Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption Review

[@peepa47]

You know you have been playing with a low brightness bug right? I mean doing a review and saying it has bad lighting, while you are playing with a low brightness bug :-D Way to go...If you did some research, or played the game in 2000, you would knew it is not supposed to be this dark

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I believe I mentioned that I used DGVoodoo to counteract the game's gamma issues. Not to mention I quite blankly stated the game has excellent lighting. Way to go. If you did some research, or watched the video, you'd know I addressed this.

[@dalelong6532]

OK vv v bc be coming in m c 4

[@MrCaptainTea]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull hahahah damn you OWNED that dude

[@lepohum]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull based and redpill even after a year

[@Pulsed101]

I don't care about its poor pathfinding or other shortcomings. Redemption is one of my all time favorite games.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Hey man, all the power to you! Its great when you can love a game and overlook some thinks it may do poorly. All I can offer is my own opinion after playing it. :)

[@ByrneMJames]

It's hands down one of the best games every made.

[@Kathlynn82]

VisInvis awesome game. He thinks mobs fleeing before they die, is a bug. This girl can’t be pleased. Complaining about combat becoming too easy after being too hard lol

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@Kathlynn82 I do say that. I also mention a whole bunch of reasons why I say that, so it's not like it's baseless. But, hey. If it doesn't bother you, awesome!

[@remasteredretropcgames3312]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull This is a brief reminder that I exist, and this is going to be one of my next potential victims.

[@TheNonEdibleCheese]

I remember playing this during my first year at college, and managed to get people to play some stories I created online. It was mind-blowing to be able to be a DM on an online game and run a full fledged campaign.

[@raven89k]

This game needs absolutely a remaster/remake

[@cretalyst]

Only thing I want 🙌🙌🙌

[@ronjefferson4261]

Yes it does... badly.

[@Iwuznothere]

Well, you're sort of in luck because some crazy bastards want to make Redemption in Skyrim. Check out Vampire the Masquerade Redemption Reawakened.

[@michadybczak4862]

When I replayed the game a few years ago, it turned out that the initial mines were pitch black even with the brightest setting, and I had to play it from memory or by trial and error. I thought that this was because the game was made for CRT screens, not LCD screens. It never occurred to me, it could be a bug, because I played the game at a release two times and all was fine with the lighting. As to the evaluation of the game, I disagree. The story is so great and compelling that other aspects are not relevant, at least to me. Fight by point and click is what I love - simple and doesn't distract from the story. Powers also work well, so at the end of the game you can really fell like this ancient, very powerful vampire. And as you said, the atmosphere is literally oozing from it. This is a wonderful game that made me learn some weird, old English stuff to understand it. When Bloodlines was announced, I was waiting for it and bought on the day of the release! I remember how confused was the lady of the store when I asked for it. She didn't hear about it, but it was there, hidden, unexposed - a raw gem! And the endings... I remember, when I came to a bad ending by accident. I didn't even know it existed - boy... what a surprise! And all of that just because I got randomly a book with some dark powers and decided to develop them, which needed low humanity.... This was incredibly fun but so surprisingly at the end.... Those powers had a hidden cost.

[@MadiMisaki]

When I was 8, my uncle gave me this game after doing a chore for him. I think this is my first RPG. I still remember messing around in multiplayer mode without internet.

[@kristofb5013]

Vampire the Masquerade Redemption: + Amazing story + Epic fucking music. + Excellent voice acting. + The protagonist actually has a great story arc. + Great atmosphere. + Graphics still hold up...kinda. - Gameplay. As videos said, it's a repetitive dungeon crawler. - AI is terrible. It's like herding drunk toddlers. - Shallow moral choices with very little impact. Example: Before leaving for Vienna you can completely refuse to rescue Anezka with every dialogue choice but you still go to Vienna. Additionally- The World of Darkness retcon-ed the game. Originally the game was set in 1185 and Christof was 19 but they changed it to a later date to fit in with the World of Darkness lore, especially for characters like Ecaterina the Wise.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Probably after they moved the starting date to a later one from Vampire: The Dark Ages to Dark Ages: Vampire. And I agree with everything you just said. Thanks for watching!

[@kristofb5013]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull Just finished the video. As difficult as it is to say- I agree that it's not worth reccomending to people who want to get into World of Darkness. That being said, because the story is so great but the gameplay is terrible; I would at least reccomend watching an edited Let'sPlay which only shows the story. The strongest factor of the story is Christof's arc. First he's broken because being a vampire conflicts with his faith. It's a valid reason for him to actually act all broody actually nd melodramatic unlike other fictional vampires. You start seeing a change after he speaks with the Rabbi's son, who calls him out for feeling as if God has abandoned him (that he has abandoned God instead). And you see it in how he interacts with Luther Black, someone who mirrors his faith-vs-vampirism despair.

