REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)

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REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong (PS5)

REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)

Swansong is an adventure game, an investigative game, and an infiltration game all at the same time, but it is above all a true RPG that wonderfully captures the essence of Vampire: The Masquerade. Connoisseurs of this paper role-playing game will undoubtedly be in ecstasy, while newcomers will have the ideal opportunity to explore this special universe. The codex contains all of the necessary information, and the various intriguing game concepts are thoroughly explained. The minor technical issues that we encountered pale in comparison to the beautiful aesthetic direction, the sombre atmosphere, and the choices that have genuine effects. We can’t stop licking our chops!

REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)

Leaving aside the various “visual novels” and other interactive fictions, there aren’t many video game adaptations of the paper role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. And it isn’t the Greek calendars of Bloodlines 2 that will make things better… Fortunately, the Bordeaux developers of Big Bad Wolf are now rescuing us with Swansong, a narrative RPG that follows in the footsteps of their previous effort, The Council. And the end effect is much better!

The month is September 2019, and Boston’s vampire high society is in disarray. The Prince of the Court received a red code, indicating a very serious threat. Indeed, a killing of nocturnal creatures has recently occurred over an evening with celebratory as well as political motivations. In other words, the Second Inquisition has begun, and the search for vampires has begun! In this setting, the player is led to incarnate three damned in turn: Emem Louis, Galeb Bazory, and Leysha.

If this setting is unfamiliar to you, remember that the game is intended for both regulars and newcomers to the World of Darkness. An incredibly detailed codex outlines all the keywords and summarises everything there is to know about this universe, whether it’s the Masquerade or the various vampire clans. One of the game’s merits is its ability to accurately recreate the ambience of the paper role-playing game.

REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)

The ambience is dark and seductive, the surroundings are urban and glittery, and the events are especially extravagant. However, when the ‘bondage and cocaine’ programme devolves into ‘beheadings and stakes in the heart,’ the gore arrives and it is imperative to interfere. The exploring phases are part adventure game, part investigation game, and part game. infiltration. There are always multiple paths to your goals, and failure is rarely fatal.

Swansong excels at role-playing and provides us with a variety of options, consequences, and endings. A failed action or a terrible dialogue can result in a simple “-10% chance of success in case of a draw in Intimidate” as it can in the death of an important character! You will never know previously, but you will be told of the effects of your acts in a systematic manner. Furthermore, each mission concludes with the display of an “end table,” which summarises the traits obtained, the successes, the failures, and the alternative paths the player missed. A very good idea,

TEETH THAT SCRATCH THE FLOOR

The game offers each of the three protagonists a character sheet to fill in yourself or predefined choices, with rich in-game mechanisms but still approachable. Attributes, Dialogue Skills, Exploration Skills, Knowledge Skills, and Disciplines are where experience points are spent.

As a result, the gameplay is far richer than it appears at first appearance, and we can get out of the same dilemma just as easily by hacking a phone as we can by spying on someone or summoning supernatural skills. However, because true confrontations take place here, it is the discussions that grab the lion’s share. Most social interactions provide different options based on the talents held, with a comprehensive system of success % and concentration allowing to boost the odds of success, with a dice roll appearing on the screen from time to time.

However, because true confrontations take place here, it is the discussions that grab the lion’s share. Most social interactions provide different options based on the talents held, with a comprehensive system of success % and concentration allowing to boost the odds of success, with a dice roll appearing on the screen from time to time. However, because true confrontations take place here, it is the discussions that grab the lion’s share. Most social interactions provide different options based on the talents held, with a comprehensive system of success % and concentration allowing to boost the odds of success, with a dice roll appearing on the screen from time to time.

REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)

Once again, the game accomplishes the knack of being complete while never becoming overly complex. Willpower points, which allow you to perform various Skills, and Hunger, which increases when you employ Disciplines, are the two most vital principles to remember. We must continually strive to keep the first gauge as high as feasible while keeping the second gauge as low as possible. To suppress Hunger, find a safe spot out of sight and invite prey to join you there to draw blood. However, avoid killing her as this will raise the Suspicion gauge. In short, we could spend hours explaining every game concept, but the best thing is that you discover it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed unless you swear by the foolish and harsh activity.

SWAN OR UGLY DUCKLING?

Does this imply that Swansong has attained perfection? We’re almost there. However, there are a few issues that might be improved on the form. Be cautious, the game is far from an unsightly mess riddled with problems! The art style is modest and elegant, the textures of the outfits are incredibly realistic, and certain faces are unmistakably true. But… strangely, not all of them! While the three heroes have been given special attention, other characters appear to have been modelled unusually. Similarly, depending on who you’re talking to, the facial animations blow hot and cold, while the movement animations feel pretty stiff overall.

REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)

There are still a few glitches to get rid of. We were thus treated to a character remaining blocked for a few seconds with his mouth open, a hero who had become mute for two or three lines, hair moving unnaturally, or the classic Unreal Engine texture display problem, which you have almost certainly encountered elsewhere. The most serious difficulty we encountered was when we save the game vanished, forcing us to restart the game from the beginning. This is undoubtedly a fantastic approach to evaluating and appreciating replayability, but we hope that many gamers would avoid such a blunder with the “day one” edition. While most of these flaws will almost definitely be solved after a few patches, the lack of French voices is an unchangeable flaw that may turn off some Anglophobic players. Fortunately, the English voices are of high quality, and the game provides plenty of time for us to read the subtitles. In any case, Swansong is well worth the detour! which may finally chill down certain Anglophobic players. Fortunately, the English voices are of high quality, and the game allows us ample time to read the subtitles. Swansong, in any case, is well worth the detour! This could finally chill down certain Anglophobic players.

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