"Vampire's" Latest Development Journal Released: The latest development journal for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is dedicated to the horror RPG's combat system and outlines the three gameplay styles players can choose from The. Chinese Room's Creative Director Alex Skidmore begins by introducing the "Strategic Stalker" playstyle.

"Did you enjoy the 'Dishonored' series?" asks Skidmore, "Or you can play a stealth-focused build of a 'Fallout' or 'Elder Scrolls' game! It gives you time to prepare for which Discipline power to use and when. When you are ready to plan, summon blood powers, sneak up on enemies, distract them, prey on them before the battle begins, or hit-and-run tactics are the choice for those who like to play this way."

This sounds ideal for Banu Haqim, one of the new clans announced for Bloodlines 2. The second play style, "Action Brawler," is more of a Bruja specialty. The reference for this style is action brawling games like the "God of War" series," Skidmore said, "as well as 'Shadow of Mordor' and 'The Elden Ring. It's about being in the center of the melee and using your abilities to control the crowd and inflict as much damage as possible. The above playstyles are extremes in the same spectrum of action, and we believe that players should feel free to combine the two to find the balance between stalking and brawling that works for them."[5

Finally, for those who rushed through every battle to advance the story in the original version of Bloodlines, there is a "narrative adventurer" play style. Skidmore uses the dodge mechanic as an example. When a dodge is used against a melee-attacking foe, it is countered and staggers the foe."

When I first played the original "Bloodlines," I sneaked through all sorts of problems talking my way through them, but was forced to wield a fire axe and flamethrower to survive every battle that came my way later in the game. However, it would be nice to have the option to avoid combat rather than simply trivialize it. While it may be tempting to play "Bloodlines 2" as a stealthy shadow warrior, the option to choose non-violence in an RPG is always welcome, and hopefully "Bloodlines 2" will let such players play it the way they want.