What’s Next for Bloodlines 2

[Zarkaro]

"The extra time gives us an opportunity to adjust certain areas, SUCH AS FABIEN, and incorporate other community feedback."

So you’re telling me...... there’s a chance...​

 

[cosmeIII]

This corporate jargon about delaying the game doesn't fit the Vampires vibe much. Just say it and own it, we've been getting nothing but corporate jargon from Paradox's secondary projects and let's not even mention the industry at large.

 

[Pyoro]

Yeah, I hope you guys don't take it personally; but trust is probably a bit low regarding those sorts of generic marketing statements coming from Paradox published games these days. Life ... err ... errr ... Life By You, right, was also always in a good place; just needed a bit more time to incorporate more community feedback and make it the best possible product. Well, the best possible product turned out to be one that's not existing. And that's just the latest example ^^

Oh well. Proof is in the cookie, as always.

ps: :suprisedpikachu:

 

[zerosius]

Man i really hope that this game gets a fair chance after all this time. It seems very surreal to see Bloodlines 2 in my steam library taunting me for the last nearly 5 years, closer to 6 when released. Attendants to PDXCON 2019 got a code back then, and the game was supposed to be playable at the event. I wish the developers all the best, and hope to actually play the game someday.

 

[Inquerion]

This corporate jargon about delaying the game doesn't fit the Vampires vibe much. Just say it and own it, we've been getting nothing but corporate jargon from Paradox's secondary projects and let's not even mention the industry at large.

I agree, but remember that since 2016 Paradox is a stock market company. Potential investors and shareholders are listening.

In my opinion, they will delay this game further to late 2025, because lot's of AAA games will be released in the first half of 2025 and some are direct VTMB competitors, like Avowed and Kingdom Come 2.

2025 will be very busy for both players and investors

 

[blacksmith]

"What's next for a game that hasn't come out yet" is a very ominous tone befitting a vampire game.

 

[mwc12]

I’m very glad to hear you are taking the time you need to release the game in a polished state. We’ve all seen how awful it can be when companies make the other choice.

I’ve waited almost 20 years, what’s another 6 months?

 

[cosmeIII]

I agree, but remember that since 2016 Paradox is a stock market company. Potential investors and shareholders are listening.

In my opinion, they will delay this game further to late 2025, because lot's of AAA games will be released in the first half of 2025 and some are direct VTMB competitors, like Avowed and Kingdom Come 2.

2025 will be very busy for both players and investors

You're right, I was hasty with my post. Just feels like every non-Pdox development studio title by Paradox is in some sort of development trouble or even hell.

Thanks to the team for your work, please do your best so we can have the best possible product!

 

[RagnarokCzD]

So ... the game was delayed?

Hmm ...
Honestly? That is probably the best news we could get!

Looking forward for next update! :3

 

[Bigg Tocc]

Well a delay is hardly a surprise given you've barely shown any gameplay when the game was supposed to come out this fall. Hopefully this is for the best and you'll make changes that will make the game closer to the original game instead of usurping the Bloodlines name.

 

[Azar]

Seattle welcomes you to explore its dark vampiric underbelly in 2025; until then, stay tuned to our social media channels for more Bloodlines 2 updates: Discord, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

- Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room

I can't say I was completely surprised by this news. Despite the dev diaries there didn't seem to be much marketing buzz which made me think delay was likely, along with lack of a date and lack of male Phyre making an appearance.

I support this decision and hope that you deliver a stellar product come spring 2025.

The actual delay and what was said in the video makes me believe Paradox considers this an important game for them and its important for Paradox to get it right. You only get one chance making a first impression, after all. In a way, I'm now more confident that this game will actually launch and this is a good thing. A radio silence would've been much more alarming. I look forward to more dev diaries with renewed faith in the game.

 

[Necromass]

This is an unsurprising development for almost everyone, especially with recent developments' the layoffs and dev diary content planned was clearly not what you expect to be seeing from a game launching in a few months. Hopefully the entire studio can come together and get this over the finish line now that still wakes the deep is done.

Good that we got direct communication from the studio and paradox on this issue with some juicy info spread throughout like damsel some male phyre and some more characters and locations.

