The Chinese Room has just published the latest developer diary focused on Bloodlines 2 combat. It’s a bit late on the schedule (it was originally meant to go live on January 29), but its content is well worth the wait, as the UK-based studio has provided several glimpses of what combat will look like when the first-person roleplaying game releases later this year.
To begin with, Senior Game Designer Max Bottomley revealed that the team has taken care to make dedicated melee animations for each of the playable clans. Banu has a sharp and quick style, Ventrue’s is firm and precise, Tremere has a greater reach since they like to have some space between them and their foes, and Brujah is more brutally straightforward.
Regardless of which clan you’ll pick, a Dashing ability is always available to Phyre. Not only is it useful to dodge attacks, but it can even be utilized aggressively, as dashing just as an enemy is attacking will break their attack and set them up for a counterattack.
Kicks are available, too, and there are even multiple types. Players can opt for a big swinging roundhouse if they’re dealing with a group of enemies, while a powerful back-kick is ideal to send a single enemy flying, as shown below.
Telekinesis is also an extremely useful tool in the Bloodlines 2 combat system. Phyre can employ it to grab an enemy and feed upon them, as shown below, or to manipulate the environment. Things like bottles and ashtrays can be thrown to make a noise to distract enemies as part of the stealth toolset, while throwing explosives such as a gas tank is a more destructive way to deal with enemy groups.
Telekinesis can also pick up weapons from the dead, from knives to sniper rifles. This is where things can get interesting if mixing in Discipline abilities. For example, Brujah’s taunting ability, when used with mass manipulation, lets Phyre force enemies to drop their weapons and literally turn on them. When using Possession, the lead character can take control of a foe and drop them from a building.
The Bloodlines 2 combat system will be augmented by four Elixirs that can be found and collected by playing the game. The Mending Elixir instantly restores health, while the Blood Elixir restores Blood Points to Phyre’s abilities, which is particularly useful for combo chains. The Strength Elixir boosts damage done for some time, while the Fortitude Elixir reduces damage taken.
When the game launches, there will be three difficulty settings available to players: Easy, Normal, and Hard. The next developer diary, which will focus on the Masquerade in Seattle, is due on February 12.
