Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is finally launching on October 21, and yes you'll technically be able to play as a Malkavian vampire

Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Pre-Order Trailer - YouTube

It's been a long, long, long road, but Bloodlines 2 is almost upon us. Finally! At Gamescom's Opening Night Live, Paradox and The Chinese Room announced its October 21 release date, as well as sharing some secrets they've been hiding up their sleeves for ages.

So, yes, you'll be able to play as a Malkavian vampire. But there's a twist. See, you won't be able to make Phyre, the game's protagonist, Malkavian.

If you've been following the Bloodlines 2 reveals, you'll know that Phyre is sharing their head with a disembodied detective, Fabien, who also happens to be Malkavian. If you didn't know this, you must not have read my exclusive Bloodlines 2 hands-on from earlier in the year, which you should rectify.

Anyway! Fabien is actually a playable character. While Phyre sleeps, you'll be able to explore Fabien's past, as the Malkavian vampire himself, playing detective in a neo-noir 1920s Seattle. "Solving the case proves challenging," the announcement reads, "as Fabien's fractured perception of reality, a trait of his Malkavian blood, makes it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction."

It's not quite the same as getting to play through the entire game as a Malkavian vamp, but I'm hoping it will end up feeling like the best of both worlds. I'm really looking forward to playing as the other clans, so it's handy that I'll be able to do that and still enjoy some Malkavian nonsense.

Paradox and The Chinese Room also spilled some details of the game's various editions and the DLC they come packaged with. There's a cosmetic pack, Santa Monica Memories, which features some stuff you can cram inside Phyre's apartment, inspired by the first game. More importantly, there's the Shadows & Silk DLC. This is what unlocks the game's two additional clans: Lasombra and Toreador.

If you're keen to know a bit more about the shifty Lasombra and seductive Toreador clans, stick with me, as I'll be sharing my impressions of the DLC this week. And we'll be seeing even more of Bloodlines 2 at Gamescom.

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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.

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