Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a sequel to a game from over 20 years ago, and as a result, the two RPGs don't look similar. The art is modernized, and between the combat overhaul, the more linear approach to storytelling, and a completely new developer, it does raise a big question: why call it Bloodlines 2? After all, if the new game is so different from the original, why tie it to that game instead of calling it something new? On our exclusive cover story trip to Brighton, England, we asked the developers at The Chinese Room this exact question, and they had a few responses.
When I ask creative director Alex Skidmore why the game is called Bloodlines 2 instead of something else, he thinks for a while, then starts his answer by saying, "It's what we were asked to do."