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Bloodlines

The Bloodlines 2 voice cast features actors from Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman, Vermintide, and Game of Thrones
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The Bloodlines 2 voice cast features actors from Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman, Vermintide, and Game of Thrones

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Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 – Voice Cast Reveal – YouTube

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When the original Bloodlines throws John DiMaggio at you right there in the tutorial you know you’re in for some quality voice-acting. The whole cast was stacked with actors familiars from games and TV like Grey DeLisle, Steve Blum, Fred Tatasciore, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Dee Bradley Baker—the list goes on.

Bloodlines 2 may not have Bender from Futurama in it, but the recent voice cast reveal does highlight a few familiar voices. Like Jane Perry, who you may know as Diana from the Hitman series, Selene from Returnal, or Rogue from Cyberpunk 2077, playing the refined Lou Graham.

Or Bethan Dixon Bate, who I spent dozens of hours with across the Vermintide games where she plays Sienna, and who also played Vlaakith in Baldur’s Gate 3 and Princeps Orla Gemnon in the Warhammer TV animation Kill Lupercal. She’s Mrs. Amelia Thorn in Bloodlines 2, running a cafe called Wake the Dead whose sign warns customers DO NOT ASK FOR PUMPKIN SPICE.


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If you played The Chinese Room’s previous horror game Still Wakes the Deep you’ll have heard Alec Newman as its protagonist Cameron “Caz” McLeary, though he was also Adam Smasher in both Cyberpunk 2077 and the anime spin-off Edgerunners, and Paul Atreides in the TV version of Dune. He’s Gideon Hall in Bloodlines 2.

One more I was surprised to see: Richard Brake, who you may know for TV and film credits like the Night King in Game of Thrones and Joe Chill in Batman Begins—he was also Corporal Dean Portman in the Doom movie—playing the Nosferatu Willem Axel. (That’s the guy wearing a bomb vest.)

The other thing this trailer shows off is lip-syncing that looks better than what we’ve seen in previous promotional material for Bloodlines 2. The characters still emote in a much more subdued way than they did in the first game, but that seems like a deliberate decision to keep things low-key, at least in the scenes shown here.

Whether it’s actually any fun to play remains to be seen. We’ll find out when Bloodlines 2 launches on October 21.



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More action than RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 struggles to convince after a few hours' play
Game Updates

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 voice cast revealed, includes Returnal’s Jane Perry and Still Wakes the Deep’s Alec Newman

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Paradox and The Chinese Room have revealed the voice cast performing in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, the action role-playing game which is barely a month away now. The game releases on 21st October.

The actors for all major and notable characters have been named, and feature the likes of Jane Perry, known for her BAFTA-winning performance in Returnal, and Alec Newman, who won a BAFTA this year for his performance in Still Wakes the Deep.

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The full list of names given in the trailer are:

  • Female Phyre (the player character): Tommy Sim’aan
  • Male Phyre (the player character): Hara Yannas
  • Fabien: Ronan Summers
  • Lou Graham: Jane Perry
  • Michael “Tolly” Tolliver: David Menkin
  • Safia Ulusoy: Amrita Acharia
  • Ryong Choi: Kae Alexander
  • Katsumi Ishizaka: Elizabeth Chan
  • Ysabella Moore: Joan Iyola
  • Fletcher: Rufus Wright
  • Mrs. Amelia Thorn: Bethan Dixon Bate
  • Simeon “Silky” Ladock: Alan Turkington
  • Niko Angelov: Martin Razpopov
  • Patience Boswell: Billy Peck
  • Onda Cardoso: Jamilya Ocasio
  • Max Webber: Osy Ikhile
  • Willem Axel: Richard Brake
  • Benny Muldoon: Patrick O’Kane
  • Bet of Night: Amanda Huddleston
  • Gideon Hall: Alec Newman

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has had a turbulent development and a rocky road to release, courtesy of questionable paid-DLC plans that were subsequently reversed (the playable clans that were going to be charged for are now included in the base game) and an unconvincing preview showing.

For all it might lack the RPG depth that followers of the Bloodlines series might want, and that players of the tabletop Vampire: The Masquerade game might want, Bloodlines 2 does appear to have good production values and strong cinematic character performances. Let’s hope it turns okay.



