Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption PC

In the second half of the nineties, storytelling-based RPGs were very popular. One of the best tabletop RPGs - Vampire: The Masquerade – was released by the White Wolf company. Nihilistic Software took on the task of transforming both the atmosphere and mechanics of the tabletop, imagination-driven RPG into a computer game.

Plot

Vampire The Masquerade: Redemption for PC is based on the concept of two timelines separated by a period of eight centuries. The story opens in the Middle Ages, when a wounded crusade veteran – a knight called Christof Romuald falls in love with Anezka, who is a nun taking good care of him. The protagonist travels to the Bonn Silver mine near Prague to kill a vampire called Ahzra, though he has not fully recovered. The knight's triumphal return does not go unseen - preparing themselves for a war, vampire families see a valuable ally in Christof. Soon, the crusader himself is turned into a vampire by the leader of the Brujah clan. Then, he discovers that he is simply a pawn in a game which lasts for centuries. A competitive clan known as Tzimisce kidnaps Anezka and turns her into a bloodthirsty ghoul. The protagonist struggles to find and save the beloved woman, as well as to salvage his own soul.

Mechanics

In Vampire The Masquerade: Redemption for PC, the gameplay itself has little in common with an RPG system. Combat is an important aspect of the game, but it was only a marginal element of the original Vampire: The Masquerade. However, fighting virtual enemies is pretty exciting. The game offers a large variety of weapons, but also, vampire magic. The latter can be used by the protagonist and his allies.

During particular missions, Christof can count on help of other vampires. Wilhem Streicher, Serena, Erik, Pink, Lily and Samuel are all the NPCs who can join the protagonist. As in most computer RPGs, each character is described by a set of statistics, having different, useful skills at their disposal as well. Completing assignments and defeating enemies earns experience points allowing the character to develop.

Game modes

Apart from the solo experience, the game gives an opportunity to play with others online or via local area network. One of the players assumes the role of the narrator.

Technical aspects

Vampire The Masquerade: Redemption for PC stands out with both the visuals and audio. The NOD Engine is great at rendering dynamic shadows and allows fluid character animations. Also, the creators managed to convey the gothic atmosphere of locations - both the medieval Prague and Vienna, as well as the contemporary London and New York.

Last updated on 09 August 2010