There's still no news on long-awaited RPG Bloodlines 2, but we do have yet another Vampire: The Masquerade game on the way. This time around it's Justice, a new VR adventure that sends players to the dark streets of Venice in search of the truth behind a dark conspiracy.
Revealed during today's Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice follows the story of Justice, a member of the Banu Haqim clan, who travels to the home of the death-worshipping Hecata clan to track down and punish the killers of their sire, and discover the mystery behind the theft of an ancient relic.
Players will use a combination of stealth, blood magic, and a hidden crossbow to take down enemies and solve puzzles as they grow in power by upgrading their abilities along separate stealth, combat, and stamina skill trees. Alongside the "gritty main narrative," there will also be multiple side missions to take on, and unique dialog options in character interactions.
The best part of the experience, though, may be the simple sightseeing: Developer Fast Travel Games promised a grim journey through a dark Venice unseen by tourists, filled with "murky alleyways, ensanguined canals, forgotten catacombs, and opulent palazzos."
It definitely looks like an interesting place:
I don't think a VR game is going to fill the void left by the still-MIA Bloodlines 2, but the trailer seems to capture the Vampire mood well enough, and I have to admit that I had similar qualms about Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt, a World of Darkness battle royale that debuted last year, and it turned out to be really good. (Which was not enough to save it, sadly.) And the setting, a dark and gritty old city that goes unseen during the day, seems like a good fit for the immersive perspective of VR.
Justice will actually be developer Fast Travel Games' second VR take on the World of Darkness: In 2021, it released the VR-exclusive Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife, another creepy tale of undeath and mystery. It was well received by VR specialty sites, but didn't fare quite so well on Steam, where it holds a "mixed" rating over 58 user reviews. Hopefully Justice will land a little better.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice is set to come out in late 2023 and will be available for the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 (which was officially announced today), as well as PlayStation VR2.