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Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Preorders Include Bonus Items
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Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Preorders Include Bonus Items

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It’s been a long wait, but Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 finally launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 21. Those eager to preorder the long-awaited follow-up to the immersive RPG from 2004 can grab one of the multiple physical and digital editions available now–including a $60 physical edition on PS5 and Xbox. The game is available at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Preordering the game even unlocks a fun bit of bonus content that fans of the original Bloodlines will enjoy.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Preorder Bonuses

Bloodlines Nostalgia Jukebox

Preorder any version of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 to unlock the Bloodlines Nostalgia Jukebox. This in-game item unlocks original music from the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines soundtrack composed Rik Schaffer. It’s not much, but it’s a fun extra for long-time fans of the series.

$60 | Releases October 21

The Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 standard edition is the only physical edition of the game available. It includes the base game, plus the Bloodlines Nostalgia Jukebox if you preorder before October 21. You can preorder physical PS5 and Xbox Series X copies for $60 at Walmart and Best Buy. Digital preorders are also available on consoles and PC.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Deluxe Edition

$70 | Releases October 21

While the standard edition is the only physical version of the game, there are also multiple digital editions available that add additional in-game content. The first is the $70 Deluxe Edition, which has the base game and the Santa Monica Memoris DLC pack. The pack contains extra decoration items you can add to your in-game home, including:

  • Ankaran Sarcophagus
  • Neon Clan sign
  • Stop Sign
  • Voerman Sister Portrait

You can preorder the Deluxe Edition at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Steam. For those who purchased the standard edition, you can also purchase the Santa Monica Memories pack separately for $12.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Premium Edition

$90 | Releases October 21

There’s also a $90 Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Premium Edition available digitally on all platforms. This version of the game includes everything in the Deluxe Edition, plus an Expansion Pass that will grant players access to the upcoming Loose Canon and The Flower & The Flame story DLC packs launching in 2026.

Preorders are available at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Steam. The Expansion DLC will also be available as a separate purchase for those who pick up one of the other versions.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 takes place in Seattle, with you stepping into the shoes of an elder vampire. You’ll get to join one of several clans in the region, before diving into a sprawling open world that gives you countless ways to forge your own story. Combat relies on both physical prowess and deadly vampiric powers–though finesse and talking your way through encounters is also a possibility in some scenarios.

If you’re itching to dive back into the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, you have plenty of time to play through the most recent release in the series, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong. The narrative RPG is quite different from the upcoming Bloodlines 2, but it offers a unique storyline in the gothic horror world, and is available for cheap on most platforms.

$55 | Releases December 2

Though it won’t arrive until December, this hardcover book looks like it’ll be an excellent companion to the long-awaited video game. At over 200 pages, it provides a look at the game’s development, artwork, and overarching vision for its sprawling narrative. It’s a massive book (literally), and with dimensions of 12 inches by 9 inches, it could make a cool centerpiece for your game room or bookcase.

Published by Dark Horse Books, The Art of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is all but guaranteed to be high quality. So beyond developer commentary, concept art, and all sorts of Bloodlines 2 goodies, you’re getting a premium book that should be every bit as luxurious as its $55 suggests. Preordering at Amazon means you won’t be charged until the item ships, and you’ll be eligible for any discounts that may occur ahead of its release.

Sign up for GameSpot’s Weekly Deals Newsletter:



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Bloodlines 2 Won't Lock Clans Behind Paywall After Fan Backlash
Game Reviews

Bloodlines 2 Won’t Lock Clans Behind Paywall After Fan Backlash

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The controversy surrounding the DLC clans in the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is finally over. The studio behind the upcoming game has confirmed that it is walking back its plans to lock two clans behind a paywall after receiving lots of “feedback,” aka people yelled at them online for a while.

Last month, Bloodlines 2 devs The Chinese Room and publisher Paradox announced at Gamescom ONL that the long-awaited vampire RPG sequel would finally arrive on PC and consoles in October. After a lengthy and messy development cycle that involved multiple studios and delays, a lot of fans were just happy that Bloodlines 2 was actually, for real, coming out.  But then folks discovered that two of the game’s six vampire clans, which essentially act as your class, were locked behind a $30 paywall. People got mad, a lot of negative headlines were posted, and about a week later, on August 27, the devs announced they were going to make some tweaks to the DLC plans. And now we know what that means: All six clans are included in the base game.

On September 17, in the YouTube description of a new Bloodlines 2 gameplay overview trailer, the executive producer on the game thanked fans for the “frank feedback” about the game’s Premium Edition DLC before confirming that none of the clans would be locked behind a day-one DLC paywall. He also praised the devs for helping create two new story packs that will now be included in the Premium Edition.

“Thanks to our community for the frank feedback on Bloodlines 2 and the Premium Edition,” said Bloodlines 2 executive producer Marco Behrmann. “That feedback made it clear: Lasombra and Toreador belong in the base game, so that is what we are doing. We’d also like to thank The Chinese Room for their quick turnaround on the concepts for the post-launch Story Packs. We’re constantly impressed by their creativity and skill in weaving enticing narrative threads that expand on the main story in Bloodlines 2.”

The two new story packs are: “Loose Cannon“ (Brujah Sheriff Benny’s story) and “The Flower & The Flame” (Toreador Primogen Ysabella’s path). The plan is for this DLC, which replaces the missing paid access to clans, to launch in 2026. And so ends the Bloodlines 2 DLC saga. Hopefully, after all of this and all the years of waiting, the game is worth it all. We’ll find out when Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 launches on Xbox, PS5, and PC on October 21.



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Paradox take "first step" in response to Bloodlines 2's DLC clan backlash with PlayStation refunds, promise more info next week
Game Updates

Paradox take “first step” in response to Bloodlines 2’s DLC clan backlash with PlayStation refunds, promise more info next week

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Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox have gotten the ball rolling on the “adjustments” they promised in response to the controversy over the game’s day-one paid DLC vampire clans.

As we’ve covered previously, the Toreador and Lasombra clans were originally revealed to be locked behind a purchase of either Bloodines’ £18.69/€21.99/$21.99 Shadows and Silk DLC pack, or the £74.99/€89.99/$89.99 premium edition that said DLC comes bundled with. Cue understandable unhappiness, and Paradox swiftly moving to declare they’d rejig some stuff before launch.

The first domino’s now fallen, and it’s refunds for PlayStation pre-orderers. “Anyone who pre-ordered the premium edition through the PlayStation Store will be contacted and refunded starting Monday, September 8th,” World of Darkness community developer DebbieElla announced on the Bloodlines 2 Discord. “You will be able to pre-order your premium edition copy again later, before the release on October 21st.”

The good news for us PC folks is that Paradox made clear this is just an “intentional first step” in their planned tweaks following the backlash. “We are working hard on the adjustments that we promised, and we will be able to tell you all the details on September 17th,” DebbieElla wrote. “Making significant changes like this involves many moving parts, and we want to make sure that we get it right with this change.”

So, a little longer to wait for info as to whether there’ll be changes to the DLC/editions and their pricing on PC. However, pulling existing pre-orders and then requesting folks make them again points towards a premium edition price drop being at least one of the measures Paradox are taking. Any change might make paying extra for the two clans a bit more palatable, but unless the premium edition’s brought down to match the price of the base game, dishing the DLC clans out at no extra cost, odds are the sour taste won’t come close to being washed away.

Paradox and Bloodlines developers The Chinese Room previously defended charging for Toreador and Lasombra vamps when our James asked them about the decision at Gamescom, citing the game’s changing scope.

“We have been expanding it from where we originally planned to land it, I think, constantly, and Paradox have been really good when we go, or when the clients go, or when Paradox go: ‘We should add a bit more here. Let’s push the date back.’ As you know, the date has pushed back, but that has been to fatten it out into something that we feel does land where the players want it,” Bloodlines 2 narrative director Ian Thomas said.

We’ll keep you in the loop as to what Paradox announce on the 17th, and keep on hoping that Bloodlines 2 will stop all this Sideshow Bob rake-stepping as it tries to position itself as a “spiritual successor” to Bloodlines.



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More action than RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 struggles to convince after a few hours' play
Game Reviews

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 to refund all PS5 Premium Editions following backlash over paywalled clans

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From next week, anyone who pre-ordered their Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Premium Edition via the PlayStation Store will be refunded.

Community developer DebbieElla told players the refunds were coming as part of recent “adjustments”, and confirmed we’ll get “all the details” on the changes on 17th September.

We weren’t allowed to direct capture the preview build but we were supplied some b-roll to fit a video together with instead.Watch on YouTube

As we reported last week, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox is rethinking its plan to charge for two of the six playable clans in the game following community feedback. The news came after publisher Paradox announced the release date for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, 21st October, along with pricing details for the game. It was then we learned the company intended to charge £20 extra to access two clans in the game, via a Shadows and Silk content pack.

According to developer, The Chinese Room, these two clans represented content developed beyond what was originally planned for the game after it inherited development of Bloodlines 2 from Hardsuit Labs. Consequently, The Chinese Room’s reasoning was this was additional content developed for the game, so it would sell it as such at release. But not anymore.

Now, in a Discord post, DebbieElla writes: “We are working hard on the adjustments that we promised, and we will be able to tell you all the details on 17th September. Making significant changes like this involves many moving parts, and we want to make sure that we get it right with this change.

“Anyone who pre-ordered the Premium Edition through the PlayStation Store will be contacted and refunded starting Monday 8th September. You’ll be able to pre-order your Premium Edition copy later again, before the release on 21st October. Please note that this is an intentional first step in our planned course of action leading up to 17th September to deliver the best possible experience for you at launch.”

The post closed on thanking players for their patience, and later messages from DebbieElla confirm this only applies to this particular edition sold for PlayStation – purchases on other platforms are unaffected.

Some are now hoping this signifies all clans may be available in the base game, but as one player points out, however, “taking the clans out of the deluxe editions is the easy part. The hard part is trying to figure out what else they can put in there”.

In his Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 preview a few weeks back, Bertie wrote: “[T]his is a sequel to a cult RPG after all, and one based on a major tabletop RPG to boot. In this case it feels valid to crave a little more role-playing, a little more texture and depth to the game’s people and conversations. And so for now, a question mark remains”.



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Good, the grubby paid clan plan for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is being "adjusted"
Game Reviews

Good, the grubby paid clan plan for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is being “adjusted”

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Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox appears to be rethinking its plan to charge for two of the six playable clans in the game.

Community developer DebbieElla told the Bloodlines 2 Discord community last night (spotted by ResetEra): “We are listening to your feedback about the Lasombra and Toreador clan access, and we’re making adjustments ahead of launch to reflect this. We will share more information about what this means as soon as possible.”

The comment comes a week after Paradox announced the release date for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, which is 21st October, along with pricing details for the game. It was then we learned the company intended to charge £20 extra to access two clans in the game, via a Shadows and Silk content pack.

The Shadows and Silk pack can be bought alone for £18.69/€22/$22, or as part of a Premium Edition for £75/€90/$90, which also includes a cosmetic-focused Santa Monica Memories pack. For reference, the Standard Edition of the game costs £50/€60/$60.

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At a glance, this might not seem untoward. Plenty of games sell additional content at launch and bundle it with premium editions of a game. The base price of Bloodlines 2 even appears to have been adjusted because of it, so it’s cheaper than other full-priced games. But the problem comes from the content being charged for itself: the clans.

The clans in Bloodlines 2 are a core part of the game. Choosing one is equivalent to choosing your character class and therefore the playstyle you’re opting for. Clans also determine the storied group you belong to in the world and give you access to different clothing options and clan-specific non-player characters. Clans are not superfluous, cosmetic content.

What’s more, the locked Toreador and Lasombra clans are highly desirable. Toreador are a clan built around the iconic archetype of vampires as seductive, sexy beings, and come fitted with the power to enthrall their prey by, yes, kissing them. Lasombra, on the other hand, do their work in the shadows, and can manipulate shadows to tangle and hold enemies and teleport themselves. I tried both clans briefly in the Bloodlines 2 preview build I played and enjoyed them, especially Lasombra.

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Important caveat: you can access powers from another clan in Bloodlines 2, so you’re not locked to only doing things your clan offers. Every time you gain a higher tier of power, you’ll see other powers listed to the left and right of them that belong to other clans. You can unlock them but doing so is costly and complicated. You need to pay a higher skill-point cost for them as well as a price related to other ‘currencies’ in the game, which are usually earned by drinking special types of blood, and you need to find certain NPCs to teach these powers to you.

It’s a faff, in other words, so it’s more likely your experience of Bloodlines 2 will be unlocking your clan-specific powers first before branching into other clan’s abilities. Your clan choice, therefore, is an important one, and so the decision to paywall access to a third of them is notable.

The justification for doing it, as relayed by developer The Chinese Room to Rock Paper Shotgun at Gamescom, was these two clans represented content developed beyond what was originally planned for the game. The Chinese Room inherited development of Bloodlines 2 from Hardsuit Labs, remember – it didn’t originate it. So The Chinese Room’s reasoning was this was additional content developed for the game, so it would sell it as such at release. But if the content is developed during a game’s main development period, is it really additional? And if it appears alongside other content in the game, only with a padlock over it, is it really additive or withheld?

Portioning off parts of a game to be sold around release is nothing new. Paradox itself has a track record of leveraging paid-for downloadable content as a significant source of income for games it makes. It was expected, to a degree, here. But Paradox has chosen the wrong approach. Carving off core gameplay will never be an acceptable proposition, and its decision has tainted the upcoming arrival of an excruciatingly long-awaited game. Here’s hoping the “adjustments” being considered will turn this situation around.



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Bloodlines 2 Devs Tweaking Day-One Clan DLC After Fan Outcry
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Bloodlines 2 Devs Tweaking Day-One Clan DLC After Fan Outcry

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Last week, it was revealed that upcoming open-world RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 would launch in October with two of its important, playable vampire clans locked behind $22 day-one DLC. This didn’t go over well with folks online. Now, the devs behind the sequel are planning to make some changes.

On August 19, Bloodlines 2 developers The Chinese Room and publisher Paradox announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live that the long-awaited RPG sequel was finally launching on PC and consoles on October 21. This followed a lengthy and rocky development cycle, so for many fans, it was just nice to know Bloodlines 2 was actually going to come out. However, people soon discovered that two of the RPG’s six playable vampire clans would be locked behind a paywall, which led to a backlash from fans. Now, likely in an attempt to calm everyone down before a scheduled upcoming stream, the studio is promising changes.

On August 27, the official World of Darkness Twitter account posted a link to a Bloodlines 2 livestream happening today and shared this message about the DLC controversy as a reply:

We are listening to you about Bloodlines 2 & the Lasombra & Toreador clan access, & we’re making adjustments to reflect this. We will share more information about this as soon as possible. Until then, join us TODAY on Twitch at 5PM CEST, where we’ll be showing off the game!

This is similar to a message that was posted by a community manager in the official Discord server for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, as spotted by GameSpot and ResetEra users.

Fans were so upset about the clans being locked behind day-one DLC because in Bloodlines 2, vampire clans are a very big part of the RPG. They help determine your playstyle, affect the game’s story, and offer unique powers and abilities. And sure, you can technically get any clan’s powers by leveling up and spending enough resources, but it’s much harder to get abilities that aren’t offered by your selected clan. So locking two of them behind a paywall that requires you to buy an extra DLC or the most expensive version of Bloodlines 2 was a frustrating choice.

Last week, the devs told RPS that the reason for locking some content behind DLC was that Bloodlines 2 had expanded beyond what was planned, and extra work had gone into making more and more content for the RPG. I also imagine Paradox wanted extra dollars after years and years of rocky development and delays. While I get that making games ain’t cheap, locking clans behind a paywall was never going to go over well.



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Paradox are "making adjustments" to Bloodlines 2's day-one vampire clan DLC plans, following backlash
Game Updates

Paradox are “making adjustments” to Bloodlines 2’s day-one vampire clan DLC plans, following backlash

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Well, there you go. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox look like they might be sticking a stake in their rather unpopular plans to sell two of the game’s vampire clans as paid day-one DLC. I say “might be” because nothing specific’s been committed to yet, beyond some nebulous making of “adjustments ahead of launch” in response to fan feedback on the gating-off of Lasombra and Toreador bloodsuckers.

In case you missed the announcement of these two clans being packed away into the £18.69/€21.99/$21.99 coffin of Bloodlines’ Shadows and Silk DLC pack, it came right as the long-in-the-works RPG got a fresh trailer and what should hopefully be its final release date. The only ways to get the clans were to buy that pack on top of the base game, or splash out £74.99/€89.99/$89.99 for the premium edition.

