I’m incredibly excited about Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, and today’s VTM Seattle By Night livestream made my Kindred heart race. Let’s welcome Phyre, the 17th-century Elder, as the protagonist of the game.
During the premiere of Seattle By Night Season 2, hosted by the fantastic Jason Carl, we learned that the player character in Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 is Phyre, a 17th-century Elder who has been reawakened for reasons currently unknown.
In the game, Phyre will interact with various other Kindred, and in the sneak peek, we saw Phyre seeking help from the enigmatic Lou, a character who, if you’re familiar with Seattle’s vampire politics, was once the city’s Prince.
Conversations in the game will depend on your choices, which will likely be influenced by the clan you select for Phyre. You can choose from four different clans (hopefully including Malkavian), and you can fully customize Phyre, including gender, outfits, and even the type of blood they feed on. These choices will impact how other vampires in the game react to you.
Narrative director Ian Thomas explains, “Dropping an Elder into a Kindred city has significant consequences. In most games, we play as a newbie, but Phyre is different. She’s old and experienced, a hunter and a stalker. She knows how to be a vampire, but she’s unfamiliar with the current-day situation and how her actions will affect the world. The player’s journey is about regaining and perhaps surpassing what she once was.”
There’s another character in the mix, too, sort of. Inside Phyre’s head is Fabien, a mysterious voice intrinsically linked to our protagonist.
“Fabien is a modern thin-blood vampire from Seattle,” says Thomas. “He is trapped inside her, and she is trapped with him. They must navigate this world together. They might hate each other, grow to like each other, or continue hating each other, but they are bound together. This is truly a story about the two of them.”
With the release date for Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 set for next year, I’m already thinking about how I’ll customize my version of Phyre. Will she fully embrace the Toreador clan, or perhaps, as I hope, engage in eccentric behavior as a Malkavian? The possibilities are endless.
In the meantime, there is a list of horror games to keep you entertained, especially during the spooky season. If you prefer a more traditional, less scary story, we also have a list of the best RPG games for you to explore.