[@adiveler]

On the late game, I remember playing only with Christof while disabling the "follow" function from my allies, with mainly spamming 3 disciplines: Theft of Vitae (to make sure that the enemy can't use magic), Summon Golem (to keep the enemy in one place), and Firestorm (which does a massive damage to a stationary enemy who surrounded by my golems!)

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Theft of Vitae, Prison of Ice, and Majesty for me. With the occasional lightning bolt thrown in for good measure, but with the Ainkurn sword doing so much damage, Call Lightning was so underpowered by comparison. But I think your comment speaks to the strength of the different build combinations that the game has, which is the main reason to replay the game, imo.

[@randystabbage4821]

Full celerity, potency, fortitude and feral claws is a blast

[@michadybczak4862]

I did play the game after the release. I remember that box cover tempting me... so I bought it :). Those were different times, so the issues you mention, were not so apparent or important. The game was fun and climatic, the story was awesome, that was enough.

[@jonathancardona6193]

I played this game when I was 6 years old my brother was 5 we fought who can take turns playing it. It was my first major game experience honestly...and I have very fond memories of it. Haven't played it since roughly 2000, 2001 but my brother and I spoke of this game recently and were praising it. I respect your review, but for me I guess at the time as kid and 20 years ago it was pretty awesome.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Thanks for watching! And I bet you that if I played it for the first time 20 years ago, I'd think it was pretty awesome, too. There were aspects about it that I liked a lot, but it really hasn't aged all that well, IMO. Still, I'm not any kind of authority. I'm just some guy on the internet who likes to share his opinions about video games, so feel free to love it death! :)

[@jonathancardona6193]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull I bet if I played it today it would suck ass it's a old game. I'd get a nostalgia kick but you made great points man.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@jonathancardona6193 Thanks a lot! :)

[@rustyshackleford3160]

I love this game, even in it's vanilla state. The simple characters grow on you, I kinda like the feeding cycle you have to go through, and it's a more personal quest through the world of darkness when Bloodlines is a macroscopic one. Tell me in my Bloodlines days I'd be working with a member of the Sabbat to stop the end of the world I'd be confused. But I'd never turn my back on Wilhelm! The politics don't matter to Christoph and never will. Swallow how corny the story is and try to take it at face value and you can grow to care for these simple characters. Anezka's pure love is just so adorable.

[@soldancer]

I actually played this without the addition of the pause button, and the lack of it was the single most frustrating impediment to me finishing the game. I was even using cheats to instantly refill blood pools and it was _still_ too hard. In spite of its shortcomings, I might actually give it another go with the modern QoL features, if for nothing more than nostalgia's sake (and seeing the bloody thing through to the end this time).

[@shawnjohnson4732]

Two things that will improve your life considerably. (I have beaten it without mods at least once a year since release.) You can effectively turn off allied AI so they won’t follow you. It is the little green button next to the health bars. The cross on the left side of the UI reactivates all of them at once. A regroup button essentially. That makes the first level of the Lasombra church muuuuch easier. As for blood guzzling party members, you can control what they use from options. The biggest issue is if you reload, you have to turn the options on and then off again to get it to stick. Lastly, a lot of the early game is taking it slow and making sure you don’t pull too much at once. Try to bait out one tremere, stay away from summoning circles when a room is full, that sort of thing.

[@kalacs32]

I didn't have some of the sound bugs you mention, I don't think they are universal. It's good to see some attention given to this game.

[@DerDieSkaSkie]

I loved that game.

[@kkarx]

I can still remember the game was a big deal back then. I did not play it because I was 13 and I did not understand english very much but I was fascinated by it. The only issue the reviewers had with the game was the camera. Anyway I will get it now from GOG when it is on sale.

[@JoseManuelGmod]

Thanks for doing this review, hidden gem in my opinion

[@BARON.SAMEDI.]

Best game ever ... period!!!!

[@CommonSimpleton]

Solid review, it can't be stressed enough that VTMR is actually an enjoyable game if you just work around some of the technical issues that bog it down. For me, this game has significance because it got me interested in WoD through its music and atmosphere; from own experience, I feel the design decisions had a degree of success in captivating players who weren't into WoD at the time, but enjoyed hack n' slash diablo-likes in general. I can see how veteran WoD fans would be disappointed, though - except about the multiplayer, which seemed really innovative for its time. Also, Age of Redemption mod is supposed to address a lot of questionable design choices with the original campaign - if you didn't already know about it. At the very least, it fixes the AI that would waste vitae despite your settings. /edit: For anyone interested in the AI using blood and casting costly disciplines, the settings menu does work, but it resets itself to its default every time you reload, so on 1.1 patch, you have to click "OK" after a savefile/autosave is loaded for it to work.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

First of all, thank you for watching! And yeah, I agree with you! I loved the atmosphere and the setting, but the gameplay was a really sore area for me just because of how rough it actually is. As for AoR, I mentioned in the video that if I ever do another playthrough of the game, it'll be with that mod. Besides the general fixes and rebalancing, Obtenebration sounds like a gosh darn fun time. ;) I also wasn't aware of the menu resetting itself! It's still annoying, but at least its nice to see that it maybe does actually do something when I select the option.