On the Bloodlines 2 Discord last night, World of Darkness community developer DebbieElla emerged from the shadows with what looks like the first inkling of an impending change. “We are listening to your feedback about the Lasombra and Toreador clan access, and we’re making adjustments ahead of launch to reflect this,” she wrote. “We will share more information about what this means as soon as possible.”

That was it, aside from a line promoting a livestream on World of Darkness’ Twitch channel at 4PM BST / 5PM CEST / 11AM ET today, August 27th, which I only mention here in case it turns out to be the place Paradox share that promised info.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

Up to this announcement, Paradox and Bloodlines developers The Chinese Room had been sticking by the call to paywall the two clans. Our James grilled them about it at Gamescom, and the response was along the lines of the Toreador and Lasombra being additional work on top of The Chinese Room’s original plans for the game, so therefore fine to charge extra for.

“We’ve made a huge amount of changes over that time, based on that cycle, if you like, including a massive amount of story content and features and all the rest of it. So we have been expanding it from where we originally planned to land it, I think, constantly, and Paradox have been really good when we go, or when the clients go, or when Paradox go: ‘We should add a bit more here. Let’s push the date back.’ As you know, the date has pushed back, but that has been to fatten it out into something that we feel does land where the players want it,” Bloodlines 2 narrative director Ian Thomas told us.

Meanwhile, project design director Jey Hicks insisted that this ‘extra’ stuff is “not all, like, just fluff that we’re chucking in”. We’ll have to see what these promised “adjustments” look like, but a complete u-turn would rightly miff folks who’ve already pre-ordered the premium edition because it includes these extra clans. We’ll let you know when Paradox reveal exactly how they’re pulling their feet out of all this deathhound doo-doo.



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What we've been playing - the fabled Hollow Knight, the much-anticipated Bloodlines 2, and more
Game Reviews

What we’ve been playing – the fabled Hollow Knight, the much-anticipated Bloodlines 2, and more

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23rd August

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we’ve been playing. This week, our away team returns from Gamescom and our home team recovers from Gamescom. What a week! Have you had your head turned by anything?

More importantly, what have you been playing?

Catch up with the older editions of this column in our What We’ve Been Playing archive.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, PC

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I’ve been waiting for this for years and now that I’ve finally played it – a few hours of it in a preview – I’m disappointed. It’s not so much that the concept has been narrowed to fit an action game template, because that can work really well – though it’s a shame not to use the outrageous wealth of RPG depth in the existing tabletop RPG game – but being narrower means there’s more pressure on the content that remains. Having less to do means the things you actually do need to stand out more.

The characters need to really impress, the combat needs to really impress, the corridored sequences need to really impress; and they don’t – or at least they didn’t in what I played. The preview build fell a bit flat. With the notable exception that it did make me feel like a very powerful vampire. The action felt great, which does count (Dracula) for a lot.

I still hold out hope for the game; there’s every chance it might broaden into a more fulfilling experience as the campaign goes on. But my confidence has been knocked.

-Bertie

Mina the Hollower, Switch 2

I’ve been looking forward to Mina the Hollower ever since Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games announced its oh-so-adorable looking release all the way back in 2022. Cute? Yes! Nostalgic? Yes! Pretty darn Gothic? Yes! This game had Victoria written all over it. Now after more than three years, the studio has released a demo, offering a bitesized piece of what players can expect. And I am pleased to say that so far, things are looking good.

Story wise, it turns out titular mouse Mina previously created devices known as Spark Generators, but they are now failing. Not only that, it seems more is afoot than just some technical issues. So, Mina sets off to look into the situation, but before she can arrive at the city of Ossex, her ship is attacked by a sea beast off the coast of Tenebrous Isle. Picking a weapon (I went for Nightstar, which is a mace on a whip-like chain), Mina soon let that Kraken creature know she meant business, but alas, the ship still made a less than graceful arrival to the shore. However, Mina and I remained undeterred, so we made our way through the Blighted Docks…

While only a snippet, I loved my time with Mina the Hollower’s Switch 2 demo. I collected Bonestone, I popped off various goblins and bats, I burrowed my way underneath enemies to spring up excitingly from behind and I negotiated perilous pits, all while bopping along to a gloriously retro-infused soundtrack. It reminded me of a classic Zelda game, but with an extra touch of Castlevania deliciously laced through it all. Oh yes, I am certainly looking forward to Mina the Hollower’s full release this October.

