#vampire the masquerade: swansong

[corvidfeathers]

vtm: swansong has won me over by having this 500+ year old vampire pc look soulfully at a toy sunken ship in a fish tank and go “MY ship sank too :((“

#galeb we are having more pressing concerns like the headless corpse and the fact it seems like half your prince’s court just got murdered #but I am also sad about your ship sinking at some point in your backstory #vampire the masquerade #vampire the masquerade: swansong #boy that swan sure is singing. everyone feels incredibly doomed in this game #corvid rambles #vtm

[st-guliks-fnord]

Another VTM game down the hatch. Here’s my playthrough in summary:

Can u guess what my favorite clan is 🙃

Galeb ended up being my favorite PC. His powers were inexplicably weak for gaming mechanic reasons but he had the best personality. Emem comes in second with my favorite storyline. Leysha’s available actions were surprisingly badass for her premise but the obvious-adult-playing-a-child by doing a fake lisp for Halsey was just so annoying during every single one of Leysha’s scenes and in the grand scheme of things I didn’t really care about her plot that much. Getting screwed over, manipulated, & lied to by the Camarilla is just Tuesday.

Overall I liked the game okay; I actually do like that the primary mechanism of the game is snooping through files & spying on people bc that’s cinematic realism for the world of Vampire the Masquerade, babey. However, some of the puzzles were straight up ridiculous, tedious nonsense & it was kind of annoying how often the game would set you up to perform a time-consuming task that amounted to nothing.

7.5/10 or something idk

#vampire the masquerade: swansong #vtm #video games #but come on if u wanted me to read files and spy on people a Nos woul’ve been perfect #the anarch compound was really cool too #basically what I’m saying is what if Swansong game setting but play as anarch nosferatu #i guess that speaks to how good the worldbuilding of the game was overall #there were plenty of intriguing subplots going on in the background #ig in summary #here’s my review: needs more nosferatu. and also not gay enough

[anzellla-remade]

fuck david cage

#vampire the masquerade: swansong #lesha #halsey #series: vampire the masquerade #vg: swansong #ch: leysha (vtm) #ch: halsey (vtm) #my stuff: sh1tp0st #anti dbh #anti detroit become human #dbh fans dni

[rpgchoices]

Sometimes I really want to read a short summary of what to expect from a game… and thankfully people can also submit their summaries of games they played and help me (and others) find games that cater to their interests!

submitted by @lairofsentinel

(click here for other videogames)

what to expect from VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE, SWANSONG

Story-driven detective-like RPG, which changes its endings and the availability of certain paths [ways to solve some situations] depending on your actions in previous chapters.

You play using three main characters that belong to the Camarilla of Boston: Emem [Toreador], Leysha [Malkavian], and Galeb [Venture]. 

The game has 16 [or more] chapters. The addition of extra chapters/ scenes depends on your actions. More or less all the main characters have the same amount of “screen time” in the game.

It’s placed in Boston, with a new Prince after the death of Quentin, the Mad King [who appeared in other stories of the franchise]

Graphically speaking, the textures and the designs are rich and beautiful, but the animation is really wonky and awkward. Characters are quite stiff, long hair floats weirdly, and there is bad clipping sometimes.

However, it’s a game where I found, in some NPCs, realistic body shapes and a good amount of non-white characters as important NPCs, not just “background”.

Is it me or Galeb is designed as an almost copy of Johnathan Reid, the main char in Vampyr?

It has a weird system of energy and focus, that some NPCs can modify at the moment you pick an option. When it’s tied, you see a dice without numbers rolling and claiming failure or success. It’s very confusing.

There is no Humanity system, so evil actions or good actions have no immediate consequence in terms of the humanity of the vampire, but they will have some effect along the chapters.

There are some game-breaking bugs that prevent you from continuing side quests or the main goal. When that happens, you need to restart the chapter and change the order in which you did certain things since the nature of most bugs are “if you talked with X npc before talking with Y, you are permanently unable to speak with Y.”

It’s a game that heavily relies on the tabletop lore, so new players will need to read a good amount of codex inside to understand the concepts used in it. Players from the old game Vampire: the masquerade - bloodlines will probably find it easier to follow.

Lore-wise, it incorporates concepts from the new 5th Edition such as The Beckoning. It seems to follow most of the lore from the corebooks. It also shows characters that have been in the franchise for a while, such as Victoria Ash.

There is no personal horror in the characters. They are a bit stiff, in more than just the animation. You don't see their humanity struggling with the Beast, which is usually an essential mark in this franchise. I would point out this as one of the biggest cons of the game. I feel that these characters are more thin-blood than real vampires of their corresponding clans. If anything, the game does a bad job in showing how the characters have to deal with their clan's weaknesses.

Despite the critics, I personally don’t think it is a “terrible/bad” game.  It’s far from perfect, but it’s very entertaining if you like games a la Sherlock Holmes, slowly discovering the truth below many layers of secrets. However, it’s true that the beginning is very slow.

The puzzles are mostly based on codes that you find out by reading papers in [not always] hidden places. It’s a game that requires a good amount of reading. 

