Summary
Paradox Interactive’sVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2has received an encouraging update, with the TTRPG-inspired game getting a rating from the ESRB.Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2has faced a rather tumultuous development since its reveal in 2019, changing developers from Hardsuit Labs to The Chinese Room, but players now have a bit of reassurance that the vampire title may be coming sooner than expected thanks to a recent rating.
In the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Entertainment Software Review Board, or ESRB, reviews media and gives ratings based on the type of content present. More family-friendly video games like theSuper Mario Bros.franchise often receive E ratings, meaning the game is suitable for “Everyone,” while titles that contain violence, language, and sexually suggestive content generally receive an M for “Mature” rating. Since these ratings can only be handed out when a video game has mostly finalized all of its content, the ESRB classifications can give fans a hint at how ready agame likeVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2is to release.
The officialESRBrating forVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2has been revealed as M, with a slew of gameplay and story details revealed in the ratings summary. According to the details on the rating page, players can look forward to physical attacks like claw slashes, kicks, biting, and neck-snapping, along with “realistic gunfire” and “large blood-splatter effects.” The rating further explains thatVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2will have decapitations, impalement, “pools of blood,” and mature language with sexually suggestive dialogue and cursing. Fans who enjoyed theoriginalVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlineshave been keeping their fingers crossed that the sequel would up the ante with more brutal combat, and it would seem thatVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2is poised to be a certified bloodbath.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2’s M Rating Is Good News for Fans
After a lacklustergameplay trailer forVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2left fans worried that the game had strayed too far from its predecessor, this new M rating from the ESRB has reinvigorated hope that the sequel will offer a suitable follow-up to the original. The game has been compared to another M-rated game,Dishonored, which provided another spark of optimism among audiences. If the details given in the ESRB’s summary are a taste of what to expect in the full release, players may be in store for a bloody good time withVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.
Many recentvideo games with troubled developmentcycles eventually made their way to fans, with a mix of successful launches and disappointing releases. WhetherVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2will make the positive impact fans are hoping for remains to be seen, but the M rating and details from the ESRB are promising.Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2is currently slated for a 2025 release for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
