Before anything else - play this with the Unofficial Patch (Plus). I'd go so far as to say it's a necessity. Additionally, the consensus is to avoid playing Clan Malkavian or Clan Nosferatu for your first playthrough. These two clans offer completely different experiences; Malkavians have visions of the future and are considered to be insane, which is reflected in their dialogue, and you're often given hints/story spoilers throughout your own options along the game because your character is seeing/sensing things that haven't happened yet. Nosferatu vampires are forced to basically stealth the whole game as they can't be seen by humans without violating the Masquerade, which means you won't be getting most dialogue and you'll be confined to the sewers for most of your run.
Now that that's out of the way...
Fuck, I love this game. The graphics have aged terribly (the opening cutscene made me giggle when I first saw it because the movement of someone pouncing on another character was so bad), the combat is clunky, and it's undeniably a game from 2004 - but hell if I care. I can't even put into words how special this game is. It's brimming with character, with this thick, deep Gothic atmosphere, and it's one of the most immersive, path-varying RPGs I've ever experienced.
VTM:B genuinely could have been made for me.
My only slight complaint is that I wish there was a character creator, but you're playing most of it in first-person anyway, so I could ignore the preset appearances for each Clan. The fact that every Clan offers such a different experience offers so much replayability, I love the political intrigue and machinations of it all, the soundtrack is gorgeous, the quests are genuinely interesting, the characters are all fascinating, just... ugh. God. I love it, man.
Favourite Male Character: Lacroix
Favourite Female Character: Jeanette
First Character I Liked: Lacroix
Favourite Character Design: Pisha
Favourite Scene: Escaping the explosion and walking away from the house on fire with the music swelling around you
Favourite OST: All That Could Ever Be
Least Favourite Character: None
Now that that's out of the way...
Fuck, I love this game. The graphics have aged terribly (the opening cutscene made me giggle when I first saw it because the movement of someone pouncing on another character was so bad), the combat is clunky, and it's undeniably a game from 2004 - but hell if I care. I can't even put into words how special this game is. It's brimming with character, with this thick, deep Gothic atmosphere, and it's one of the most immersive, path-varying RPGs I've ever experienced.
VTM:B genuinely could have been made for me.
My only slight complaint is that I wish there was a character creator, but you're playing most of it in first-person anyway, so I could ignore the preset appearances for each Clan. The fact that every Clan offers such a different experience offers so much replayability, I love the political intrigue and machinations of it all, the soundtrack is gorgeous, the quests are genuinely interesting, the characters are all fascinating, just... ugh. God. I love it, man.
Favourite Male Character: Lacroix
Favourite Female Character: Jeanette
First Character I Liked: Lacroix
Favourite Character Design: Pisha
Favourite Scene: Escaping the explosion and walking away from the house on fire with the music swelling around you
Favourite OST: All That Could Ever Be
Least Favourite Character: None