‘Not Enough Time, Not Enough Money’: The Dismal Vampire Bloodlines 2 Was Doomed from the Start

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There’s been a lot of discussion about the difficult development of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and it’s compelling to get a firsthand account from someone who worked on the game.

In a recent YouTube interview with Cat Burton, Dan Pinchbeck, the creative director of the game, revealed that there were considerable concerns about the project from the beginning – particularly regarding the decision to use the ‘Bloodlines’ title.

Pinchbeck recalls they would often meet to discuss how to convince the producers to change the game’s title from ‘Bloodlines 2’.

He went on to explain, very directly, that trying to recreate Bloodlines 2 is unrealistic. He stated plainly that there isn’t enough time or funding to make it happen.

It’s a harsh reminder of the difficult circumstances The Chinese Room faced when they took on the project, which had already been tried and failed by other developers.

Essentially, Pinchbeck and likely others at The Chinese Room realized they couldn’t recreate the special quality of Bloodlines, a role-playing game now celebrated by its fans.

Pinchbeck remembers that he initially proposed a more straightforward, less branching storyline.

“We can’t make Bloodlines 2, we can’t make Skyrim, but we can make Dishonored,” he says.

Looking back at Bloodlines 2 now, it’s easy to see why things unfolded as they did. The developers were aware of their challenges, but attaching the ‘Bloodlines’ name to the project ultimately determined its outcome.

Pinchbeck, who co-founded The Chinese Room, left the company before Bloodlines 2 released.

He explains that the company, The Chinese Room, had changed so much that it no longer resembled the original vision he and Jessica Curry had when they founded it.

Bloodlines 2 came out a little over a month ago, but it didn’t receive positive feedback. Critics and fans of Vampire: The Masquerade were disappointed, and we gave it a very low score of 4 out of 10, calling it poorly paced and chaotic.

Were you ever excited about Bloodlines 2? What are your thoughts on what Pinchbeck said? Share your opinions and let’s discuss in the comments!

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2025-11-25 17:07