Review: Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York for PC

It’s been a while since I dived into a video game featuring vampires, or anything horror-related, for that matter. Vampires, with their eternal allure, seem to have taken over every corner of media. From comedies like What We Do in the Shadows to horror classics like Nosferatu, and even into the gaming world with titles like V Rising. Enter Draw Distance, a budding indie game studio from Poland, with their latest offering: Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York. I was eager to see what this recent addition to the much-loved series would bring to the table.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York whisks players away to a wintery, bustling New York City. This game is based on the tabletop RPG series Vampire: The Masquerade. Not being familiar with the background, I felt a tad out of the loop which might have impacted my overall experience. In this dark and supernatural world, vampires, or Kindred, as they’re called, are driven by bloodthirsty politics and survival instincts. This third installment introduces us to Kali, a cunning member of the Ravnos clan, known for her exceptional con artist skills. Her intriguing abilities and backstory made me curious about the narrative journey ahead.

The game leans heavily into the visual novel format with a strong narrative foundation. Though it veers into clichés occasionally, that’s not where my issues lay. My main gripe was the lack of connection to the characters. The text is dense, with hefty paragraphs that felt overwhelming at times. As I waited for the narrative to pick up pace, my focus wavered. Disappointingly, the choices offered were sparse and seemed insignificant to the storyline’s progression. It’s more a well-woven story than a traditional game, which somewhat kept me at arm’s length, limiting my engagement and immersion in the plot. New characters pop up, but I was left hungry for more information about their histories and interactions with fellow vampires. While many seasoned fans might delve deep into the Kindred lore, I was left not fully invested emotionally.

The lack of gameplay mechanics—no puzzles, combat, or other engaging challenges—left the inclusion of vampiric Disciplines feeling tacked on. On the flip side, the inclusion of a Logbook seemed redundant, merely listing completed chapters without adding any real value. While visual novels fall under video games for some, they arguably belong to a category of their own. Where choices in games usually enrich the experience, here, they felt obligatory and meaningless.

Despite the lack of engaging gameplay, the game excels in visuals. The art style captures a dark, atmospheric vibe with deep blues and purples contrasting with vibrant reds, perfectly setting the tone for a vampiric narrative. Characters are beautifully drawn with semi-realistic touches, expressive faces, and diverse clothing that reflects their personalities. The changing urban scenery captures the dimly lit streets and lit-up skylines of New York, blending modern and gothic aesthetics.

In the end, what do I make of Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York? It offers a rich narrative with lore and characters likely to please enthusiasts of the series, but without prior exposure to Vampire: The Masquerade, newcomers might find it lacking in delivering a truly memorable experience. This game wasn’t a hit for me, and I doubt I’ll revisit Kali’s adventures in the Big Apple anytime soon.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York

• Gameplay: 4/10
• Plot / Writing: 5/10
• Design / Visuals: 8/10

Final Score: 5.7/10

Not enough to sink my teeth into

Pros:

• Beautifully rendered art style
• Simple to navigate

Cons:

• Predictable writing
• Lack of meaningful game mechanics and choices