Good evening Kindred,

As the seasons change from winter to spring, so too does Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 with the Spring Update - our largest update, to date! Included are several quality-of-life features that the community requested, along with a large update to melee combat that now allows you to slash, stab and bludgeon to your heart’s content.

Description: Phyre and Phyre wielding melee weapons.

Save Last Checkpoint

Save Last Checkpoint is a new menu option found in the pause menu that triggers an Auto Save (the same as exiting the game) but also makes a copy of it and labels it “Manual Save”.  This allows you to bookmark different points in the quests to return to if things didn’t turn out as you hoped.  For example, you could use at the start of (or during) a conversation, play the conversation, and then if unhappy with the result, reload that save to play it again.

Description: Save Last Checkpoint option on the in game pause menu.

The save created uses the data from the last checkpoint you reached, which is typically before and after a conversation/combat encounter, or at the point an objective changes.  For example if you save halfway through a combat encounter, loading that save will restore you to the start of the combat encounter, when the last checkpoint was created, rather than halfway through the encounter when you selected Save Last Checkpoint.  The gap between the point of saving and where you restore to is never that large due to checkpoints occurring regularly.

Description: The Load Game menu containing multiple save files, labelled Manual Save.

Fabien Fast Travel

Description: Map menu with one of Fabien’s phlegmatic informants highlighted.

To help reduce wear-and-tear on Fabien’s shoes we have added a Fast Travel option whenever you select one of his phlegmatic informants (Mr Lemon, Carla, Guru, Reggie, Marigold or Shelby) from the map.  His informants were placed so there would always be one near to the locations Fabien visits - so not only will Fast Travel allow you to grab a quick bite to eat (as Fabien exclusively feeds from phlegmatic humans), it can be used to move within a short distance of your next lead in the investigation.

Description: Fast Travel option allowing you to skip straight to the informant’s location.

Melee Combat Improvements

During development of the Loose Cannon DLC, we added several features to Benny Muldoon’s melee combat that we have also added to Phyre in this Spring Update.

Wielding Melee Weapons

In addition to holding a melee weapon with Telekinesis, you can now pick them up directly to wield in your hands.  Each weapon plays differently and adds alternate utility to the Nomad’s unarmed attacks (though being unarmed is still useful and in some situations superior, depending on your clan choice).  Knives for example stab and slash quickly, dealing damage to targets at a short range.  A baseball bat has a longer range, but does less damage in favour of staggering opponents and interrupting attacks.

Heavy attacks do increased damage at the cost of destroying the weapon, so use as finishers or before switching to another weapon.  A heavy attack with a Hammer for example creates a mini Earthshock blast, so use it strategically.

Description: Slaying ghouls with a knife.

Attack While Targeting

For players that find combat can get too chaotic, you can now attack while in ability targeting mode.  Ability targeting mode slows down time to a crawl, allowing you to freely look around and aim your next attack.  Pressing attack during targeting mode will now return time to normal speed for the duration of the strike, then return it back to slow time.  This is especially useful when you are surrounded by multiple opponents.

Description: Using ability targeting mode to slow down time and aim an attack.

Guard

To give more options in combat, we have added a Guard mechanic that blocks enemy melee attacks.  When not attacking or doing a combat action, look at an incoming attack and the Nomad will block it, reducing the damage significantly and allowing you to strike back. Getting surrounded is still dangerous though, so evasion remains your best defence.

Description: Guard stance blocking an attack.

Combat Tutorial Collectables

To help teach these new combat mechanics, as well as existing mechanics that you may have not discovered, we have added a series of collectables throughout the game, located conveniently near combat encounters that you can practice these techniques on.  There are 17 to find, including 1 technique we believe no player has ever discovered.  Will you be the first?

Description: A combat tutorial collectable that teaches how to use melee weapons.

OUTRO

In addition to the bug fixes listed in the changelog below, we’ve had a spring clean of Phyre’s side quests.  Several main quests (see changelog) have been changed to side quests, allowing more choice on repeat playthroughs on what quests to complete or skip.  Mrs Thorn’s quests are now exclusive to Tremere clan players and Niko’s quests are exclusive to Banu Haqim clan players (NOTE: doesn’t affect playthroughs that have already reached “Keep the Peace” before the Spring Update).  This change improves the pacing of the campaign for new players, reducing the time spent between main quests each night.  Onda’s, Silky’s, Fletcher’s and Patience’s side quests are unchanged.

Description: Safia’s quest to rescue her ghouls as a side quest.

That concludes the Spring Update, which is available to play right now along with the Loose Cannon DLC!  We look forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions to the update.  If you’d like to be part of the conversation, please join us on the official Bloodlines 2 Discord.