[@CommonSimpleton]

The gameplay, for sure. It's all fine and dandy once you realize you can make characters stop following, maybe even figure out how to fix the AI (I did several playthroughs having no idea), but going into it blind? Oof, better muster up that patience for mindless Celerity/Potence spam, they'll even drink the blood from the inventory, lol. On the other hand, the coterie equipped with longer range quarterstaffs and maybe skilling awe for the mobs that run, suddenly the beginning becomes a cakewalk. Stuff like that makes the verdict fully understandable!

[@ByrneMJames]

One of the best games ever made and the days of the won jyhad were tremendous the best fun I ever had online

[@kalacs32]

@@CommonSimpleton "maybe even figure out how to fix the AI " Wait, what? That's a thing? How do you do that?

[@CommonSimpleton]

@@kalacs32 You can at least restrict their discipline usage to only say healing. There's a setting for it in the options, and by default they will waste blood on Potence or other unproductive disciplines. People would normally assume the option doesn't work, but it does - it just resets itself whenever you choose to reload. So, if you remember to go into settings and "OK" again after reloading, the problem of wasting valuable blood will at least be solved - which is actually the only big issue that makes your coterie members die so quickly. Though faulty target priority is another - just not as severe.

[@thuggeegaming659]

4:58 I couldn't disagree more. Graphics are one of the most important aspects to a video game and are criminally underrated in how important they are to sculpting an overall experience. Graphics are routinely minimized in their importance due to a variety of reasons, but probably the most prolific reason is because little kids tend to write off games just because they don't like the graphics, which is wrong, and worth criticizing. However that doesn't mean graphics aren't an absolutely important and crucial aspect to a video game.

[@SeruraRenge11]

You don't need good graphical fidelity, just good art direction.

[@thuggeegaming659]

@@SeruraRenge11 That's a distinction without a difference. You can not have art without graphics. You probably mean the technical capabilities of a graphics engine, i.e. number of polygons, texture resolution and detail, etc. But your assertion is still incorrect. Both are important. It is true that artwork from older games running on more primitive hardware can absolutely look better than games with more advanced engines, that doesn't mean that the technical backbone isn't also incredibly important. They are all important.

[@SeruraRenge11]

@@thuggeegaming659 It's not important, because those old sprite games were not soulless. There's 2 reasons those old games hold up better than what is cutting-edge. The first being that what is considered cutting edge only lasts so long and the more time passes, the more previously amazing-looking graphics look dated and the flaws show, and therein lies the inherent flaw with chasing what is "the best". The second being that more limitations always results in having to use more creativity than being able to use all the hardware power in the world. And that's where art direction comes in, having to work around your limitations to make something look good through good lighting and shading, hiding bad textures, etc. It's why the first 4 dothack games on PS2 don't hold up graphically but the GU trilogy did, because GU used cel shading to hide the flaws on the models but the IMOQ didn't. Personally, I think Metal Slug is the peak we will ever achieve in graphics and nothing you say can ever convince me otherwise. Every sprite painstakingly drawn to perfection, so many frames of animations put in beyond what was necessary, and a clear art direction from the creators that always knew what it wanted to be. The definition of SOUL.

[@thuggeegaming659]

@@SeruraRenge11 Well you're contradicting yourself. You're saying graphics aren't important but then saying graphics in Metal Slug are important and are incredible, which I agree with. So which is it? You can not have a game without graphics. So not only are graphics important, they are unbelievably important. I think your point is muddled though. I think you personally prefer 2D graphics, which is fine. I love 2D games myself, but that doesn't mean that graphics aren't unbelievably important. It just means you have a preference for a particular graphical style. It's really no different than preferring cubism artwork to modern artwork. It's a preference for a style, which I have no beef with, but your framing of your position is poor. Graphics still matter. Metal Slug would have sucked if it were just stick figures and was only Black and White. That's not to say that particular graphical style is inherently bad, it works perfectly with N+ for example. But just like how N+ wouldn't work with MS's graphics, MS doesn't work with N+'s graphics. Different graphical styles are necessary for different games, and they can't (necessarily) be interchanged without dramatically changing the gamer's experience. One thing remains constant though, graphics still matter a lot.

[@SeruraRenge11]

@@thuggeegaming659 Because when I say "graphics aren't important", I'm saying that not everything has to be AAA market-pushing bullshit that only seeks to look as advanced as possible for the purpose of trying to push console sales. Games that do that always suffer in gameplay because of where money is being allocated. That's what 99% of people who say graphics aren't important are saying and to interpret it as otherwise is strawmanning them.

[@Kaziklu]

I bought this game when it came out. I got the special edition/collectors edition what ever it was that came with a hard cover copy of the Book of Nod. The Storyteller mode in the game is kinda broken because it seems to be missing all the assets you also really need the NOD SDK to really build levels.. but if you had a storyteller that could build maps I think you could likely do a virtual chronicle with some success. I sadly was never good enough to do that lol. Redemption is part of the reason I didn't try Bloodlines until a few years ago. It is the superior game for sure.

