Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Will Charge You Extra For Two Of Its Clans At Launch

"It's not long until Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 finally comes out--something that seems like an achievement in its own right given its almost-cancellation, multiple delays, and layoffs at developer The Chinese Room. That impending release does appear to come with a small caveat, however. As reported by Eurogamer, while the base game will feature four clan types, there are two more that will be available at launch--as long as you're willing to pay for them."

"These two extra clans, Lasombra and Toreador, will come as part of the Shadows and Silk add-on pack, which will set you back $22, and it seems like there's no other way to get them. Eurogamer notes how one big issue here is that not only do clans affect how you play, but even shape the difficulty of your playthrough. The original Bloodlines also notably features seven clans in total."

"While attending Gamescom, Rock Paper Shotgun had the opportunity to speak to The Chinese Room and asked about the decision to turn these clans into DLC as opposed to including them in the base game. The simple answer is just that the new clans were additional work on top of the developer's original plans for the game. This additional work occasionally came at publisher Paradox's request, so the overall argument is that it's fair to sell them separately because it was extra work."

""So we have been expanding it from where we originally planned to land it, I think, constantly, and Paradox have been really good when we go, or when the clients go, or when Paradox go, 'We should add a bit more here. Let's push the date back.' As you know, the date has pushed back, but that has been to fatten it out into something that we feel does land where the players want it.""

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 will launch with four clan types in the base game, with Lasombra and Toreador offered as part of a Shadows and Silk add-on priced at $22. The paid clans influence playstyle and can shape the difficulty of a playthrough. The original Bloodlines featured seven clans total. The Chinese Room says the new clans represented additional work beyond original development plans, sometimes added at publisher Paradox's request. Development saw numerous changes and delays to expand story content and features. The extra development work is presented as the justification for selling the clans separately.

Read at GameSpot