There's always one question on everyone's mind when a big new RPG appears. Don't be embarrassed—I know you're curious. You want to know if you can hook up with any of the immortal bloodsuckers and find romance in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. I've got good news and bad news.
In the World of Darkness, the universe in which Vampire: The Masquerade is contained, romance is kinda complicated. More complicated than usual, I mean. This is because vamps aren't human. Like Phyre themself says, the Beast—the demonic apex predator inside every vampire—hollows them out, removing human emotions like love.
With that bit of lore in mind, let's dig in.
Can you romance NPCs in Bloodlines 2?
There is what The Chinese Room calls "romantic feeding" in Bloodlines 2, but if you're looking for traditional RPG romance systems then you're out of luck.
While vampires can retain some of their humanity—which there's a system for in both the tabletop game and Bloodlines 1, but not the sequel—in most cases their former nature gets squeezed out by the Beast, the source of all their darker proclivities. Unlike the vampires of Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer's horny yarns, VTM's undead monsters don't really get lovestruck, or even thirsty—unless we're talking about blood.
Yep, blood is almost exclusively what drives their desires. There are some exceptions to this, and some vampires might go through the motions, remembering what love felt like when they were human, trying to replicate this in their new unlife. But for the most part, vampires don't care much about traditional romance.
In Bloodlines 2, you can roleplay Phyre as a vampire with more humanity than most, and you'll find one other vampire who acts in the same way: Safia. She responds to your flirting, and you can strike up a sort of unspoken relationship with her, exchanging tender words and support. It's actually incredibly sweet. But that's as far as it goes.
With the rest of Seattle's vampires, though, and its mortals, any sexually charged moments are fuelled exclusively by blood. When you feed on mortals, it's a pleasurable experience for both participants, but it's also predominantly practical for Phyre. They need blood to use their powers.
In the case of other vampires, though, that's when romantic feeding comes into play, which is the closest you'll get to knocking boots with an NPC.
How does romantic feeding work in Bloodlines 2?
Vampires feeling a bit of bloodlust don't ask for much before they're willing to go for a little romantic feeding alone time, but it's still a bit convoluted. There are actually two different ways to grab an intimate moment with a fellow undead monster, but let's start with the flirty route. Here are the broad strokes:
- Meet your primogen lover-to-be in their haven
- Pick dialogue options that please them
- Flirt with them three times
- Strike up another conversation with them
- Listen to Phyre and their new friend having a good time
Bloodlines 2 unfortunately never really explains what triggers romantic feeds, but my colleagues and I have been diligently experimenting and jumping between saves to figure it out. It's primarily driven by two things: how much the primogen likes you, and where you are in the story.
Each of the playable vampire clans in Bloodlines 2 is represented by a primogen—think of them as an undead official representing the clan's interests in the Camarilla court, which runs nighttime Seattle.
When you're introduced to these head honchos in the main quest Keep the Peace, you'll be able to flirt with them, but your vampiric seduction techniques aren't so powerful that they'll immediately hop into their coffin with you.
You'll need to flirt with them three times, first. This is not possible during that first meeting, however, so you'll have to put in your time first.
You can ruin your chances of enjoying more flirty banter, too. If a primogen doesn't vibe with you because you've said the wrong thing, their response to your first attempt at flirting will be a firm rejection, and the option might never appear again—as was the case with the Brujah and Toreador primogens in my first playthrough. They found me too pretentious.
If they like the cut of your jib, however, you'll have a better shot. But it's still not entirely straightforward. It'll take you several nights to hop under the covers with your undead paramour, and you'll need to keep making a good impression.
The second opportunity to be an unrepentant flirt is available during the next night, when you're be on the main quest A Work of Holy Innocents. So just head back to the primogen's haven and stick out your silver tongue. You'll have to wait a bit longer to hit on them a third time, though.
The following night, during To Founder on the Lethe, you won't be able to flirt an additional time, but are new dialogue options that allow you to learn more about the primogen and score some extra friend points.
It's only when you reach Prove Yourself, the next evening's main quest, that you're finally able to seal the deal, getting that coveted third flirting opportunity. Time for some romantic feeding!
I've tested this with multiple primogens and it always works the same way. It's also worth noting that you can actually wait until Prove Yourself before you do any flirting, and then knock out all three in a row. Just be aware that you'll have to start a new conversation each time. Then after three flirty exchanges, talk to them once more and they'll proposition you.
But if you don't want to keep hitting on vampires, there's a second method related to power progression. Here are the steps:
- Visit the primogen's haven
- Spend blood resonance to unlock their clan powers
- Don't annoy them
- Once you've unlocked the final power and perk, they'll suggest a romantic feed
Primogens are a source of power, letting you unlock new abilities from their clans by spending blood resonance, which you receive from feeding on humans experiencing specific emotions, or by completing sidequests (you get your own clan powers without this extra step). And once you're ready to unlock the final power, the primogen will suggest something more intimate.
Like the flirty route, though, this is predicated on what they think about you. If you annoyed them during your first meeting and subsequent chats, they'll still let you drink their blood so you can gain their powers, but you'll never get a romantic feed. To be honest, though, you're not missing out.
The result of a romantic feed is the same regardless of what method you deploy: You get some flirty, suggestive banter, the screen fades to black, and then you have to listen to Phyre and their pal getting it on. Briefly. And that's your lot!
What's disappointing isn't the lack of a romance scene, though. Well, it's not the only disappointing part. What really ruffled my feathers (vampires have feathers, right?) is that none of this feels earned. Your chats with these vamps are largely perfunctory, and they don't really play a role in the main story. It just feels totally disconnected from the rest of the game.
So who exactly can you hook up with in Bloodlines 2?
Every primogen can be flirted with and eventually seduced, though it's easy to miss out on some of them by putting your foot in your mouth, as I did with Silky and Patience in my first playthrough.
You'll also need to focus on flirting if you want to hook up with the primogen of your own clan, since you don't need to feed on them to unlock your inherent powers. That means the second method won't be available to you in that one specific instance.
With that out of the way, here's the full list of everyone you can 'romance':
- Fletcher, the Ventrue primogen
- Mrs Thorn, the Tremere primogen
- Niko, the Banu Haqim primogen
- Onda, the Lasombra primogen
- Patience, the Toreador primogen
- Silky, the Brujah primogen
- Safia [Platonic]
Unfortunately, only the Safia romance is worth pursuing, as it's the only one that adds anything to your story. It's well worth flirting with her. The rest largely feel like they've been included to tick a box, because The Chinese Room knows you're a thirsty bunch.
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