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Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong shows off its sharp-toothed skill system

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By Rachel Weber published 24 March 2022

How its tabletop origins inspired the new game's mechanics

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What's better than playing a narrative RPG as a vampire? Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong has the answer, and it's playing as three vampires. This latest look at the game from the Future Games Show reveals how the classic tabletop game inspired the skill tree mechanics of this latest iteration. 

This latest evolution in the World of Darkness series focuses on three very different bloodsuckers, all with very different skills. There's Galeb, a brooding and cynical 300-year-old member of clan Venture. Leysha is a prophet and a mother, and a member of the enigmatic clan Malkavian. Emem is just a sprightly 100 years old, a jazz diva and member of the seductive Toreador clan. 

"Each of the three heroes has a character sheet that the player can fully customize," explained developer Big Bad Wolf Studio recently.

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"You can be an expert in speech and persuasion and dominate others, or you can develop your technology skills so you can hack computers and locks. The heroes also have vampire powers of their own: the Disciplines. For example, Leysha can Obfuscate to conceal her presence, Emem uses Celerity to reach otherwise inaccessible locations and Galeb makes others his puppet using Domination."

As you progress through the game their skills, and the choices you make while using them, will shape the story. Actions have consequences, even for immortals. 

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong will be released on May 19 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. You can add it to your Epic Games Store Wishlist now. 

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Rachel Weber
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Rachel Weber is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+ and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She joined GamesRadar+ in 2017, revitalizing the news coverage and building new processes and strategies for the US team.

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