Narrative designer Cara Ellison, known for her work on Dishonored 2 and as a former senior narrative designer on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, recently discussed her deep affection for Troika's original 2004 RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.
Ellison highlighted three key elements that make the game a classic. First, its unparalleled atmosphere, crediting the entire development team for creating a perfect, 'maximum goth' version of Los Angeles where vampires feel real. Second, the exceptional quality of the writing, voice direction, and acting, featuring talents like Courtney Taylor and Phil LaMarr. Third, the exaggerated but lifelike conversation animations, which she praised for making characters feel authentic.
Despite the challenges of getting the classic game to run on modern systems, Ellison keeps it installed, calling it a fantastic and compelling experience. She also discussed her current project, Sleight of Hand, a deckbuilding stealth game she describes as a spiritual successor to Bloodlines.
The interview was part of a regular column exploring the PCs and gaming habits of industry figures. Ellison also shared details about other games she plays, her essential writing software (Scrivener), and her relatively tidy desktop, which features a Vertigo-inspired wallpaper for creative inspiration.