REVIEW / Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York (PC)

It’s been a while since I played a videogame with vampires or anything that leaned toward horror for that matter. It’s hard not to love these undead beings. They’ve infiltrated all areas of media from comedies like What We Do in the Shadows to horror remakes like Nosferatu to open-world survival games like V Rising. Draw Distance, a Polish indie game development studio has released Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York, and I’ve been seeing what this latest entry into a beloved franchise has to offer.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York transports players to the bustling, chilly winter streets of modern-day New York City. This installment is based on the Vampire: The Masquerade series, a tabletop RPG, and I was unfamiliar with this franchise so I feel like my experience may have been a little lacking. The vampires, known as Kindred, are driven by political motives and the desire to survive in a violent, supernatural world. In this third installment, players are introduced to Kali, who is part of the Ravnos clan (one of the thirteen clans in this franchise) and is known for her skills as a con artist. I was intrigued by her abilities and background and wanted to see where this adventure would take me.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York is heavy on the visual novel and has a solid narrative, a little cheesy and tropey at times but this wasn’t the issue. My problem was that I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. The text is very dense, with blocks and blocks of long paragraphs, and I would start to lose focus as I waited for more dynamic interactions to appear. Unfortunately, the choices are few and lacking, and they seem to have little to no impact on the development of the story or characters. If I’m being completely honest, this is not a video game. It’s perfectly fine as a story, but there is no gameplay. I was simply a spectator and this distanced me from feeling immersed and engaged with the story. There is a lot to unravel in the story as new characters are introduced, but I wanted more background, more information on their history, and details on their relationships with other vampires. Perhaps more seasoned players will understand the Kindred lore but I was not emotionally invested.

On account of there being no game mechanics, puzzles, combat, or other challenges of note in Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York, the integration of the character’s vampiric Disciplines feels like an afterthought. The Logbook we’re given, on the other hand, is completely unnecessary. All it shows is the completed chapters with no details, just a long list of chapter titles. I understand that some consider visual novels to be video games, but I think they should fall into a medium of their own. Unlike some games where choices actually matter, the choices in Reckoning of New York do not enrich the gameplay and feel forced.

What Reckoning of New York lacks in gameplay it makes up for in visuals. The art style is dark and atmospheric, with a mix of deep blues and purples that contrast with a vibrant red that evokes a sense of mystery, something that’s perfect for a vampiric universe. Each character is rendered beautifully in a semi-realistic style with expressive features and individualized clothing choices that showcase their varying personalities. The urban backdrop changes from scene to scene and reimagines the dimly lit streets of the city and its luminous skylines, embodying both modern and gothic styles.

So, what are my final thoughts regarding Vampire: The Masquerade – Reckoning of New York? This title certainly has a rich story with lore and characters that fans of the Masquerade series will probably enjoy, while people like me who have never played any installments of Vampire: The Masquerade may well find this falls short of delivering a memorable experience. This is probably the most critical I’ve been with a game in some time, but this one wasn’t for me. I don’t think I’ll be spending any more time exploring the Big Apple through the eyes of Kali.