Ever since I could remember, I’ve always considered myself more of a werewolf rather than a vampire person. When Twilight released ever so long ago, I was definitely more Team Jacob than Edward. But when Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines II was announced, I was immediately drawn to the stories in the World of Darkness series. Maybe I had grown past my werewolf phase and could finally appreciate vampires to some degree. After all, I quite enjoyed Bram Stoker’s Dracula and after seeing so many representations of vampires in pop culture, I was ready to dip my toes into some more vampiric lore.

As for you, Anne Rice. I’ll get to you. Some day. I didn’t finish the Twilight saga, but if I want to crown myself Queen of Fantasy and Sci-Fi (which for some reason, has also been mixed in with horror at Kinokuniya), I’ll get to you.

With the delays to Bloodlines II, I was left bereft of my sudden need for all things vampire (and with the change in developers, I’m a little concerned it won’t live up to most people’s standards anymore). While I could have purchased the original Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, I wasn’t too eager to play a game that was sixteen years old and was noted for a number of bugs. I wanted something quick and easy. A small morsel I could sink my teeth into without spending too long on it. Enter the visual novel: Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York. 

The game starts off with the option to choose three different characters with separate backstories. My choice, of course, was the fledgling ready to shake up the status quo. After visiting a night club and being taken to a shady hotel, I woke up to my new reality. Despite my thoughts about being a corporate drone, I dared not fight against the glowering man that threatened to give me the final death. Becoming a vampire had truly taken a toll on my psyche and I was still adapting to my new circumstances. One does not simply drink the blood of another and expect everything to be hunky dory.

Like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, I closed myself into the prison my captor Qadir had taken me and waited for the next night. Presented before the court of the Prince, and still struggling to understand the world I had been thrust in, I was eager to find as many allies as I could. To ensure I survived, I gave up a lot of the values I held. What were a few radical ideas when I could live out my remaining days as an immortal?

From there, Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York (CoNY) eagerly thrust new players into the dense lore that comprised the World of Darkness. One of the many critiques of the game was that the choices barely mattered in the game. There was only one proper ending and the game steered players towards the conclusion after the first few fail instances. 

The narrative itself was simple. Sophie Langley, the vampire that saves you, is ready for a power play for control of the city. It’s a story as old as time itself. Along the way, players can gather allies and interact with a few side stories before they’re railroaded towards the ending. A minor gripe, true, but I would have appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the world and the hidden connections.

I also found it irritating that one wrong choice prevented me from gaining an ally. Going through it blind, I was dismayed to see my chances to recruit two potential allies reduced to ash before I could make the right overtures to win them back around. Though it wasn’t too much of a sticking point, it only made it clear that I ought to have followed a guide if I wanted to experience everything I wanted to from the very beginning.

And while the main story line wasn’t the most inspiring or original, I did thoroughly enjoy learning more about the complex world that World of Darkness had built. It was interesting to see the supernatural brought to life in a more modern setting. How creatures such as vampires might go around hiding in plain sight is a fascinating concept. And one that many of the more recent novels involving our favourite blood-sucking creatures might have taken inspiration from.

Allies such as D’Angelo and Hope were interesting. Getting to know how they interact with the world and adapt to their new unlives was also fascinating. D’Angelo’s detective shtick and his constant mutterings were both humorous and tickled the one part of my brain that wanted to solve a murder mystery. Hope’s imitation of internet chat forums and just twitter in general was both gimmicky and yet seemed to suit the person that she was. I also liked the complicated politics and intrigue that players had to navigate to complete the orders set by Sophie. More often than not, I was trying to play it cool and unaffected. Easy when it’s all a video game and clearly not REAL LIFE.

Alas, the game might have carried more weight if the choices players presented had far more far-reaching consequences. After the initial ‘plea for assistance,’ it hardly seemed anything else I picked would have resulted in a game over. The fact that my character wasn’t an established player in the world of the Masquerade was also a missed opportunity. A few lines about a girlfriend I knew nothing about did little to endear me to her when Qadir told me to break off all ties.

There are times, I’ve found, where playing a blank slate actually harms the game. And in CoNY, I definitely felt that it did little to contribute to the overall narrative. 

Ultimately, I did find CoNY a fun read for a few hours. The minimal music and ambient noise meant that I could easily play through it while I listened to Critical Role. CoNY was also quite friendly to newcomers. A codex helped catch me up on unfamiliar terms and it wasn’t long before I was immersed into the world-building and the rules that I had to live by in order to maintain the charade of ‘passing as human.’

If only there was something a little more meatier to enjoy…