<s>
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
–	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
an	O
upcoming	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
published	O
by	O
Paradox	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
to	O
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
–	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
(	O
2004	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Darkness	I-Protocol
series	O
and	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
tabletop	O
role-playing	O
game	O
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
a	O
human	O
in	O
21st-century	O
Seattle	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
killed	O
and	O
revived	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
thinblood	O
"	O
vampire	B-Application
with	O
relatively	O
weak	O
vampiric	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
assigns	O
their	O
character	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
disciplinesunique	O
and	O
upgradable	O
powersbefore	O
joining	O
one	O
of	O
several	O
vampire	B-Application
clans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
–	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
presented	O
mainly	O
from	O
the	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
,	O
alternating	O
to	O
third-person	O
for	O
contextual	O
activities	O
such	O
as	O
specific	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
game	O
begins	O
,	O
players	O
create	O
a	O
vampire	B-Application
character	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
select	O
a	O
character	O
background	O
that	O
informs	O
who	O
they	O
were	O
as	O
a	O
human	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
barista	O
(	O
the	O
default	O
background	O
,	O
with	O
no	O
bonuses	O
)	O
,	O
career	O
criminal	O
,	O
coroner	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
police	O
officer	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
offering	O
different	O
dialog	O
and	O
interaction	O
options	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
thinblood	O
can	O
eventually	O
join	O
one	O
of	O
five	O
vampire	B-Application
clans	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
they	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
its	O
specific	O
disciplines	O
and	O
upgrades	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
their	O
original	O
disciplines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
vampire	B-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
needs	O
blood	O
to	O
survive	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
feed	O
on	O
humans	O
,	O
taking	O
some	O
or	O
all	O
of	O
their	O
blood	O
;	O
it	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
obtained	O
from	O
rats	O
and	O
blood	O
bags	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vampires	B-Application
possess	O
an	O
inherent	O
ability	O
called	O
Soak	O
that	O
provides	O
resistance	O
against	O
ranged	O
attacks	O
;	O
they	O
also	O
can	O
absorb	O
some	O
damage	O
before	O
their	O
health	O
starts	O
to	O
deteriorate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
are	O
penalized	O
for	O
using	O
certain	O
vampiric	O
abilities	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
witnesses	O
;	O
exposing	O
their	O
existence	O
as	O
a	O
vampire	B-Application
eventually	O
alerts	O
the	O
police	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Repeatedly	O
violating	O
the	O
masquerade	O
results	O
in	O
human	O
civilians	O
choosing	O
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
streets	O
entirely	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
player	O
being	O
hunted	O
by	O
other	O
vampires	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
–	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
2	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
21st-century	O
Seattle	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
Christmas	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
the	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Darkness	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
game	O
depicts	O
a	O
world	O
in	O
which	O
vampires	B-Application
,	O
werewolves	O
,	O
demons	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
creatures	O
shape	O
human	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
vampires	B-Application
are	O
bound	O
by	O
a	O
code	O
to	O
maintain	O
their	O
secrecy	O
(	O
forbidding	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
vampiric	O
abilities	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
humans	O
)	O
and	O
avoid	O
unnecessary	O
killing	O
(	O
to	O
preserve	O
the	O
vampire	B-Application
's	O
last	O
shreds	O
of	O
humanity	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
vampires	B-Application
are	O
divided	O
into	O
various	O
clans	O
with	O
distinctive	O
traits	O
and	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
clans	O
are	O
loosely	O
governed	O
by	O
the	O
Camarilla	O
,	O
a	O
cabal	O
that	O
enforces	O
the	O
vampire	B-Application
code	O
and	O
maintains	O
the	O
peace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Opposed	O
to	O
the	O
Camarilla	O
are	O
the	O
Sabbat	O
,	O
vampires	B-Application
who	O
revel	O
in	O
their	O
feral	O
instincts	O
and	O
see	O
all	O
humans	O
as	O
prey	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Anarchs	O
,	O
an	O
idealistic	O
group	O
who	O
disagree	O
with	O
the	O
Camarilla	O
's	O
oligarchic	O
political	O
structure	O
and	O
believe	O
that	O
power	O
should	O
be	O
shared	O
by	O
all	O
vampires	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alongside	O
clans	O
,	O
Seattle	O
is	O
broken	O
up	O
by	O
five	O
vampire	B-Application
factions	O
,	O
each	O
bound	O
by	O
