Paradox releases BL2, this game slots right in with what weve discussed so far.

How does it play? Its Fallout 4 and you get to be a vampire. If that doesnt sell you, nothing will.

I dont know why I went with a wedding theme for this article, but it happened so here we are. And that brings me to Skyrim. Its not blue, but Ill keep extolling its virtues until Im blue in the face. And, for my money, it has the absolute best vampire character mechanics around and some of the best quest lines involving bloodsuckers of any RPG Ive played once you get the Dawnguard DLC.

You can never go wrong with Skyrim.

There are certainly other vampire games out there, but these games and mods should get your through the next few months while we all wait for a release date. Hit me up on Twitter to yell at me for leaving your favorite out.

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The best vampire games and mods to play until Bloodlines 2 releases later this year - The Next Web

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero