Before We Begin

Despite many years of adventuring, I have
only recently begun to enjoy the RPG genre and to develop an appreciation for
character building and questing. My view of Vampire: The Masquerade–Redemption
is formed not as an expert RPG player, but as an adventure gamer in transition.

I
should also note that Vampire has two very distinct modes. The multi-player
version provides an online parallel to pen-and-paper RPGs. Up to eight players
can join with a Story-Teller (the role formerly known as “Dungeon Master”)
and play at WON.net. Since
I already have one online gaming addiction, this review will focus on the single-player
experience.

Of Light and Darkness

The story opens in 1141 A.D.
(or, to be politically correct, “C.E.”) with Christof–a young Crusader
who has been injured and left to heal at a convent in Prague. He is under the
care of Anezka–a beautiful young nun with whom he falls in love. Christof begins
his personal fall from grace as he recognizes these feelings and goes out to fight
the forces of Darkness to redeem himself and his beloved.

Although you begin
as a human, you are soon drinking blood with the best of them. You are not a B-movie
vampire, but a noble creature that walks a delicate balance between humanity and
the Beast. For gamers not familiar with the pen-and-paper World of Darkness developed
by White Wolf Studios, there is a rich tradition of vampire mythology that provides
the backdrop for this game. It is worth taking time to read the game manual in
order to have some understanding of the sects and conflicts that are discussed
throughout Vampire.

“Survive as a vampire across 800 years,”
the game box hypes. What it doesn’t say is that you sleep through about 799 of
them. You begin the game exploring medieval Prague and Vienna. Then, midway through
the story, you awake to modern-day London and New York City. Although feeling
a bit robbed (of about eight centuries worth of adventuring), I was still delighted
by this transition. Christof swaps his armor for jeans and a flak jacket, his
broadsword for a machine gun, and blood vials for plasma bags.

The Nuts
and Bolts

Vampire is a richly detailed 3D RPG with a complex
story and a cast of interesting characters. Although some dialogue choices are
provided, most interaction is through predefined conversations. The third-person
perspective is viewed from a lower altitude than games like Planescape: Torment
or Fallout so you are closer to the characters and have a better sense
of who they are. As one would expect, the game is very dark since sunlight is
not a vampire’s friend.

For most of the game, you control a group (or “coterie”)
of four–Christof plus three companions. Each member of your party has his/her
own inventory, skills, and disciplines. Using a combination of keys and the mouse,
each character can be operated individually, or the entire party can be managed
as a unit.

Although the base configuration of single-player characters are
predefined, you choose how experience points are applied to attributes and disciplines.
Blood provides the power to cast spells (including healing) and is managed much
like a mage does with “mana” in more traditional RPGs.

Interface
Blues

My first week with Vampire was spent getting used to the
interface and understanding the implications of the in-game choices I was making.
Despite an extensive manual, I still found myself stumped by questions like “how
do I feed?” and “how do I heal?” And, of course, “how do I
save?” (the answer to which is “not very easily” unless you have
downloaded Activision’s patch).

For me, the biggest challenge was learning
to orchestrate the actions of multiple characters. Invariably, I would enter a
town and find that one member of my party was attacking innocents (not a good
thing). Or I would realize that Christof was fighting alone as his companions
watched or ran off to battle elsewhere. Things were made worse by glitches in
the game that allows characters to get snagged on the landscape. However, by the
time I reached London, my group was kicking ass and taking names.

Follow
the Yellow Brick Road

In single-player mode, Vampire is a very
linear story with clearly defined objectives. New areas open as your tasks require
access and old areas tend to close behind you. In short, you follow a predefined
game path with little room for creativity except in the way you fight. For those
new to RPGs, the fixed storyline may make the game more comfortable. Instead of
being faced with a wide landscape to wander in confusion, Vampire pushes
you along from the beginning. I suspect, however, that this rigidity may prove
to be too restrictive for the RPG veteran.

Despite beautiful graphics and
a creative sound track, Vampire is an extended dungeon crawl. Each city
has several multi-level dungeons and most require you to wade through a horde
of monsters in order to confront a bigger monster. After awhile, the continuous
cycle of “hack-slash-loot” wears thin (as does Christof shouting, “To
the Abyss with Thee,” through every battle).

The Bottom Line

With
Activision’s patch, Vampire provides a reasonable entry point for those
wanting to experience the RPG genre. The story is interesting and there is a certain
amount of satisfaction that comes from learning to play with a group of characters.
However, the mythology is a bit hard to follow and, as the old adage goes, “when
you’ve cleared one dungeon, you’ve cleared them all.”

For those new
to RPGs, the art of hack-and-slash may be greatly refined through the use of a
strategy guide.
For those who are truly action-challenged, several web sites have cheat
codes to give your characters a preliminary boost and increase their odds of survival.

Despite
the single-player limitations, I believe that Vampire will ultimately shine
in the multi-player environment. As the kinks are worked out and Story-Tellers
build their skills, this game has the potential of providing an unprecedented
peek into the World of Darkness.

Final Grade (Single Player): B

If
you liked Vampire: The Masquerade–Redemption:
Watch: The Hunger
Read: Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
Play: Nocturne

System
Requirements: Pentium II 233 MHz processor

Windows 95/98
64 MB RAM
720 MB hard disk space
Quad Speed CD-ROM
drive
DirectX 7 compatible sound card
DirectX 7 compatible 3-D Accelerator
Card required
Multiplayer supports Internet and LAN play