Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 (which I’ll be calling ‘Bloodlines 2’ from here on) has had a troubled history. Its initial developer, Hardsuit Labs, fired both the game’s lead writer Brian Mitsoda and creative director Ka’ai Cluney in 2020. A senior narrative designer, Cara Ellison, left later that year. Then Hardsuit Labs got booted from the project entirely in 2021.

It wasn’t until September 2023 that its new developer stepped from the shadows: The Chinese Room (TCR). To describe Bloodlines 2 as ‘out of their comfort’ zone is an understatement. TCR has previously made narrative-heavy games like Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Little Orpheus. An encore to a cult-classic action RPG is a bat out of left field.

I had the pleasure of speaking to TCR’s Arone Le Bray, the game’s narrative designer, about the project, and particularly about the game’s newly announced protagonist Phyre (pronounced “Fire”). They’ll be fu…

After final negotiations “hit a wall,” labor unions in France are calling for a one-day strike by Ubisoft employees in the country over what they say are lowball wage increase offers aimed at offsetting management failures. 

Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (Videogame Workers Union) said in a message posted on February 1 that during mandatory annual negotiations, Ubisoft management offered raises that were lower than the rate of inflation for the second year in a row, despite the company reporting “excellent second quarter [results], well above our expectations” in its recent first-half 2023-24 financial report. 

The lower-than-expected wage offer was made, according to STJV, “in order to hit arbitrary cost reduction targets.”

“A company that still makes a profit, even when its execs have failed repeatedly, choosing to have its employees pay to increase its profits is plainly unacceptable,” the union said.

The Solida…

Of the handful of Sims-like life sims on the horizon, Inzoi may be the most hotly anticipated. Not only is it likely coming soonest, but it’s gorgeous too. We’ll all get our hands on its prettiest features next week when Inzoi’s character creator gets a free demo starting on August 20.

“As a special treat for its community,” Krafton announced today that Inzoi is releasing a limited time public demo for Inzoi: Character Studio through Steam. “This feature allows players to craft their dream avatar, the ‘Zoi,’ with over 250 customization options.” Character Studio will be available to play from 9 pm Pacific on Tuesday, August 20 through 9 pm Pacific on Sunday, August 25.

We’ve seen snatches of Inzoi in a couple gameplay trailers since it was announced late last yet with longed-for life sim features like driveable cars, city editing tools, and other wacky things like tarot card readings. The bit that’s been easiest to drool over though has bee…