Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York

Gameplay - 2/10 Graphics - 1/10 Soundtracks - 7/10 Story - 8/10 Controls - 10/10 I recommend this game as a book. I don't think this should count as a game. If you are looking for a vampire story in modern urban setting, this is the book for you.

I played this a year ago and I remember enjoying myself. It wasn't anything spectacular and I think most people would probably get bored toward the end unless you really got invested in the story. I had a good time and though I found the ending a little bittersweet (even if it said I got the good ending), I would play it again later on to get the rest of the achievements. The art was really nice and the characters were interesting enough. Maybe I will say that I wanted more freedom and more options to where my choices felt like they really impacted the way the story went, I just felt I was reading more of a story than playing a game so I can't say I loved it but I will say it does have me interested in the other similar games so there's that. Personally, I will give it the benefit of the doubt because I did become really immersed in the story. Realistically, this game is not for everyone and it might frustrate some so I would recommend getting it when it is on sale if you really want to give it a try.

Builds on the first game in the series in overall positive ways. Rich themes, brooding music, and interesting new and revisited characters. Your choices really make a difference on the story--both major endings offer dramatic and narratively rewarding outcomes based on those choices, and they are as different as night and day despite the similar loop of events over the course of much of the game. As short as a playthrough is, it's worth at least seeing both of those main endings.

This is my first game of this series and it's really cool. The artworks are hypnotic and makes you observe it for minutes. The vibes are gloomy and edgy as young adult just finished art school. I really had a lot of fun and finished it 100%. Really recommend if you like that sour sweet modern sarcastic sad atmosphere.

This is a type of fame I honestly don't know whether to recommend or not. In the end, I think it really depends on the person - and you will see why I think that while reading the review. Also its quite niche as a visual novel - something now everyone enjoys - and maybe, I just realized I am one of those people. Still, I liked it as a World of Darkness fan and appreciated the chance to experience another story from that universe. But the story itself? Not very good, in my opinion. It feels like it could have been good, but instead, it gets cut short at the end, leaving me without that satisfying feeling of a job well done. Instead, I fell like I am missing part of the story, part of the game. I even went and look whether there is a DLC or something that would expand the story of Julie, but no. Nothing. Maybe she will be mentioned in [i]Reckoning of New York[/i]? Perhaps. But if that is the case, then its too late and it doesn't justify the game's story with such an unsatisfying ending. On top of that, the whole time I played, I just kept thinking about how unlikable the main protagonist - Julia, was. At least to me personally [i](that is why I said that it depends on the person at the start)[/i]. I just couldn't connect with her personality on any level. There were few moments, where I had an opportunity to decide how to approach a situation, but in the end, whatever I chose, it still felt like the same Julia. I never felt like I had any real ability to shape the character. And that's fine if the game doesn't intend to give you that option, but the developers did gave give us a choices and tied them to so called "traits" that Julia could develop. Yet, I felt like those choices had no meaningful impact apart from opening different endings and taking away choices from the played down the line and instead they picked them for me, based on those few traits. Additionally, all those choices were once again wrapped in Julie's personality, so basically, no matter what I did, I was forced to play as this person I really could stand and irritated me the most of the game time. I get the idea with traits. It could work, but I just feel like they were poorly implemented here. Overall, the game just felt off. [b]With that, I think I can end this review. The game just felt off. That i precisely how I feel about it.[/b]

The writing left a lot to be desired. Felt like reading an AO3 fanfiction, especially during the main character's monologues.

Verified on Deck. Damn thing won’t even go past the World of Darkness logo and a spinning circle on the bottom corner of the screen. 🤦‍♂️

I hoped that it would be an interesting visual novel but I was terribly mistaken! 5\10

julia is so literally me (im a grown man)

a real masterpiece! LOVED IT!