[@ivanivanoff2759]

Couldnt summ it better. Never played tabletop VTM, but played VtMR in 2012 or 2014. For game published in 2000 it have great graphics. Cant say why i finished it, despite all its problems. Story and especially journey from age of crusades to modern world was good and, i think, unique.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Oh, yeah. Like I said, I loved the setting and the story, even with the lore problems. But I just can't see someone going into it now, for the first time ever, and enjoying it. It was something novel back then, but its just forgotten about now. Probably for the best.

[@ivanivanoff2759]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull Maybe you are right. I know site where ppl was rating this game very high. But i dont see me going to replay it. Even with its skill system. Way too clunky and i already know the story. Final fight was hard one. I used a lot of modern firepower on that boss-thing and cheated a lot.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@ivanivanoff2759 It was the opposite for me! Final fight was the easiest in the game hahaha. Level 5 Prison of Ice over and over again, aggro damage melee weapons. I dunno. I can see myself replaying it, but not anytime soon. I like Christoff as a character.

[@ivanivanoff2759]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull Loaded every characters with some kind of gun including minigun and bazooka. i dont remember using high level magic and when all ammo was spent, boss was still alive, while two of characters had no mellee backup. Christoff is interesting character. Dont believe we meet him again in sequel.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@ivanivanoff2759 We don't, but he appears in a number of books in the tabletop game.

[@Zovereign]

It is fascinating to hear someone mention and point out EVERY single problem I had with this game, I knew I was not crazy. Excellent review!

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@ronjefferson4261]

Man, I just stumbled on your channel, you deserve a lot more views. Great content man

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Thank you very much! Both for watching, and for the kind words! :)

[@yellowdogdemocrat1402]

I played the multiplayer on this a long time ago. There's a glitch where you can trade weapons with someone while you're in the middle of combat with them, so players would blind you with your inventory screen by initiating trade and then kill you. It was pretty dumb.

[@ByrneMJames]

That's not Redemption, wtf are you talking about trade weapons? you're not even describing gameplay similar to Redemption. First of all it's an rp you wouldn't trade a weapon they're entirely free anyone can get any weapon in the game any time they want for role-play purposes... If you wanted to trade you can't swap weapons like that. You'd have to put one on the ground for a player to pick up. Even if that was possible (n youre thinking of a different game) people fumpf perm or permadeath you easily if they wanted to just on the vanilla version of the game. But because the game was deliberately open to modding you could do anything to anybody easily. One funny discipline turned you into a horses ass, a funny java weapon splatted you with a giant hammer n turned you into a puddle of blood... I dunno what game you're talking about

[@yellowdogdemocrat1402]

@@ByrneMJames It was on Multiplayer. Spamming inventory screens was what people did. I was there.

[@ByrneMJames]

@@yellowdogdemocrat1402 so was I. What was your name? I role played as (-LoC-) Conal caernach I was (GN) Dubhtach Doeltenga {BSD} in the won jyhad. I've another more infamous name but I doubt you'd know it even if I said it. It'd attract people if I said it tho so I won't waste my time.

[@yellowdogdemocrat1402]

@@ByrneMJames Christof. And i got past the first boss on single player.

[@ByrneMJames]

@@yellowdogdemocrat1402 ok so Christof. Can you guess who I was? Come out come out where ever you are.

[@kpjlflsknflksnflknsa]

Do I need to play this in order to enjoy Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines? Because Bloodlines is a game I'm constantly being advised to play. I wasn't play sophisticated RPGs in the early 2000s because I was less than 10 years old but I've enjoyed playing the original Deus Ex and I hear that Bloodlines bears some resemblance in terms of the sheer number of gameplay possibilities and pathways.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Not in the slightest. Same universe but they are totally independent stories set in different places with different characters. If you're going to play a single Vampire game and skip the other one, play Bloodlines. And yeah, I'd say Bloodlines is very comparable to Deus Ex in many regards. If you dig Deus Ex, Bloodlines might be right up your alley.

[@kpjlflsknflksnflknsa]

Thanks for the recommendation. Bloodlines it is then! Also, makes sense to play it in anticipation of Bloodlines 2.

[@mr.battle20]

Redemption's got a pretty good story, all things considered. Plus the amount of different builds you can do with Christof and your party members is truly staggering. ... And kinda silly, if you get right down to it. Christof is eventually able to access disciplines that no Brujah would ever touch, like Thaumaturgy, Elemental Magics, Hands of Destruction, Protean, Mortis, etc. If you play your cards right, Christof is virtually godlike by the end of the game.

[@szogyenyi]

If you combine that bad ass sword with maxed out Celerity, Christof basicly becomes a one man army. After finding out that Celerity not only makes you move fast, but let you attack 3 times faster than usual, I basicly wrecked every enemy, including Vukodlak. Anyway, I must agree with everything you say, yet it kept make me coming back to the game until I've finished it. What a great gem!

