Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (based on patch v1.1) Developer: Nihilistic Software Publisher: Activision Category: : Action / Adventure (RPG) System Req: PII/PIII 400+, 128 Mb RAM, 16 Mb 3D Card, 1350 Mb HD Might look like: Gameplay is very similar to Diablo games Date posted: 27 September 2000 Written By: Jochen - This game was reviewed on PIII 500, 128 Mb RAM, CL Geforce2 GTS 32Mb, Soundblaster Live!, Win98 SE, - We also test other games on "PlayDevil.com Game Machine" Hear the howl of the White Wolf Let's face it : Computer Role Playing Games ( CRPG ) are back ! Ever since the release of "Diablo" way back in 1997 more and more people have been drawn into a fantasy world, solving the many quests and puzzles to save the world / king / their own a** (make your pick). "Baldur's Gate" was the ultimate 'pièce de résistance', heralding the comeback of the true RPG to the computer screen. Of course the Pen-and-Paper RPG's have existed since the seventies when the first version of 'Dungeons and Dragons' was released. The huge success of this game type has created many alternate universes like 'Battletech', 'Heavy Gear', 'Call of the Cthulu' etc. This new game from developer "Nihilistic Software" and publisher "Activision", Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (or short 'VTMR') is based on a Pen-and-Paper RPG from 'White Wolf'. There is also a card game based on it created by Wizard's of the Coast ( of Magic: the Gathering fame). I have played both a few years ago and I must admit I was hooked. The card game is very challenging and quite difficult to learn but once you understand the basics it's fun and can be more strategic than Magic at times. The RPG (especially the Modern Ages variant) was quite good too. I've never been interested in the dwarf and hero setting of AD&D (although I respect the people that are, mind you … :-), but Vampire had me playing through the night. The Modern Ages has a sort of cyberpunk atmosphere that offers many playing opportunities. The World of Darkness setting tells the story of a worldwide conspiracy, 'the Masquerade', set up by Vampires to hide their existence from mankind and be able to live in our shadows. If you have seen the movie 'Blade' this should sound familiar. However the Masquerade is in constant danger because of the ongoing war ( the Eternal Struggle) between the 13 clans. Although VTMR is based on the original White Wolf game, the people at Nihilistic Software have created a different theme, but all the way respecting the original setting. Servant of God You play the role of 'Christof Romuald', a crusader and servant of God. In a battle with a group of barbarians you are wounded by an arrow and left in the hands of sister Anezka in Prague by your comrades. 'Nihilistic' has clearly stepped away from the clan setting by telling the story of one single person in his struggle for redemption. There are different clans in the singleplayer story, but they are only here for the story advancement. When you start the game you are still human, awaking in Prague with a beautiful woman at your side : 'sister Anezka'. You almost immediately fall in love with her, but that, of course, is against the rules of 'God'. So here you have it : you , as Christof, are a bittered man, fighting because of your impossible love for Anezka, freeing the city of Prague of an evil demon, attracting the attention of the Vampires and become a part of their Eternal Struggle.    Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (VTMR) is a cross between the Dark Ages and the Modern Ages settings of the original RPG : you start your story in Medieval Prague, travel to the city of Vienna to ultimately arrive in modern day London and New York. The game stretches over an 800 year long time line to fight off your anger and frustration : you are a vampire but very much against your will. This combined with the impossible feelings for Anezka sets you on a path of revenge, to destroy those that have taken away your very soul. It ain't like the original P&P game, but how does it play ? The Masquerade In my opinion VTMR is best described as an '3D action - adventure with basic RPG influences'. Let me explain, step by step. First of all, Vampire is undoubtedly a 3D game. Most of the people at Nihilistic have worked at LucasArts and it shows they know how to create a great 3D engine capable of showing a detailed World of Darkness. The graphics in VTMR are simply said : 'breathtaking'. From the smallest building to the simplest creature, everything is just so beautiful to look at. The game has a 3rd person view, so you see everyone in your party. Pushing your cursor the sides of the screen rotates the camera and this can be done horizontal as well as vertical, letting you play the game from a topdown view. There is even more. Holding the 'z' key let's you enter the selected character and see the stunning world through his eyes. Although you cannot move in this mode, it let's you see things that you would be hard-pushed to see otherwise because the normal camera has a restricted view cone. You can zoom in and out, but you cannot tilt the camera in a 180° angle. The graphics are top-notch, but despite the 3D engine Vampire bears a undeniable resemblance to another game : "Diablo". Agreed Diablo does not look that good, but the gameplay is without a doubt similar. I know a lot of people will not like to hear this, but even the inventory and character screen look like the ones in Diablo, the combat sequences are Hack&Slash and 'RPG' is nothing more than distributing some experience points over a set of abilities and special vampire skills, all while collecting gold to buy weapons, items and potions in town. Of course this doesn't have to be a bad thing. Diablo and especially Diablo 2 are good and addictive games that helped re-introducing this type of gameplay to a wider audience. It can however be a disappointment to those expecting to play a 'true' singleplayer computer RPG based on the WoD setting. So to those people : if you don't like games based primarily on combat, then this is "NOT" for you as VTMR relies heavily on your Hack&Slash abilities (...). Next Page Up Previous Page If you want to review your favorite game, or if you work with a computer game company and want your products reviewing, mail info@playdevil.com. All contributions are welcome. Any problems and/or suggestions are always appreciated on webmaster@playdevil.com Nothing of this entire Site, animation & logo's included, may be reproduced, stored, saved, transmitted, in any form or means, electronic, written or otherwise without the prior permission of PlayDevil. Other Logos & Names are Copyrighted Material of its respectful owners. All Rights Reserved. PlayDevil Productions © 199/8-199/9-200/0 "rip your own stuff"