this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
90 points (98.9% liked)

PC Gaming

13426 readers
787 users here now

For PC gaming news and discussion. PCGamingWiki

Rules:

  1. Be Respectful.
  2. No Spam or Porn.
  3. No Advertising.
  4. No Memes.
  5. No Tech Support.
  6. No questions about buying/building computers.
  7. No game suggestions, friend requests, surveys, or begging.
  8. No Let's Plays, streams, highlight reels/montages, random videos or shorts.
  9. No off-topic posts/comments, within reason.
  10. Use the original source, no clickbait titles, no duplicates. (Submissions should be from the original source if possible, unless from paywalled or non-english sources. If the title is clickbait or lacks context you may lightly edit the title.)

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
EXiLExJD@lemmy.ca
UncleBadTouch@lemmy.ca
KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
90
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 left a gaping, $28 million hole in Paradox's year-end financial report (www.pcgamer.com)
submitted 1 day ago by alessandro@lemmy.ca to c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca
21 comments fedilink hide all child comments
top 21 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] stinkytofuisgood@lemmy.ca 1 points 58 minutes ago

Part of what ruins games for me are the massive publishers behind them. EA, Ubisoft, Rockstar.

The games may be great. The developers may be great. The studios (by and large) interfere in the process of development, the monetization, the end-of-life plan…

For me, when I have the chance to play games, I’ve found myself opting for smaller studios or indie games.

Also I want to shout out Ross Scott of Accursed Farms. He covers so many cool and obscure games. He has worked incredibly hard towards enacting pro-consumer business practices in the gaming world. He’s a very smart and pragmatic guy. I would highly recommend anyone who’s into gaming to check out his site and content.

To me, he’s been an inspiration in his uphill battle of the Stop Killing Games initiative. He’s been working through the apathy, the negativity, the doubt. It’s actually incredible what he’s achieved. A man with passion and a plan, who happens to also make some damn good game related videos.

Ok I realize this just turned into a love letter for Ross Scott. I’m okay with that.

[–] VivianRixia@piefed.social 71 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Maybe don't call it a sequel to a beloved RPG if you remove all the RPG elements from it. It just sours the fans you are trying to grab.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (3 children)

The studio that made it pushed so hard to not call it VM 2 for that very reason...

If they were honest about what it was, and it priced accordingly, it would have been received much better

[–] srasmus@slrpnk.net 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But it WAS supposed to be Bloodlines 2. It was GOING to be Bloodlines 2. It suffered a development hell for the ages, and changing the name near release would do nothing but hurt sales. (But perhaps garner some good will for Paradox. Although they don't seem to be in that business these days)

[–] Godric@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

If you crack out a game of checkers after spending all night inviting people to play chess, expect angry people.

[–] Screen_Shatter@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So.... Entertaining to someone like me who never played the original and has no expectations beyond playing as a vampire?

[–] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean, probably? Don't expect a masterpiece but probably is alright if you don't have too high expectations and would enjoy a vampire power fantasy.

[–] Screen_Shatter@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I figure itll be in the bargain bin soon, so if whats there plays well enough I will give it a go. A shame it doesnt live up to expectations but it might still be fun to me.

[–] Agent_Karyo@piefed.world 1 points 1 day ago

The studio that made it pushed so hard to not call it VM 2 for that very reason…

That's not the impression I got from following the new on VTMB. That's what they claim, but their actions speak otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I think TCR make some solid games (although often with subpar gameplay), but that doesn't mean I am going to uncritically accept their PR narratives.

[–] karashta@piefed.social 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This was basically Dishonored, the vampire game. Everything fans loved from the original is gone. It just has the name.

They stripped all of the interesting RPG mechanics from it from what I've seen.

[–] ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why are you likening this to the dishonoured series? Can you elaborate?

[–] Dagnet@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I'm also confused considering dishonored 2 was a sublime sequel, literally could not have asked for more.

[–] ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Gameplay-wise, I agree. Don't know why, but the story didn't grip me just like it did in the first one. Dishonoured was killed off for the shit that was Redfall, which will make me sad forever. :(

[–] Dagnet@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I would kill for a dishonored 3, made by the same devs as the previous games tho.

[–] ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Me too. Sadly, I don't think Microsoft/Bethesda care enough. Remember, they killed prey because it was profitable, but it didn't make all of the money in the world like FIFA.

[–] MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com 8 points 1 day ago

I don’t know what is going on at paradox but it's been misstep after misstep for a while. I'm not up to date on their leadership, but it can be good.