[@RangersJagr]

It was a great game! Loved it and beat it! It was pretty atmospheric and the missions were cool!

[@HarbingerOfBattle]

Tip: when enemies run from you use the Awe skill to lure them back.

[@demevilwayz3230]

This game blew my mind back in the days

[@The_Lucent_Archangel]

I don't know. The game definitely had its limitations and all, but many of the locales and characters definitely factor into the larger WpD overall. I've streamed this and Bloodlines a few times (currently on a Gangrel run after which I only have Ventrue left out of the vanilla clans) but also the first Hunter: the Reckoning and part of the second one. All of the games set in this universe have their own charm and downsides. Even the Bloodlines sequel by virtue of being in limbo all this time, which is worrying. While I enjoyed Redemption's story I really feel like it was one of the first games to benefit from a robust modding community albeit for much less time than Bloodlines has endured in that regard. It also had the benefit of multiplayer chronicles which could be curated by a competent Storyteller but that functionality hasn't been possible for years at this point. I just think it's been maligned a bit unfairly overall given how few forays into a true WoD video game we have to choose from. The sound gripes I understand too, mostly because of the background NPCs cutting into dialogue. But the bit with the Tremere speaking while getting fed on I always took as an audio cue for when Mesmerize has worn off. I figured it was a goofy tradeoff for getting a guaranteed feed success.

[@Atlantida55]

I suggest you install the Age of Redemption mod and Neural Redemption mod for Hd textures if you wanna play this game on this date. In my humble opinion, Redemption is much better than Bloodlines just as Diablo 1 is better than its successors.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I actually was using an HD retexture pack, but I didn't want to do a review of the game with as massive of an overhaul as Age of Redemption. I disagree that Redemption is the better game, personally. I feel that Bloodlines is a much better representation of the WoD and much more enjoyable. Thanks for watching!

[@Atlantida55]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull No problem. I feel that Redemption is overshadowed by people who like the Bloodline, so that many who discover Masquerade games don't even know Redemption exists and how really good it is.

[@alitazakkor362]

This was my first entry to world of darkness back in the days i didnt even knew it had world i realized it with my 3rd play throw 2 decades after , and i love it for all its flaws , imean you can make your can make your character so good at manipulation that you can sell the items at more cost and becom rich , now thats what i call a vampire roleplay

[@Hynnin]

wow I remember seeing this game on sale and thinking to myself "I wish my pc could run it"

[@MrBozack]

You can look up, it's the z key. That's free look.

[@Vopyr]

Nice game, with more TTRPG setting things and disciplines, I also love how we travel from past to modern times, and story... story is fine, but choices that affect humanity are too hidden and in some cases stupid. Combat are annoying, and I don't understand why they change Abilities and Skills system.

[@joshuabrown4952]

I definitely recognise the inventory from Diablo, but everything else about the gameplay and interface is screaming Summoner to me, and they came out in the same year.

[@flamensteinsdankmemestash]

Just recently picked up this game and finished it. Wow what an epic game, loved it! For all it's jank and problems, game is tremendous. I might even say I enjoyed it a lot more than Bloodlines. I can totally see why people would hate it, but I had no problems with it. Mostly.

[@thomaskirkness-little5809]

I was never a fan of the clicky RPGs, but I did enjoy VtM Redemption. There's something about the world and the stories within it. Also, I don't know of any other game with the balls to drop a building on you for a thousand years and then have you revived and go on a rampage like you're the villain in a horror film.

[@Malkav65]

Love this game - one of my favorites ever. That being said, all the criticisms are valid 😅

[@zhoupact8567]

I am unable to find my way through the mine for its too dark. XD

[@anezkamaynard6839]

okay okay but, my parents named me after a nUN?!

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

If it makes you feel better, some endings have her turning into a vampire?

[@anezkamaynard6839]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull That's badass! If someone asks who I'm named after I'm definitely going with the vampire rather than a nun XD.

[@mr.battle20]

@@anezkamaynard6839 Christof embraces Anezka in the "good" ending, turning her into a vampire and preventing her from crumbling into dust (she had been a Tzimisce ghoul for over 800 years, and with Vukodlak's demise her doom was all but assured. Christof wanted to save her from such a fate). Essentially the entire game is one long love story, and the "Redemption" in the title is just as much Anezka's redemption as it is Christof's. P.S. Anezka willingly allowed herself to become ghouled by Vukodlak, the Tzimisce voivode and Methuselah (and main villain), in order to supplant his most loyal servitor at the time, Libussa the Defiled. Once Anezka became Vukodlak's favored, she was able to "advise" him into making poor choices throughout the centuries that would delay his awakening and prevent a Doomsday scenario. By the year 1999, Anezka couldn't delay any further. Vukodlak's awakening was unavoidable at that point, so in desperation she called out to Christof, awakening him from torpor. Her voice is that which awakens the ancient vampire in the modern era, and all her hopes now lay in the French Crusader as he drew closer and closer to his inevitable confrontation with the Tzimisce abomination.

