Blast from the Past (BFTP) is a new segment on the site, aiming to go back a few years in time and dig up gems that today’s gamers never heard of or yesterday’s gamers simply missed out on.

First up is 2004’s PC title Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (often known as Bloodlines or VTMB), based on White Wolf, Inc.’s Vampire: The Masquerade pen & paper RPG universe. While the game recieved well above average reviews at release and is on its way to becoming a cult classic, it has still gone under the radar for a lot of people. It’s a shame because this RPG is a real gem. The game provides a rich and refreshing roleplaying experience and puts you in the shoes of a fledgling vampire in the politically charged Los Angeles underworld, filled with interesting characters and quests.

The game’s developer, Troika Games, ran into financial problems and shut down a couple of years ago, but the publisher ActiVision is still selling the game via Steam for around $20. I highly recommend that gamers also install the latest unofficial patch. It both fixes problems and gives the option to unlock unused content within the game. In addition to that it includes tools for making the game run in true 16:9 or 16:10 widescreen resolutions and makes it playable in 64-bit operating systems automatically, no need to manually tinker with any files or settings in Windows.

If you enjoy RPGs and missed out on Bloodlines when it was released do yourself a favor and check it out now.

-Daniel Lindberg

Tags: BFTP, Bloodlines, PC, RPG, Vampires

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