CHANGELOG

Gameplay Improvements

• Unreal engine updated to version 5.5.4. Make sure graphics drivers are up to date.

• Added Fast Travel mechanic for Fabien Quests allowing quick travel to the 6 phlegmatic informants (Mr Lemon, Carla, Guru, Reggie, Marigold, Shelby) on the Seattle map.

• Can equip and wield melee weapons, such as bats, knives, swords, hammers and batons.

• Can attack while in ability targeting mode.

• Added Guard mechanic to block melee attacks.

• Added 17 codex collectables that teach advanced combat techniques.

• “The Dutiful Beloved” changed from a main quest to a side quest.

• “Turning Down The Heat” changed from a main quest to a side quest.

• “A Plaything Discarded” changed from a main quest to a side quest.

• “Little Book of Blackmail” changed from a main quest to a side quest.

• “Dish of the Day” changed from a main quest to a side quest.

• Mrs Thorn’s side quests are now exclusive to Tremere clan players.

• Niko’s side quests are now exclusive to Banu Haqim clan players.

• Increased the total XP gained from completing main quests, to ensure players will be able to unlock at least one additional clan’s ability set on top of their chosen clan.

• To reward exploration have increased codex rewards from 10XP to 75XP and Phyre’s blood marks from 100XP to 150XP.

• New combat tutorial collectables award 150XP each.

• Removed XP reward from feeding on pedestrians so XP is finite and to remove incentive for a very long grind.

• Unseen Aura can now be cancelled to refund blood pips.

• Blurred Momentum can now be cancelled to refund blood pips.

• Mass Manipulation can now be cancelled to refund blood pips.

• Fall damage is now less harsh on humans for smaller falls.

• Fixed Sabbat incorrectly caring for the safety of their allies while using guns/grenades.

• Better visibility during feeds while under attack.

• Fixed Tremere's recall not triggering/cancelling correctly.

• Vampires will be less likely to use blurred momentum while they have other allies alive.

• Fixed an incorrect damage calculation on enemy thrown objects at easier difficulties.

• Fixed an issue preventing certain bosses re-entering combat on time when their allies are killed.

• Reduced enemy aggression to distant sounds of movement from the player.

Save and Load Improvements

• Save Last Checkpoint option added to the in-game pause menu.

• Player triggered saves listed as “Manual Save” on the Load Game menu.

• When performing an action that will overwrite the Autosave - such as NEW GAME - you will be offered the option to backup the Autosave, allowing parallel playthroughs of Phyre campaigns and DLCs without loss of progress.

• Updated EXIT TO MAIN MENU warning so that it states “Progress will be saved.” as it was incorrectly stating that “Any unsaved progress will be lost.”.

• Display a warning when saving on a Playstation 5 when there are already 180 saves, that you will be approaching the Title Storage limit and need to delete some saves.

Bug fixes

• Boss fight variant of Benny's character model incorrectly appears in the cutscene before his introduction conversation.

• Benny appears in T-pose inside the Dutchman bar during the quest "Blood Sisters.".

• Player camera locks when using the ability targeting button during mid-air glide.

• Scalp is visible for all Shaved hairstyles on Masculine Phyre in the Appearance tab.

• “Take” and “Attack” prompts overlap on the same interaction button for Striker enemies during gameplay.

• Mrs.Thorns parcel fails to appear if main quest is completed while the side quest is active.

• Unbirthed enemies failed to attack the player when standing in front of the door during the “As Above, So Below” quest.

• Side quest completion warning does not appear on the padlocked door of the Plastics Factory when playing in stealth mode.

• Player gets stuck OOW while traversing into the Regal building.

• Valentine’s eye patch animates incorrectly during cutscenes & conversations.

• When choosing "Casual" on a New Game, then attempting to change to "Normal" difficulty during gameplay, the apply button will not appear.

• Major flickering is visible for the light and shadow coming through the windows in the passage in Willem’s warehouse during quest “To Founder on the Lethe”.

• Christmas tree red ball decorations appear low-poly and levitated inside the Police Station.

• Unable to skip the city reveal (title) cutscene at the end of “To Taste a Foreign Body” quest.

• Blood bag can fall through ground when enemy is eliminated near ledges or meshes.

• Attack prompt fails to appear on all bosses upon using Cauldron of Blood ability.

• The attack and Feed prompt fails to appear after the player uses Cloud Memory on Unbirthed and IAO enemies during the last combat during “As Above, So Below” quest.

• Attack prompt fails to appear on Boss enemies after using the Unseen Aura ability.

• Fabien gets stuck between the snow pile and the boundary beside the Park Craft shop.