[@kristofb5013]

Oh crap

[@anezkamaynard6839]

@@kristofb5013 haha hi Kristof

[@zrixie7695]

I have played the beginning of this game and I loved it. But the healing button isn't working so I can't beat the second boss. I also don't know how to heal in Bloodlines either. Am I missing something?

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Do you have enough blood in your blood pool? It might be failing because of a lack of "mana." However, sometimes it will fail by itself unless you level up the skill. In Bloodlines, its just a matter of using Blood Heal. It always works so long as you have blood in your blood pool.

[@zrixie7695]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull My blood pool was always full. It just wouldn't work when I tried to activate it. None of my disciplines worked if I am remembering correctly. And how the heck do I Blood Heal in Bloodlines? I can't find a button prompt on the key layout guide in the menu or any mention of having that skill at all anywhere in my game. I'm starting to wonder if there is something wrong with my game.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@zrixie7695 Should be able to see it by scrolling on your mouse wheel. Nothing to it. It very well could be a corrupt install. Try reinstalling it and applying the unofficial patch to see if it works.

[@ZombieKillTime]

@@zrixie7695 Usually it's the mouse right click which you use disciplines on.

[@mr.battle20]

@@zrixie7695 Blood Heal doesn't exist in the vanilla release of Bloodlines. It was added back to the game by an unofficial fan patch. It's possible that you're playing a vanilla release version of the game. My advice: get the patch. Anyway, for the vanilla release, if you want to heal, just feed. It restores your health as well as your blood.

[@michaelmcdowell7096]

Sadly, only played bloodlines, but sounds so diff and disappointing; idw pay 6 for this or 20 for bloodlines but I'd pay double for bloodlines than for this, just not my thing though looks a bit unsatisfying and underdeveloped to what I'd thought it might be.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Pretty much my thoughts on it after going through the game. Really interesting for the time and has some neat ideas, but a disappointing package overall.

[@jackwalters3928]

Installed it and played it again after perhaps two decades, and I have to say I'm extremely disappointed. I won't mention the graphics because it's old. Really old. So that's not my problem at all. My problem is with virtually everything else. The AI and pathfinding of this game is practically non-existent. In fact, it's so bad that you're better off keeping the rest of your group stationed at the back while you venture forth with the main character in dungeons, because if all three or four of them are chiming in, instead of the fight becoming easier, it becomes worse. All they're useful for is extra inventory space and perhaps the boss fight at the end, although they can mess that up too. They will constantly frenzy and attack each other even if they are surrounded by enemies and even if at the moment, they were attacking an enemy, the moment they frenzy they'll turn to an ally as if that's what frenzy means, they freeze or get stuck behind a wall or another character and refuse to help out, and they waste their blood on disciplines they didn't have to use even if you have the "auto-use of disciplines" deactivated from the controls. But even if they're not frenzying, they will randomly stop attacking or feeding on an enemy and start doing something else (or worse, sit around). There's been times when enemies attacked them and they just sat there and took it. Like statues. There is no pause so that you can micromanage them, disciplines last very short and take too long to activate so in some cases, by the time you've finished buffing up, they're already almost up, the attributes and disciplines have no explanation so you have to basically look online for what they do. It doesn't even mention what "manipulation" or "appearance" do. You hover the mouse over them and they say nothing. And I don't know what disciplines do when you level them up either. The text doesn't change. Do they last longer? Do they deal more damage? What if it's a non-combat discipline? Like the one that's used to identify items, or open a gate to your haven. Why should I raise them above level 1? The camera is really bad, you can only control everyone with the mouse but you can't mass select them and point them to go somewhere and the game feels very slow and cumbersome. There should also be a fast travel, especially since the level design is so atrocious. At the beginning of the game in the first town you're at, everything looked the same and it was practically a maze. And the map won't show you where you are. Just the general area you're in, but not specifically. And it'd be fine if you could navigate based on your surroundings, but everything is the same as I said, so it's not like you can say "alright I'm next to this store so if I turn left and go that way I will reach the gate for that place". There's no quick save and quick load (I know, this is a bit nitpicky) and I even have a problem with the sound. The slurping sounds when they drink blood are in some cases too much. Especially the Capadocian vampire girl in your group. When she drinks blood I literally have to turn off the speaker because she moans like she's getting gang-banged and I don't want the neighbours to think I'm watching porn. I know it sounds funny, but after the dozenth time it stops being funny and it's just annoying and obnoxious. Another terrible design thing is that it's insanely dark. Not "atmospheric" dark, but just BLACK dark. You simply can't see anything. That doesn't build tension or anything. It's just annoying as all hell. And even with a torch it doesn't light up enough for you to see where you're going. You just click in a sea of blackness and hope to get the monster. And if the enemy starts running, unless you have high level celerity you'll never catch up. Your character will casually walk behind him, stop, get ready to attack, do the attack animation and by the time this whole ordeal is over, the enemy is already a few meters ahead and you haven't hit him. You have to run way ahead of them and intercept them in order to land an attack at a fleeting enemy, IF they don't do a 180 and start walking the other direction that is... There's also balancing issues. Some enemies will kill you with two hits or they'll freeze you and attack you until you die, but it's "fine" because you're also imbalanced and if you manage to get to them first and start feeding on them, it's game over. Generally speaking, there's no strategy involved and the game is super easy but boring. Just run around, pull one enemy at a time, 'feed' on them until they die, rinse and repeat. But I don't like it. It's not hard but super slow, especially since it's very time consuming (pulling one at a time and the feeding takes foreeeeeeeveeeeeer). The story, as much as I like it, doesn't really have many options. It's well made but very, very linear. You read all those beautifully written dialogues but very rarely you get an option of choosing one or the other thing, and even when you do it's not that big of a difference anyway. It could be better if everything was a bit faster, if you could zoom out, take control of all of your characters with the mouse, pause the game and micromanage them (you go there and use this discipline, you go there and use that other discipline, attack that guy etc), and the AI and pathfinding was, well, at the very least sub-par. Because it's not even that. As I said, it is non existent. And I don't think any of these problems are due to the time it came out. There are strategy and RPG games that had those issues solved that came out years before Vampire Redemption. There's probably more that I'm forgetting right now. If I remember anything else I'll write it as a response to this.