Conclusion: for new players who have no idea about the lore of World of Darkness, it will be a nightmare game. For people who have been following the lore, it will be an entertaining game with some lore-failures, but nothing that cannot be considered a quirk from the characters if you still want to enjoy the mystery of the narration.

——- Plot? ——-

The prince of Boston has made an agreement with a Church of Warlocks [Tremere group] to guarantee a blood supply to the Camarilla. To celebrate, a party is set but before everyone attends to it, a Red Code is informed to every single member of the Camarilla. Red Code means that the Masquerade has been breached severely. Old Vampires claim that this kind of code means that they have to run away and hide for years if they want to survive the danger upon them. The main three chars you control are sent to investigate and assess the situation.

——- Gameplay? ——- 

Unlike Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, there is no combat in this game. It’s more a Point&Click game:  you collect items and information that slowly unfold the truth behind the events. Exploration is rewarded with items that can be used immediately or many chapters ahead, and conversation [or any other action using your willpower] is rewarded with new traits that improve your powers.

——- Characters? ——- 

The main ones you control: Emem [Toreador], Leysha [Malkavian] and Galeb [Venture], plus a lot of NPCs with broad backstories and motivations. 

The game has a Codex section where you can find  the background of the main NPCs and the main characters in extreme detail.

 ——- LGBT? ——-

Some NPCs that are attacked by Vampires were in same-sex relationships. 

One of the main chars you control had a romantic relationship with her Sire.

Warning: Vampire relationships are always quite twisted since it’s how its lore makes them “work”. However, nothing in this game requires a trigger warning outside the usual gore/violence/blood level one expects from it.

——- Sadness level? ——- 

Not much. The story is more focused on the mysteries and the dire situation you are trying to solve, than the emotional state of the vampires. 

——- Happy ending? Deaths? ——-

Endings and deaths depend on your choices. There are several endings for each main character, plus two “secret” ones considered as such because they require to solve two deep secrets in the game. 

#what to expect #vampire the masquerade swansong #vtms #vtm:s #vampire the masquerade: swansong #lairofsentinel

[blighted-elf]

Didn't see anyone post the first Bloodlines 2 dev diary since TCR took over development, so here's the link to the full diary, and couple parts I found particularly interesting.

#Vampire the Masquerade #Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2 #VtM #VTMB2 #VTMB 2 #Bloodlines 2 #Vamily #Blighted posts #The whole 'feel like a vampire' part made me think of Galeb from Swansong which imo is a good thing if that's the direction they're going #Playing a 'been there done that' Elder like Galeb was a lot of fun and a nice contrast to the typical fledgling origin story #Now I'm going to queue some of my old gifsets of him

[lambda-serpentis]

#emem louis #vtms #vampire the masquerade #vampire the masquerade swansong #swansong #vampire #vampires #vtm #vtmb #IM BACK INTO GIF MAKING BABYY

[aluminummori]

A bunch of vtm/vtmb arts

#vtm #vtm art #vtmb #vtm bloodlines #vampire the masquerade #sebastian lacroix #sheriff #ming xiao #vtm swansong #Galeb bazory #Barel underwood

[swansong-archive]

EMEM LOUIS, GALEB BAZORY AND LEYSHA Images from their introductory section, Boston by Night sourcebook, 2022

#vampire the masquerade swansong #vtm swansong #vampire the masquerade #vtm #emem louis #galeb bazory #leysha #toreador #ventrue #malkavian #boston by night

[knight-parzival]

Night 24: Shallow

It is a quiet place where only abandoned shacks, rotten boards and sea pebbles live. However, such a sudden and short-lived hermitage is partly formal: few people dare to disturb Master Bazory when he wants to be alone.

#inktober #inktober 2023 #wodtober #world of darkness #wod #vampire the masquerade #vtm #vtm swansong #ventrue #galeb bazory

[mejev]

finally, three of them 🌹🩸

swansong is awesome, please play it

#vtm swansong #vtm #emem louis #leysha #galeb bazory #vtms #vampire the masquerade #clan ventrue #clan toreador #clan malkavian

[razumdars]

tbh the lazy customization options we've been seeing in previews screams to me "tcr wanted phyre to be a preset character but paradox told them 'people will expect customization' so they threw in the bare minimum without committing to it"

because we've got "character customization" except without really changing the look of the character at all, and we've got "dialogue options" except none of them are all that distinct from one another. it's the illusion of choice. it's "the chinese room wanted to make this a different game that wasn't really an rpg but paradox twisted their arm because this is supposed to be a bloodlines sequel."

and honestly? maybe the chinese room should have been allowed the freedom to do what they wanted with the game. maybe they should have scrapped bloodlines 2 for whatever it is the chinese room was actually passionate about creating.

i'd rather a new game in the vampire: the masquerade universe than a half-assed bloodlines sequel that doesn't even want to be a bloodlines sequel.

