Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 recently sparked frustration when it was revealed that two of its six playable clans will only be available through paid DLC at launch. This decision has drawn a lot of heat, especially considering the game’s rocky development history. Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room have tried to explain the reasoning behind this, but it hasn’t quite calmed the waters.
Narrative director Ian Thomas spoke to Rock, Paper, Shotgun about the changes the game underwent during development. He said the team has been adding a “massive amount of story content and features” based on playtesting and community feedback. Thomas explained, “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.’” He added that the release date was pushed back to “fatten it out into something that we feel does land where the players want it.”
Design director Jey Hicks emphasized that the new content is not just “fluff,” but carries the same quality as the base game. This presumably includes the Toreador and Lasombra clans locked behind the Shadows and Silk DLC, which promises distinct abilities and playstyles for each clan. Creating a whole vampire clan is a major effort, far beyond simple cosmetic additions.
Still, many players are upset because this DLC will be available on day one. It’s not like the developers are continuing to work on it after launch; instead, Paradox and The Chinese Room chose to separate this content and charge extra. Paradox should be familiar with the backlash, having faced criticism for its DLC practices for years. Yikes, it’s puzzling why they’d add fuel to the fire, especially since Paradox reportedly wants to step away from RPGs after this. Wouldn’t it make more sense to give the Bloodlines community a little break and possibly take a small hit financially? The DLC price is steep, but I doubt it’ll seriously affect Paradox’s bottom line. Guess they have their reasons, but I’m scratching my head here.
There’s also a chance that all the negative attention might hurt DLC sales enough to cancel out any gains. Honestly, I don’t see an upside for them.
Anyway, Bloodlines 2 will launch on October 21. Despite all this, I’m hopeful. The Chinese Room may not be a traditional RPG studio, but they’re known for good storytelling, and that’s what I’m looking forward to. What do you think about the DLC clans’ situation? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