[@MattyStoked]

Loved the specifics of getting this running, something I think is super important with these old games. Even boosted in DGVoodoo, this game sure is dark!

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I think that what happened was that OBS just didn't capture the DGVoodoo overrides, since I've had trouble with OBS and overlays in the past. As a result, the footage looks a lot closer to how it looked before the changes rather than after. Thanks for watching!

[@vovasyhin7219]

Difficulty? Have even played the game? You can make your discipline cost ZERO blood by having certain accessories, meaning you can spam disciplines non stop! Furthermore some Disciplines are more effective then others namely Speed, Defense and GOLEM SUMMONING! Meaning you take ZERO DAMAGE, CAN CAST GOLEMS ENDLESSLY AND MOVE AROUND LIKE FLASH WHILE THE GOLEMS KILL THE FINAL BOSS IN SECONDS!

[@MrVulcanator]

This was a good video. I always enjoy seeing how old bad games played.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Thanks a bunch for watching! I appreciate the praise! :)

[@JohnRBIV]

really wasn't a bad game

[@vovasyhin7219]

With all of the problems this game has its in my opinion just as good as Bloodlines if not better, because there is so much more LORE and Disciplines to mess around with!

[@Bleakertube]

I liked this game a lot back in the day. It introduced the WoD to me.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Anything that introduces new fans to the WoD is a-okay in my book.

[@arishzager6999]

contraty to you, i think gameplay logic is far better than bloodline 2. and has much more depth.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Totally fair! All I can do is offer my own opinions and explain why I think what I do. Thanks for watching!

[@arishzager6999]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull Thnx

[@DividedStates]

Imagine what Larian (divinity original sin 2) could have done with the game if they didn't choose to make Baldurs Gate 3....

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I think that the expectations for what a Vampire: the Masquerade game looks like are pretty much set after Bloodlines took the internet by storm. Seeing a VtM game that resembles something a little more like a classic RPG (or action RPG, in the case of Divine Divinity) would be off-putting, I think. I have no doubt Larian would make an excellent game, but I wonder what their take on Vampire would be and if it would be so readily received.

[@8jimmyjazz]

Seeing as Larian are making Divinity 3 instead of BG3, they would have made Divinity 3 instead of VtMB2, I put in 40 hours of BG3 early release and it is almost exact copy paste of Divinity 1 and 2 starting areas (and storyline to boot), still fun, but defo disappointing.

[@GUMMRUCHK]

This games story was such none sense I liked how you could rebuke the lady who turns you but as soon as you walk away some guy talks to you for a few seconds and so you come back to her making the choice of walking away completely worthless. It wastes your time with a bunch of none choices there is no real choice it's a linear story trying to pretend it's not.

[@tgodfre1]

Vampire redemption was much better than bloodlines imho. Vampire redemption draws on traditional vampire myths and lore. Bloodlines is trying to be hip and new. Don’t forget vampires are timeless and so booodlines is not meeting the mark here. Also the idea of a crusader being turned only ads to the myth and story. The different clans were also presented better in redemption along with your team members. Story also better by far. 10/10 for redemption. Only draw back is that it is an older game

[@JohnRBIV]

geez you really didn't go into the story at all huh

[@-CatPervert-]

Still one of my favorite games. Came here because I needed some nostalgia after seeing swansong :(

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Oh no. Is Swansong not good?