#sophie.txt #vampire the masquerade #vtmb2 #vtmb #like at this point. i'd rather just check out swansong

[corvidfeathers]

one of things that compels me abt the Anarchs in vtm is that they like having stupid fun. more vampires should like having stupid fun I think it’s genuinely fascinating where creatures who are detached from their humanity reclaim it through community and fun and thinking about what would be fun to a vampire is interesting

#the swansong Anarchs are crucially lacking in this and I don’t find them very interesting because of this tbh #the bloodlines Anarchs seem extremely capable of having fun #vtm #vampire the masquerade #corvid rambles

[st-guliks-fnord]

Just solved the steam pressure puzzle in Vampire the Masquerade: Swansong & I’m like. Pissed off

I eventually looked up a tutorial only to determine that the tutorial literally only works from the initial gauge pressures, and once you’ve messed with them at all no tutorials will help you. The only way to just get the pressures back to default would be to restart the entire level over again. I’m stubborn & I’d already restarted the level from scratch (after getting shot at the end) so I just continued to fuck with it until I finally got it solved but like…who designed this shit. Why this. Are there not enough bullshit steps to find all of the necessary valves without also making them not work like real valves? Where just turning the associated valve makes the connected pressure increase/decrease? You’re gonna make it a pain in the ass to find all of the necessary valve locations and then ALSO make them function in this bullshit way, & there’s no way to know how many psi each valve affects each gauge ahead of time without turning them individually yourself? Like at least make it so blowing out the steam resets the pressures to default, jfc.

Every time I play this game I encounter something else that makes me say “oh that’s why people hate this one”

#still gonna finish it though #i am in fact hungry enough for vtm content :/ #and like hey I’ve already come this far #but jesus CHRIST #what a shitty puzzle #vampire the masquerade #vampire the masquerade: swansong #vtm #real glad I did not purchase this game at full price #honestly even the steam sale price might not be worth it unless u like suffering through games #i enjoy a challenge in video games but stuff like this is straight up bullshit #the amount of math it takes to solve if u don’t want to sit there spinning valves for an hour is ridiculous #if ur luck is bad u could sit there forever & never get it unless u fucking calculate it out

[g00dk4tg4mez]

Finished uploading the full playthrough :3

I'm taking a break from streaming, but I'll keep uploading the old streams on my youtube page. I finished streaming Alice Madness Returns, and the next game in line is Vampire the Masquerade Swansong. See you later sweeties :3

#alice in wonderland #alice madness returns #american mcgee's alice #vampire the masquerade #vampire the masquerade swansong #pc #steam #epic games #twitch #livestream #video game photography #video game screenshots #game screenshots #video games #alice liddell #video game #gaming #retro games #games #Youtube #trans streamer #trans woman

[laurafufuxoxo]

Galeb CC part 3

For a full list of presets & sliders go HERE!

Skin Tint by @crilender Spotlight V2 by @simandy

Nose Highlight by @cosimetic Moomoo Blush by @squea

Teeth by @magic-bot-cc Top by @plumbobteasociety

Hair by @kotcatmeow Eyes by @goppolsme

Eyebrows Daya, Beard Set by @greenllamas

Skin Blend by @viiavi

Skin N8, Moles N1 by @northernsiberiawinds

Jeans by @wistfulpoltergeist

Nosemask V1 by @thepeachyfaerie

Shoes by @mmsims

Eyebags N6 by @obscurus-sims

Nosemask by @sammi-xox

#the sims 4 #the sims 4 cc #the sims 4 custom content #the sims 4 cas #the sims 4 create a sim #sims 4 #sims 4 cc #sims 4 cas #sims 4 create a sim #ts4 #ts4 cc #ts4 cas #ts4 create a sim #vampire masquerade swansong #vampire #the sims 4 vampire #sims 4 vampire #sims vampire #sims #sims cc #sims cas #sims create a sim #simscc #sims4cc #sims4mm #simsmm

[essie-essex]

I finished Swansong! I would say it was an okay game. It got more exciting as it went on, but it took me a while to get into it. I probably wouldn’t play it again, but it’s a good game to get on sale.

I couldn’t help but feel like the vampires were somewhat underpowered though. I especially hated how weak the Tremere were. I realize they were caught by surprise, but I would have liked for some of them to have used thaumaturgy blood sorcery against the attackers. For Emem, a Toreador, celerity was only used for jumping large gaps. Galeb is supposed to be older and of a lower generation than the other two protagonists, but he gets no more points to spend than the others. Also could nobody at least bring a knife or something with them? Some sort of weapon? And of course, it’s V5, so it had all the usual problems I have with V5.

Anyway, like I said, it was an okay game. It kept my interest until the end. Despite kindred being awful themselves, I still found myself really angry at the attack and the people who perpetrated it. It really hit me just how many died when you go into the cold storage room and see the shelves with everyone’s names and remains. The game really highlighted how unprepared kindred seem to be with the threat of the SI. Like the Camarilla just wants to ignore it all and keep doing what they’ve always been doing, but they can’t just hide anymore now that they’ve been discovered.

It did make me more curious about how others are dealing with the SI, especially the Sabbat. I haven’t read any of the books for V5, so I really don’t know if it’s discussed or not.

#vtm swansong #vampire the masquerade swansong