their	O
own	O
ideologies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Led	O
by	O
the	O
longest-reigning	O
vampire	B-Application
prince	O
Lou	O
Grand	O
,	O
the	O
Pioneer	O
faction	O
represents	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
oldest	O
vampires	B-Application
of	O
the	O
city	O
;	O
their	O
power	O
has	O
diminished	O
as	O
the	O
other	O
factions	O
have	O
grown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
represents	O
the	O
socially	O
elite	O
and	O
wealthy	O
vampires	B-Application
,	O
wielding	O
power	O
in	O
businesses	O
throughout	O
Seattle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
rarely	O
seen	O
Baron	O
represents	O
the	O
criminal	O
underworld	O
,	O
offering	O
less-than-honest	O
work	O
to	O
vampires	B-Application
,	O
thinbloods	O
,	O
ghouls	O
,	O
and	O
humans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
character	O
of	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
whom	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
fledgling	O
thinblood	O
vampire	B-Application
,	O
transformed	O
at	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
during	O
a	O
mass	O
attack	O
unto	O
humans	O
by	O
rogue	O
vampires	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
thinbloods	O
are	O
a	O
modern	O
,	O
weaker	O
strain	O
of	O
vampires	B-Application
who	O
are	O
typically	O
shunned	O
and	O
treated	O
as	O
lesser	O
than	O
Full-blood	O
vampires	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Seattle	O
has	O
only	O
relatively	O
recently	O
fallen	O
under	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
Camarilla	O
,	O
vampires	B-Application
there	O
are	O
more	O
tolerant	O
of	O
thinbloods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
character	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
humans	O
turned	O
into	O
vampires	B-Application
during	O
a	O
mass	O
Embrace	O
,	O
an	O
incident	O
in	O
which	O
rogue	O
vampires	B-Application
publicly	O
attacked	O
humans	O
,	O
breaking	O
the	O
Masquerade	O
and	O
causing	O
discord	O
between	O
the	O
city	O
's	O
vampire	B-Application
groups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
2004	O
release	O
of	O
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
–	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
had	O
been	O
a	O
relative	O
failure	O
,	O
selling	O
fewer	O
than	O
100,000	O
copies	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
competition	O
against	O
sequels	O
in	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Halo	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Metal	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
Solid	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Snake	I-Application
Eater	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodlines	B-Application
was	O
the	O
last	O
in	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
games	O
developed	O
by	O
Troika	O
Games	O
that	O
was	O
critically	O
well	O
received	O
but	O
marred	O
by	O
technical	O
issues	O
and	O
low	O
sales	O
,	O
and	O
Troika	O
was	O
shuttered	O
shortly	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
preventing	O
them	O
from	O
developing	O
a	O
sequel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
then-director	O
Leonard	O
Boyarsky	O
said	O
that	O
although	O
the	O
team	O
would	O
like	O
to	O
pursue	O
a	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
sequel	O
,	O
the	O
decision	O
belonged	O
to	O
then-publisher	O
Activision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
their	O
closure	O
,	O
Troika	O
had	O
begun	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
workable	O
prototype	O
based	O
on	O
another	O
of	O
White	O
Wolf	O
's	O
tabletop	O
role-playing	O
games	O
,	O
Werewolf	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Apocalypse	I-Application
,	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
universe	O
as	O
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
years	O
following	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
release	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
became	O
considered	O
a	O
cult	O
classic	O
,	O
receiving	O
over	O
a	O
decade	O
of	O
development	O
by	O
fans	O
to	O
fix	O
technical	O
issues	O
and	O
restore	O
cut	O
or	O
incomplete	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Video	O
game	O
publisher	O
Paradox	O
Interactive	O
purchased	O
White	O
Wolf	O
in	O
October	O
2015	O
,	O
obtaining	O
the	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Darkness	I-Protocol
intellectual	O
property	O
,	O
including	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
Paradox	O
Interactive	O
's	O
acquisition	O
of	O
White	O
Wolf	O
,	O
Seattle-based	O
developer	O
Hardsuit	O
Labs	O
 '	O
creative	O
director	O
Ka'ai	O
Cluney	O
convinced	O
co-founder	O
Andy	O
Kipling	O
to	O
pitch	O
a	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
sequel	O
to	O
Paradox	O
,	O
while	O
Cluney	O
made	O
contact	O
with	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
writer	O
Brian	O
Mitsoda	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodlines	B-Application
composer	O
Rik	O
Schaffer	O
also	O
returned	O
for	O
the	O
sequel	O
as	O
the	O
main	O
composer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Producer	O
Christian	O
Schlütter	O
said	O
:	O
"	O
When	O
we	O
as	O
Paradox	O
acquired	O
the	O
IP	O
,	O
we	O
saw	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
as	O
the	O
crown	O
jewel	O
...	O
then	O
[	O
Hardsuit	O
Labs ]	O
come	O
along	O
and	O
have	O
the	O
perfect	O
pitch	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
writer	O
on-board	O
too	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ellison	O
said	O
that	O
they	O
wanted	O
to	O
move	O
away	O
from	O
what	O
