Published , by Brittany Vincent
Published , by Brittany Vincent
The Vampire: The Masquerade visual novel universe contineus to expand with Draw Distance's upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York. Now, we have a new trailer to examine that gives us a closer look at what to expect from the new title.
Shadows of New York is a stand-alone expansion to Coteries of New York, with a new tale that introduces a different group of characters from the previous title. You'll now become a member of the vampiric Lasombra clan, who used to be foes of the Camarilla. As a newly-minted Lasombra, you must explore New York to figure out how to sate your thirst for blood while getting used to your new life as one of the undead.
You don't need to have played Coteries of New York to enjoy Shadows of New York. You don't even need any knowledge of the Vampire: The Masquerade series. You just need to want to do a lot of reading – this is a visual novel, after all, so don't go in expecting to nibble on necks or do any cool vampire maneuvers.
Previously, I reviewed Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York and awarded it at 5 out of 10. Here are my thoughts:
"I went into this game really expecting to like it – and I did, for the most part. In the end, I couldn't get past the odd tone and the feeling that it was penned by someone who didn't actually respect the source material, but wanted to write a self-aware parody of it. Writing obviously will make or break a visual novel, as text is all you have. It's an utter shame, because the visual novel setup was a major draw for me, as I suspect it will be for many others. But reading about vampire cam girls with multiple personalities and vibe checks and other nonsense when I'm trying to come to terms with the existential horror that is being a member of the undead? I may as well read a Sookie Stackhouse novel...more or less. "
Shadows of New York will be debuting on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch as part of a simultaneous launch this year.