The dev diary implies that the game could have launched as is but clearly the massive negative response to a reimagined bloodlines experience outside of the discord finally sunk in. But I welcome changes hopefully fabian will get the axe persisting as nothing more than a short tutorial.

 

[Baalzamon85]

Probably the least surprising news ever, the delay that is. It was either delay or cancel since the game was obviously not finished by this year.

I do appreciate seing some more feminine hairstyles for options a female phyre and a glimpse of the reworked male model. This is a necessary step to avoid a complete flop, at least people are more likely to try it and you can actually market the player character instead of hiding it where no one can see it.

 

[Idle America]

"What's next for a game that hasn't come out yet" is a very ominous tone befitting a vampire game.

"Merry Christmas from the development team! To celebrate, we're announcing that Bloodlines 2 is finally cancelled!"

 

[Azar]

reworked male model.

"Reworked"? It was never shown except as concept art afaik.

It looks fine to me, although Im getting Lestat vibes. Im not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing. But I will choose female Phyre anyway.

Tell my you aren't getting similar vibes?


I support everything Ive seen so far in the dev diaries etc, except two things: Fabien and that weird ventrue costume that looks like a strange bathrobe. While it may seem like a nice way of doing tutorial. Im convinced Fabien is gonna be really irritating. I hope TCR invests in some good voice direction at least, so it doesnt sound like the VA just dials it in. I guess I should talk more and properly about Fabien in another thread, but lets say the concept has more ways to go wrong than right.

 

[Baalzamon85]

"Reworked"? It was never shown except as concept art afaik.

It looks fine to me, although Im getting Lestat vibes. Im not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing. But I will choose female Phyre anyway.

Tell my you aren't getting similar vibes?
View attachment 1177594View attachment 1177595

I support everything Ive seen so far in the dev diaries etc, except two things: Fabien and that weird ventrue costume that looks like a strange bathrobe. While it may seem like a nice way of doing tutorial. Im convinced Fabien is gonna be really irritating. I hope TCR invests in some good voice direction at least, so it doesnt sound like the VA just dials it in.

I say reworked because they stopped showing the male one and even removed the head and replaced it with the female one, and this new male looks completely different.

Lestat is only Tom Cruise for me so no.

It's more Jake Gyllenhall from Prince of Persia, without the stubble. Which makes sort of sense given the northern middle east background. Armenia/Persia area.

 

[Borgratz]

So, can we get rid of Fabien completly, maybe? Or is that too much to hope for?

 

[Azar]

I doubt we can get rid of Fabien completely, since this sort of thing is part of core design and cant be changed on a whim. The idea of a thinblood giving a guided tour of the modern world to an elder vampire is sort of fine, its just the part of them being a voice in our heads that is suspicious. Problem is the omnipresence. Unlike a person we can walk away from, a voice in our heads is something we cannot avoid. If it turns out to be something annoying, the annoyance shoots up tenfold when we cant get rid of the object of annoyance.

I personally see there a high chance that Fabien turns about to be as lovable as old microsoft office assistant. Im especially critical after seeing that video from one mission where Fabien only partook by spouting obvious things with an indifferent voice. "What is he hiding?" This is also a catch-22 situation: either the voice has a more memorable personality but risks being annoying, or it doesnt stand out which makes me question why does it need to exist in the first place. How does Fabien make the story better? I dont know what the story is like, but if Fabien cannot participate in the story in any other way except by talking with us, I question the wisdom of his inclusion.

There are obvious parallels to Cyberpunk and Johnny Silverhand, but this case warrants closer inspection. Johnny in CP2077 may have been a "voice in our heads" but he was also basically a full NPC we had discussions with in earnest on some occasions, rather than being just an omnipresent annoyance. In other words, our dealings with him only happened occasionally, not all the time. Without going into detail, I was highly critical of Johnnys inclusion before the CP2077 launched as well, and while he didn't turn out to be as bad as I feared, I would love to play 2077 without Johnny even today. (619 play hours)

 

[Dr. B]

Finally, some news about release date. It is no surprise at all.

Hope they can make the game into something good, and maybe do as they say, listen to the community (ahem, main character name, ahem).