The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 releases Jan. 31 – That’s Gaming

After detailing the three gameplay styles in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, The Chinese Room confirmed that a new gameplay trailer and in-depth exploration would go live on Jan. 31. The next Dev Diary will appear in two weeks and delve into the game’s final pillar, “Exploring the World of Darkness.”

Meanwhile, project creative director Alex Skidmore spoke about the controls and how the developer is choosing “immersion over complexity” with a “streamlined control scheme with actions that are easy to pick up and play for all three play styles.”

Players can use four skills at once, assigned to the face buttons on the gamepad, and dodge. A higher skill mechanic is counterattack, performed by using dodge in enemies with melee attacks, disorienting them. “It’s fine if players never do this move, but for those who want a higher skill level, it’s there.”

Although the number of skills available seems limited, Skidmore says the team “would rather players think about what cool things they want to do next, rather than how they do it.” Visceral combat is also a “stylistic choice,” as the developer wants to give you “a cool reason to tear out throats in the middle of a fight.” Long story short, expect lots of blood and gore.

Developed on Unreal Engine 5, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 launches in the fall of 2024 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.