Bloodhunt takes place in the shadow of the Vampire: The Masquerade franchise. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is the most recent addition to the series and is a continuation of the original storyline. It takes place in the World of Darkness, a third-person shooter with Battle Royale action. Supernatural skills, many of which are associated with vampires in traditional mythology, are available to players in addition to the standard weapons in most current shooter games. The game is well-polished and looks solid for its gloomy surroundings and attention to character narrative. But the challenging thing about trying out a new game in an already overcrowded genre is struggling to sort out exactly how you feel about it, and Bloodhunt made me feel just that.

Since Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodhunt is a Battle Royale, as a member of one of the four vampire clans, you step out into the night and battle against other creatures until you or your squad are the only ones left standing. After each match, you will be sent back to Elysium, the social core of the game, where you will be able to engage in conversation with other players, obtain tasks from a variety of NPCs, and modify your character. There are two distinct areas in which the gameplay takes place: the Battle Royale itself, where combat occurs, and a hub area, which serves as a venue for exploration and exploration-based RPG gameplay.

Archetypes are the seven different classes that players can pick from while creating their characters. Every archetype has a unique set of three abilities, two skills with a cooldown and one passive skill. Before a match begins, you will find yourself in the city armed with nothing more than a pistol and an appetite for the blood of humans. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt's great traversal mechanism feels perfectly calibrated in Prague's gothic-styled towering architecture, which is a crucial aspect to take advantage of. And like any other Battle Royale game, you start at the bottom and work your way up; surviving long enough equals winning. There are up to 45 potential players in any match of Bloodhunt, and the objective of each encounter is to be the lone remaining vampire or for a three-person team to emerge victorious.

The aspects of the gameplay that have something to do with vampirism are the ones that are the most original. There is the foreboding red fog that, if a character is caught in it, would result in their slow and painful death. It is refreshing to realize that the safe zone is not a perfect circle, yet, the fact that it takes on irregular shapes might sometimes make it difficult to get to the next safe zone on time. Loot and weapons are scattered throughout the map, chests, and even the trunks of certain utility vehicles. By drawing blood from mortal individuals loitering around the city, you can obtain special buffs known as blood resonances. When it comes to the blood hunt system, this is where it all comes together since a player can accidentally set off a blood hunt if they are not careful when dining.

However, not every mortal is as hopeless as a herd of cattle. You will also run into members of the Entity while exploring the map. The Entity is a well-equipped military organization relocated to Prague to hunt and kill vampires. These ordinary humans are armed with lethal weapons and wear armor resistant to damage. They are there to provide an additional challenge for the players, and while taking them on indeed results in you taking damage, winning will get you access to the deadly weaponry they were using. It's hard to do this on your own, and you should also be aware that engaging in combat with the Entity is likely to attract the attention of other players. Some may wait until the dust settles before going in for the kill. That powerful weaponry requires you to be as shrewd as possible if you want to make it out alive.

Chasing vampires in a Prague that is sinister but captivating and lends a certain cachet to the descendants of Sharkmob. Players who have survived the bout are confined to a small area to compete for the top spot. Some city areas are dark and sinister, while others are bright and multicolored. However, to regenerate life, you can crunch innocent bystanders surreptitiously in the city's streets. If another occupant witnesses your crime, he will run as well, as the blood pact will be shattered. Consequently, your opponents can track your location for a particular amount of time. Bloodhunt isn't a game that changes the genre, but its dynamic background made me return for more.

Battle Royale fans who enjoy Apex Legends but prefer to play from a third-person perspective may find this game ideal. While short-range guns degrade at an extended range, which is anticipated in a third-person shooter, the shooting and weapon control are tight throughout. If the conditions are appropriate, the time to kill is short, and a sniper rifle can take out a vampire at 200 meters with a single shot if used correctly. Of course, if given enough time, they'll always be able to rise again. Movement is fluid and responsive, and each swipe of a melee weapon regenerates a little bit of health. This is in line with the game's strengths. This is a lot of fun but demands a lot of coordination. Purple weaponry allows you to block bullets or rush forward with a ferocious strike, and both feel incredibly strong in the appropriate situations.

Action in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is swift and intense in keeping with the game's supernatural theme. The game offers a great degree of verticality, allowing players to move around freely. The intensity of combat can sometimes be overwhelming, putting some people off playing. However, many alternatives are still available even if you're not a head-clicking aimbot. Consider using range as an alternative to reflexes if they aren't your strongest suit. The best place to take out other players is from atop a building with a long-range weapon. Alternatively, if you like to get in people's faces with a katana or a studded bat, go ahead and do that. Since many options are available, you won't feel left out even if you're not a die-hard fan.

Although Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is a fun game, a few significant issues now prevent it from reaching its full potential. The first issue is that crossplay with PC players is extremely unbalanced due to the natural control advantage. As a result, if you are taking on vampires on other platforms, you should be prepared to die frequently in ways that seem to be unfair. Additionally, melee combat might feel overwhelming, especially when combined with particular archetype skills. This can make weapons feel like an accessory rather than the primary method of fighting.

Also, despite being the social heart of the game, Elysium, lacks some of the excitement. Although the place is lovely enough with its gothic aesthetic and obvious possibility for growth over the next few years, it's not as engaging as I hoped. Different narratives and NPCs urging you to go to areas to locate things so that you can obtain an item so that you may find a thing come into play here. But if you aren't too concerned with following the game's storyline, there isn't a lot for you to discover, even though it is abundant with locked doors and hidden passageways that lead nowhere. However, despite the game's apparent intention to grow, there's not much to do if you're not interested in keeping up with its storyline.

The concepts presented in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt are intriguing, but the finished product suffers from flaws. Matchmaking, for instance, has also been one of the difficult challenges I've faced. There were instances when I could immediately get into a game. On other occasions, I was forced to wait in the lobby for up to ten minutes before the game started, after which my team was immediately transported back to the city streets of Prague. These are minor problems; understandably, there can be an occasional hiccup with any such games. These kinks, essentially the only thing holding back this game at the moment will hopefully be worked out before too much longer since that would be ideal.

Bloodhunt provides a unique experience, which is something other games of this genre cannot say about themselves. Although cross-platform play remains uneven versus more proficient PC players and worries over balancing and map variation continue, it is still one of the more refreshing Battle Royale attempts in quite some time. If the imbalance continues, chances of success are slim, given the dwindling interest in Battle Royale games. However, since there is no cost involved in playing it, there is no reason not to give it a shot. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is definitely worth a try due to its splendid visuals, fun gameplay, and the absence of any pay-to-win elements.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Editor, NoobFeed