Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Reviews
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Now that Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is available for purchase, you might be wondering if this narrative World of Darkness RPG is worth your time and money. And if that's the case, you can read a number of reviews below, though, somewhat surprisingly, I don't think you'll find any sort of consensus there:
IGN 5/10:
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong constantly threatens to be a competent detective RPG, and it might’ve succeeded if not for the fact that it tirelessly gets in its own way. Its premise is interesting, but its heroes and villains are bland, and as a result the lukewarm story takes far too long to rev up to its maximum potential.
PC Gamer 50/100:
Ultimately, Swansong doesn't seem to know what kind of game it wants to be. It's variously a talking simulator, a detective game, a classically styled adventure puzzler, and a diet Hitman sandbox. There's even a late-game stealth section that's completely mechanically detached from the rest of the experience. As abruptly introduced stealth sections in non-stealth games go, it isn't terrible. But I'd happily trade it and so much else for a stripped-back, Telltale-style story that frontloaded Swansong's narrative choices, or a dedicated supernatural detective game. Or just a game that didn't make being a vampire feel like such a chore. Between this and the missing-in-action Bloodlines 2, Vampire: The Masquerade's heyday feels more distant than ever.
WCCFTech 9/10:
With its intricate and well-realized setting, engaging story, compelling characters, and well-implemented RPG mechanics, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is a truly groundbreaking game that no fan of narrative-driven games should pass on. Some aspects could and should have been better, such as facial animations, but there is no denying that Big Bad Wolf has done a terrific job creating what is not only one of the best Vampire: The Masquerade games, but also one of the best narrative-driven games seen in recent years.
Game Informer 8.5/10:
Swansong is this year's Forgotten City, a distinct narrative adventure that soars from the chances it takes. Player choice is front and center, and it’s nice to see these decisions turn into little games that carry significant narrative weight. Rarely have I played a game where I wanted to restart a scenario to undo bad decisions as I have here. Swansong makes you pay for your missteps and should be an excellent game for watercooler discussions with others who have played it.
GamesRadar 2.5/5:
It's a game purely for existing Masquerade players, which is fine if Big Bad Wolf is happy with the sales that represent that. I just wish it had been a more accessible portal into a universe I'd always wanted to explore, rather than a big secret no one wanted to let me in on.
GodisaGeek 8/10:
Vampire – The Masquerade: Swansong is a political thriller set among the backdrop of a war between vampires and mortals in the heart of Boston. The conspiracies and mysteries kept me guessing, and every time I found a new bit of information, I couldn’t wait to see how it impacted everything. There were times when I could’ve quite easily missed something because I chose another story option, and some of these were huge. Early on, Leysha made a huge discovery about the Prince’s intentions, and I could’ve easily missed it if I’d just gone about my duties like an obedient servant. It’s vast and has a complex skill system, but it becomes easy to grasp the more time you spend with it.
Rock Paper Shotgun Scoreless:
As a whole, Swansong is a bit more loose and messy than I'd expected, but with some screws tightened the annoyances would be much less irritating and the game much more fun. It's almost really good as is. I had, I think, a middling run, where I got to enjoy the silly bits and interesting details, and didn't have too many tragic failures. I do want to play it again and try different choices, or make better decisions, but... I'm in the middle of a new TV show. And there's that book I've been reading, you know? And I need to put a wash on. I got attached to my three vamps, but not that attached.
