On the heels of Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood, Bigben’s catalogue is expanding its presence in The World of Darkness with the production of a new video game based on the famous franchise Vampire: The Masquerade.

Vampire: The Masquerade is the most iconic role-playing game of its generation and sets the standard for many tabletop gamers. The first setting in the World of Darkness universe created by White Wolf Publishing in 1991, Vampire: The Masquerade transposes the vampire myth into modern societies. The player takes control of one of these immortal creatures hiding in the shadows of our cities. They struggle to control their bloodthirsty instincts by leading a life of both predator and outcast, in a world where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural are always blurred. Vampires in The World of Darkness are nothing like the solitary monsters of the ancient legends. They are superior and sophisticated creatures who live among humans behind a shield of secrecy: The Masquerade. Organised into complex secret societies, they create their own laws and are members of distinct clans with contrasting visions of their role in the world.

Thrilled with the success of The Council, Big Bad Wolf studio intends to continue specialising in narrative RPGs, a new genre that they are helping to define with their creations. With this adaptation of Vampire: The Masquerade, the team is working on its most ambitious project. The game will feature a strong story, supported by solid RPG mechanics that respect the rules of the fifth edition of Vampire: The Masquerade and the universe of The World of Darkness.

In this adaptation of the pen and paper game, players of Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong take control of three heroes with their own character sheet. Through their choices, they will shape the stats of their characters. Using their Skills, it is possible to pick a lock, intimidate an NPC or make more efficient deductions based on hints. The higher is the mastery level of a Skill, the more possibilities players will have.

Besides these Skills, the heroes also have vampiric powers, known as Disciplines.  Galeb, the elder of the 3 protagonists, can use Fortitude to withstand physical assaults and NPC Disciplines used against him. Emem, stylish queen of the night, uses Celerity to reach inaccessible areas. Leysha, hyper-sensitive and followed by her daughter Halsey, can conceal her presence with Obfuscate… and with enough experience points spent, can even hide physical objects from prying eyes. 

By customizing the character sheets, players will have numerous options. But if they focus on one single playstyle, they will develop Talents, which are permanent bonuses. The more they use a Skill or a Discipline, the higher their chances of success will be. Traits are positive or negative effects influenced by the success or failure of your actions, or impacted by certain decisions.

NPCs also have their own character sheets, with strengths and weaknesses. When players use Skills or Disciplines during interactions with them, the NPCswill defend with their stats. Inspired by the pen and paper experience, a die roll will decide success or failure in case of a tie.

In this narrative RPG adapted from the 5th edition of Vampire: The Masquerade, the player takes control of 3 vampires belonging to different clans of the Camarilla, the secret society to which most vampires belong. Weaving between their intertwined tales, the player has to confront the different points of view of his characters to unravel fact from fiction. With whispers of conspiracy, murder and power struggles, the player must protect his clan, discover the truth and above all enforce the Masquerade, the vampire law designed to conceal the existence of creatures of the night from humans.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is coming to PC (Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on May 19, 2022.