Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong download the new version for android

Whereas some narrative games can feel limited in their interactivity, Swansong excels at turning exploration and conversation into compelling gameplay thanks to its tabletop roots.

Those players will be treated to a rich, albeit dryly written story that plays like a good tabletop campaign crafted by a pro game master. Though for RPG fans who already know the lingo (seemingly the game’s primary target), that won’t be an issue. Considering that the main hook here is choosing dialogue options, literacy isn’t optional and that makes the experience less approachable. In something like Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt, you don’t need to understand anything about the world to enjoy its battle royale gameplay.

It’s just especially complicated here because the dialogue is the game. RPGs like Vampire: The Masquerade have entire lore books, so you should always approach such titles prepared for a bit of a language learning curve. That’s always expected in a tabletop adaptation like this. Image used with permission by copyright holder Some of those definitions are populated with other terms, which prompted me to get lost in a sort of footnote wormhole, as if I was reading a David Foster Wallace novel. When an unfamiliar word pops up during dialogue, an on-screen prompt will direct players to its menu entry. When the game begins, players will find a glossary in their menu already full of terms, characters, factions, and more.

It’s as dense as a season of The Wire, and much bloodier.įor newcomers, Swansong isn’t the most inviting entry into the World of Darkness. It kicks off a long and winding 15-hour story that bounces between vampire sects, secret government agencies, religious cults, and more. When one of the game’s factions, the Camarilla, is attacked, the group’s “Prince” sends three of her vampires out to investigate and find out who’s responsible. The story takes place in an alternate version of Boston that’s populated with vampire factions hiding from the world. Literacy isn’t optional and that makes the experience less approachable.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong download the new version for android