The Chinese Room has revealed Phyre, the Elder Kindred who will function the principle playable character in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. To study extra, we had the possibility to talk to narrative designer Arone Le Bray all about this vampire who was Embraced within the early seventeenth century.
Phyre is a personality with an extended historical past, however it is possible for you to to customise them and select their gender, clan, outfits, conduct, and a lot extra. You’ll have to consider carefully, nevertheless, as your actions, which means your conversations, what you put on, the way you feed and/or deal with Seattle’s populace, and extra can have huge penalties on the world round you and the way the story progresses.
As to what that world is, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 takes place in Seattle in 2024 and sees Phyre waking up from a roughly 100-year slumber. They are an Elder Kindred, which suggests they have been undead for no less than 300 years however now have an enormous hole of their information.
Phyre might have an extended and storied historical past that you’ll find out about all through the sport, however they’re now in a world that has very a lot modified since they final remembered it. While that looks like a serious drawback, she just isn’t alone on this journey as there’s a mysterious companion that may be a part of her.
For causes which might be presently unclear, Phyre is inhabited by a thinblood vampire from modern-day Seattle named Fabien, and he is aware of issues Phyre would not and is a voice they’ll take heed to, ignore, anger, and so on. Much like Phyre can change the world round them with their selections, so can also they form their relationship with Fabien. Oh, and Phyre is the one one who can hear Fabien or is aware of that he’s there.
This, in response to Le Bray, may also be useful to gamers, particularly those that do not know any of Vampire: The Masquerade’s expansive lore, as Fabien will assist train them concerning the world as he’s educating Phyre.
“Even should you do not perceive a lot of what’s going on initially, Fabien is right here to assist be that cipher for you just a little bit, although it isn’t your character,” Le Bray mentioned. “You, because the participant, are nonetheless getting that info alongside Phyre.”
Phyre and Fabien’s journey can be an unpredictable one, however the selections you make will not be so gentle facet or darkish facet or, like within the universe of Mass Effect, paragon or renegade. You will be capable to movement by way of the sport in a means you need your Phyre to behave, and will not be shoehorned right into a binary good or evil playthrough.
“We did not need it to really feel like you may solely be a pleasant individual or a jerk,” Le Brey mentioned. “So, one of many issues that we checked out very early on is how can we make it really feel like Phyre is an individual in management from second to second? And we checked out what completely different responses you’d have at a specific second to nonetheless get the end result that you really want? How are you able to go about getting that consequence? And simply because I would need one consequence, one other participant who’s enjoying Phyre may not need that very same consequence, or they won’t care about performing the identical means that mine does.”
There can be selections you make on the earth, but additionally about Phyre’s historical past. As we talked about, they have been alive for a whole bunch of years and lots of the inhabitants of Seattle know the “legend of Phyre.” However, you may assist form that legend by confirming, denying, or not commenting on the so-called deeds of your previous, particularly if it helps get what you need.
One of probably the most attention-grabbing features of Bloodlines 2 is that it does happen within the “actual world,” albeit one with vampire and all that great things. In the movies introducting Phyre, we see her speaking to a lady named Lou. If you’re accustomed to Seattle historical past, you’ll acknowledge her as Lou Graham from the 1800s.
In our historical past, Lou was the madame of a brothel within the metropolis and was one of many wealthiest and influential citiizens of Seattle till she handed away in 1905. So, why is she exhibiting up in 2024 in Bloodlines 2? Well, discovering that out can be among the enjoyable the sport, which is mixing actual life with fiction.
“That is without doubt one of the enjoyable issues about Vampire: The Masquerade – the true world parts and kind of taking a look at, nicely, what was making that actual world factor?” Le Bray mentioned. “Did that factor occur due to historical past saying that it occurred for that reason? Or was there an alternate motive why such a factor occurred, particularly in Seattle. I imply, Lou confirmed up at a really turbulent time within the historical past, so was there something there that possibly was Kindred-related or was this all mortal? How a lot did these two worlds affect and meld and what does that imply for Phyre now? That’s the place a whole lot of that enjoyable is.”
And that’s solely the tip of the iceberg that’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and the subsequent merchandise on the checklist for The Chinese Room to dive deep into would be the clans. Until then, be sure you try the information that we can be getting a gameplay reveal of Bloodlines 2 in January 2024 and a launch date in Fall 2024.
Bloodlines 2 is the sequel to the unique sport for 2004 and the official description will give followers only a bit extra as to what to anticipate from this bloody journey.
“Bloodlines 2 takes gamers to the darkish underbelly of Seattle, the place vampires battle for survival and supremacy,” the official description reads. “As an Elder vampire, gamers meet compelling characters, maneuver complicated political relationships, stalk the town streets for prey, and have interaction in intense fight whereas balancing the necessity for blood.
“Throughout the sport, gamers should at all times be conscious of their environment or danger breaking the Masquerade – absolutely the legislation of secrecy that retains vampire society hidden from humanity.”
Adam Bankhurst is a information author for IGN. You can observe him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