she	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
"	O
male	O
power	O
fantasy	O
"	O
of	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
to	O
give	O
it	O
a	O
broader	O
appeal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
wanted	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
mass	O
embrace	O
to	O
explore	O
the	O
transition	O
from	O
human	O
to	O
vampire	B-Application
and	O
how	O
people	O
from	O
different	O
backgrounds	O
react	O
to	O
their	O
transformation	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
still	O
having	O
family	O
members	O
they	O
have	O
to	O
leave	O
behind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
provides	O
the	O
opportunity	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
make	O
decisions	O
on	O
how	O
their	O
character	O
is	O
played	O
,	O
but	O
Schlütter	O
described	O
these	O
options	O
as	O
"	O
your	O
preferred	O
flavor	O
of	O
evilness	O
,	O
"	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
not	O
a	O
hero	O
as	O
vampires	B-Application
are	O
parasites	O
that	O
feed	O
on	O
humanity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Malkavians	O
,	O
a	O
popular	O
clan	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
return	O
in	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
their	O
popularity	O
,	O
the	O
Malkavians	O
were	O
always	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
present	O
in	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
but	O
their	O
mental	O
ailments	O
are	O
represented	O
with	O
less	O
comical	O
effect	O
to	O
reflect	O
changes	O
to	O
real-world	O
societal	O
perspectives	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
used	O
the	O
"	O
Investigation	O
"	O
skill	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
as	O
an	O
example	O
,	O
an	O
ability	O
which	O
highlights	O
certain	O
objects	O
in	O
the	O
environment	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
rarely	O
had	O
the	O
opportunity	O
for	O
use	O
and	O
meant	O
that	O
players	O
with	O
and	O
without	O
the	O
skill	O
had	O
a	O
similar	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
 '	O
goal	O
was	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
individual	O
skills	O
and	O
abilities	O
matter	O
more	O
in	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
2	I-Application
so	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
feel	O
like	O
wasted	O
choices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
tabletop	O
game	O
combat	O
skills	O
may	O
affect	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
striking	O
an	O
opponent	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
the	O
developers	O
wanted	O
the	O
attack	O
to	O
hit	O
if	O
you	O
are	O
aiming	O
in	O
the	O
right	O
direction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
offered	O
various	O
overlapping	O
systems	O
that	O
allowed	O
for	O
stealth	O
,	O
melee	O
and	O
ranged	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
feeding	O
system	O
in	O
both	O
first	O
-	O
and	O
third-person	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
2012	O
video	O
game	O
Dishonored'''s	O
fast-paced	O
combat	O
systems	O
,	O
offering	O
attacks	O
that	O
moves	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
body	O
in	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
their	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
tabletop	O
game	O
's	O
fifth	O
edition	O
was	O
in	O
development	O
alongside	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
some	O
of	O
Hardsuit	O
Labs	O
 '	O
ideas	O
were	O
adopted	O
into	O
the	O
board	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
Resonances	O
serving	O
to	O
provide	O
enhancements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
planned	O
for	O
release	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
different	O
pre-order	O
versions	O
have	O
been	O
made	O
available	O
:	O
Standard	O
,	O
Unsanctioned	O
,	O
and	O
Blood	O
Moon	O
,	O
which	O
will	O
include	O
two	O
story-based	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
packs	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
werewolf-themed	O
expansion	O
"	O
Season	O
of	O
the	O
Wolf	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
pre-orders	O
of	O
the	O
Unsanctioned	O
version	O
or	O
above	O
include	O
in-game	O
items	O
referencing	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
characters	O
such	O
as	O
Jeanette	O
Voerman	O
and	O
Damsel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Collector	O
's	O
Edition	O
includes	O
a	O
steelbook	O
case	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
a	O
map	O
of	O
Seattle	O
,	O
a	O
7-inch	O
vinyl	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
a	O
digital	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
Vampire	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Masquerade	I-Application
fifth	O
edition	O
core	O
book	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
28	O
cm	O
statue	O
of	O
the	O
character	O
Elif	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
includes	O
three	O
DLC	B-Protocol
packs	O
that	O
include	O
additional	O
outfits	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Season	O
of	O
the	O
Wolf	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paradox	O
CEO	O
Ebba	O
Ljungerud	O
explained	O
the	O
delay	O
as	O
caused	O
by	O
the	O
staff	O
changes	O
,	O
the	O
2020	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
delay	O
in	O
receiving	O
development	O
kits	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2022	O
,	O
Paradox	O
Interactive	O
CEO	O
Fredrik	O
Wester	O
said	O
on	O
Twitter	O
that	O
"	O
Bloodlines	B-Application
is	O
still	O
in	O
development	O
and	O
we	O
will	O
let	O
you	O
know	O
more	O
when	O
we	O
are	O
ready.	O
"	O
</s>