-Victoria

Hollow Knight, Switch 2

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After getting wrapped up in the Silksong hype, among other things, I went back to Hollow Knight. And honestly? I get it. I get the excitement, I get the celebrations around Silksong finally receiving a release date this week.

I stopped playing years ago so it all feels new again now. So far, I’m finding the most joy in going down holes I probably shouldn’t go down yet, because I’m not experienced enough to handle what’s there. But I do it anyway because I want to. My number of deaths so far? I’m not saying.

Somehow 10 minutes turned into an hour and I’m itching to get back to it. It’s a feeling few games have given me recently.

-Marie

Rocket League, Xbox Series X

I think I now see myself how my son must see me: old and out of touch. I’ve been playing more Rocket League with him, and I hadn’t realised just how far from the original idea of the game the whole thing had gone. That core car football experience is still the main bit, I guess, but we were playing a mode the other night where the ball was being pulled around in a circular arc, presumably by magnets or something, and the cars could leap into the air and hover there to intercept and push the ball back to the other team. My poor brain can’t take it. What will these people think of next?!

-Tom O

Until Dawn, PS4

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Somehow, Supermassive’s cinematic horror game Until Dawn is ten years old next week, and to mark the occasion (as well as for other reasons), I’ve been working my way back through the PS4 original. I always liked Until Dawn (and I absolutely adored creator Will Byles’ summer camp follow-up The Quarry), but I’ve been completely blindsided by just how well the whole thing still holds up today. The 60fps PS5 patch helps a bit, of course, but even without that, Until Dawn is an impressive piece of work. It absolutely nails the distinctive high-gloss slasher vibe that was particularly prevalent the 90s, for starter, Supermassive making the most of its stylish camera angles and wintery ambience. But more than that, it’s just a fun ride, and – as it slowly starts to subvert expectations, taking its slasher tropes and character archetypes to unexpected places – far smarter than I originally gave it credit for. It’s brilliant stuff, even ten years on, and I’m hoping this’ll finally be the run-through where nobody dies.

-Matt

World of Warcraft, PC

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I recently learned that World of Warcraft has added a one-button spell rotation to the game, allowing players to put out pretty decent damage without having to memorise anything or take time to learn their class. This I’m sure will have long-lasting impacts on the skill of the average WoW player, but for me it’s wonderful news. Not only as an accessibility feature for those who struggle to play WoW, but also for incredibly tired WoW refugees like me who have been burnt out the game several times now.

Years ago I made a Warlock called Goondan, but having reached level 10, I didn’t have the heart to play on, so I banished the Orc to a lonesome digital hell. Now that I don’t actually have to learn the class, I’ve been blasting through the leveling process, and Goondan may actually hit max level. He may even see the light of day in the upcoming Midnight expansion. Who knows!

-Connor

Balatro, Ballz, and NFL Fantasy Football

Being out in the field at Gamescom, I’ve obviously been playing a slew of things – but half of them I’m not yet allowed to talk about, and untangling the safe from the NDA-breakers is far too much for my con-frazzled Friday brain to handle. But me being away can only mean one thing: being back on my Balatro BS. It’s still as good as ever, and whenever I’m forced to spend time idling on board or waiting for planes, trains, and automobiles, it’s my go-to. It feels like it’ll stay that way forever, as I chip away at that 100 percent completion that still feels a million miles away. I also played a bit of a dumb ad-filled mobile game called Ballz, which is a bit like Breakout. Finally, I’m spending any last spare moment each day doing mock drafts as my NFL Fantasy Football draft is next weekend. For me, that’s one of the most important ‘gaming’ moments of the year. There is pride on the line, after all!

-Alex

Donkey Kong Bananza, Switch 2

I feel like this year I’ve spent a lot of time on very serious games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and its themes of death. Death Stranding 2 and its themes of death. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and its frequent deaths. So this week I decided to change things up and finally start Donkey Kong Bananza after my partner won’t stop going on about it. And what a contrast! I love its musical themes and catchy tunes, and those brightly coloured worlds are a joy to just smash through – I’ve barely progressed at all as instead I just lay waste to entire levels hunting out those bananas. I hate bananas – they taste and smell repulsive to me – but I can’t stop going “ooh banana!” at every opportunity.

-Ed



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