[@-CatPervert-]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull It wasn't what I was expecting. Its more of a TellTale, or Sherlock holmes style of game. Don't get me wrong, I love that. Just not quite what I was expecting lol. So far it's really good story wise.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@-CatPervert- Ah, gotcha. Yeah, it's going to play very similarly to The Council from everything I saw about it. I still want to check it out and review it sometime.

[@-CatPervert-]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull I look forward to watching it!

[@ArchaicVirusStudios]

Dude I thought no one else ever played this game. You don't know how many friends/acquaintances I've ranted and raved about this game to, lol, and none of them ever heard of it. I love this game. Have you ever tried the multiplayer mod for it? Or maybe it had multiplayer by default, I can't remember. I do remember dracula turning your girlfriend into an evil monster at the end, lmao. After all that fighting throughout the game and you end up having to kill her. So anti-climactic lol. Great game though, 100%

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I haven't had a chance to properly multiplayer, but I did dabble with it for one of the sections in the video and I can see some decent potential there. The game was certainly an experience and while I think its very flawed, I can also see why I've found that so many people like it as much as they do. Thanks for watching!

[@ArchaicVirusStudios]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull Thanks man! Maybe it wasn't as great as I remember... Nostalgia tends to have that effect on me lol. Used to play it back in the day on an old e-machine as a used copy from gamestop

[@DaveOGames]

TIL that there is more than one Vampire: The Masquerade game. TIAL that there is only one Vampire: The Masquerade game worth playing at the moment (we'll see when Bloodlines 2 comes out) Great review man!

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

It's worth playing if you're like me and have a tolerance for some serious jank. But its certainly not a HvyMtlBakesale game ;). Thanks man!

[@aelfwynn94]

there is two without this there wont be another one

[@joshmedina5471]

I still have this game 😂, but I never had a PC good enough to run it 😝. I literally never made it past the first dungeon!

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Now is a good a time as any to give it another try! :)

[@blaynesea8816]

i wonder if that new werewolf the apocalypse game will be any good.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I'm very skeptical about it, considering what I've heard about it so far and who's developing it. The same guys who made the new Call of Cthulhu are making Werewolf. I had my issues with that game and it looks like a lot of the same issues are going to present in Werewolf. So it might be decent, but I doubt it will be spectacular.

[@DividedStates]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull word

[@AintPopular]

Underrated

[@irish3481]

Hi, you from Russia or i missed

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Nope! From Canada :)

[@solista31]

This game is masterpiece

[@RequiumFrost]

Amazing game.

[@ВинниПух-х3о]

I fail to understand why you have so little views and subscribers. Your videos are on _way_ above average level by KZbin game reviewer standards. KZbin suggestion algorithms sometimes give me depression.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

Спасибо! It means a lot to hear that you think my videos are worthwhile! I think a major reason I'm hard to find is because I don't upload regularly. It takes me a really long time to make my videos, and I try not to stress out and kill myself by following a schedule I can't keep. I would rather put out something I can at least be somewhat proud of instead of just shooting out videos for the sake of it. That and my name is fairly unpronounceable and hard to spell. Hahaha.

[@ВинниПух-х3о]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull > That and my name is fairly unpronounceable and hard to spell Not for Slavs it isn't :)

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@ВинниПух-х3о So what you're saying is that I need to corner the Eastern market? :P

[@Leery_Bard]

Savatage Intro! Too bad the rest of the video is so disappointing...

[@thepoppunx]

redemption is way better than bloodlines to me...

[@kainzed7383]

it was much much better than bloodlines

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

That's a strong claim, friend.

[@mr.battle20]

I think its overall story is much better than Bloodlines. But Bloodlines is superior as a game, in regards to quests, character interaction, moral choices, and presentation.

[@dimitrisz6858]

Yeah it was way way better than bloodlines.

[@unrelatedcoma]

Redemption > Bloodlines

[@sokarxanthus9454]

Vampire redemtion is mutch better then blodlines. I played blodlines once and it whas good game but nothink more. And redemtion i completed 6 or 7 times and never have enought of that.

[@alexgoldbar]

Great review which is filled with tons of spoilers.

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

I don't think its filled with many spoilers at all. Or, if I did show anything major, I've taken it so out of context that it shouldn't really affect one's story enjoyment. Either way, I'll try to keep that in mind going forward. Thanks for watching!

[@alexgoldbar]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull I played Redemption 20 years ago when it was just released. Its one of my favorite games from childhood. I never got the chance to play more than few hours in Bloodlines though, and i really regret that. I saw you have a review for that as well. Is it spoilers free or should i just skip it for now ? :)

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

@@alexgoldbar I avoid spoilers as much as possible in my videos, so I think that its ok...especially if you want to hear me gush about how great of a game it is for 40 minutes. If you're worried though, play the game first then come back for the video. :P

[@alexgoldbar]

@@CultoftheCyberSkull

[@MojoRisingTV]

Loads of spoilers

[@dummydeactivatedpearmently8640]

What is this a knockoff of fate

[@tgodfre1]

I’m concerned that you are bad at this game