Shadows of New York though a sequel to Coteries of New York feels more like a correction. A second attempt learning from the mistakes of the first game. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first game but it fumbled the ending leaving a bittersweet feeling after finishing it as it could have been so much more.
Vampire: the Masquerade - Shadows of New York starts a fresh with a new character Julia. She's a freshly turned vampire and former journalist. Intelligent, angry and as a predefined character far more interesting than the multiple character choices in it's predecessor. The story is based around a murder and Julia has been placed in a bit of a no win situation to solve it from a position of weakness. While the main plot of the story feels a little bit like a patch to course correct from Coterie it's getting to know Julia and interact with some of the extremely interesting cast introduced in Coteries of New York that made this such a rewarding experience.
The game's biggest flaw is simply that I want more. The gorgeous artwork, the dark brooding atmosphere, the interesting characters, the writing of the world, the menacing soundtrack all come together so well that I was disappointed when it was all over. More choices, more interaction with some characters and a deeper look into ideas and themes that are thrown in would have really made it shine. As it is the game is extremely linear and fairly short with a couple of endings (Though they are both at least better than the first games disappointment.) but despite that I really enjoyed my time with it just soaking in the vibe the game created I haven't felt in a vampire related game for a long time.
Recommended.
+ Julia is a great character.
+ The cast is generally great actually.
+ Gorgeous Art design.
+ Fantastic music.
- Too short, I needed more.
Vampire: the Masquerade - Shadows of New York starts a fresh with a new character Julia. She's a freshly turned vampire and former journalist. Intelligent, angry and as a predefined character far more interesting than the multiple character choices in it's predecessor. The story is based around a murder and Julia has been placed in a bit of a no win situation to solve it from a position of weakness. While the main plot of the story feels a little bit like a patch to course correct from Coterie it's getting to know Julia and interact with some of the extremely interesting cast introduced in Coteries of New York that made this such a rewarding experience.
The game's biggest flaw is simply that I want more. The gorgeous artwork, the dark brooding atmosphere, the interesting characters, the writing of the world, the menacing soundtrack all come together so well that I was disappointed when it was all over. More choices, more interaction with some characters and a deeper look into ideas and themes that are thrown in would have really made it shine. As it is the game is extremely linear and fairly short with a couple of endings (Though they are both at least better than the first games disappointment.) but despite that I really enjoyed my time with it just soaking in the vibe the game created I haven't felt in a vampire related game for a long time.
Recommended.
+ Julia is a great character.
+ The cast is generally great actually.
+ Gorgeous Art design.
+ Fantastic music.
- Too short, I needed more.