About Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York is a visual novel set in the rich universe of Vampire: The Masquerade. It acts as a stand-alone expansion and a companion piece to our previous title, Coteries of New York. While Coteries was a general introduction to the world depicted in the. The Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York Soundtrack is a digital soundtrack available for VTM: Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York starting March 24, 2020.It's available individually and as part of the Deluxe CONY bundle. Composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski, one of the most appreciated Polish composers, creator of several critically acclaimed soundtracks to games such as. Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York is a visual novel video game developed by the Polish studio Draw Distance, and released on September 10, 2020 as a stand-alone expansion to their 2019 game Coteries of New York. Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York is an indievideo gamebased on Vampire: The Masquerade, developed by Draw Distance in cooperation withParadox Interactive. It is a stand-alone expansion to their previous Vampire game, Coteries of New York. 1 Overview 2 Characters 3 Gallery 3.1 Key art 3.2 Trailers 4 References 5 External links Julia Sowinski, the protagonist.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York is a visual novel video game developed by the Polish studio Draw Distance, and released on September 10, 2020 as a stand-alone expansion to their 2019 game Coteries of New York. It is based on the tabletop role-playing gameVampire: The Masquerade, and follows Julia of the vampire clan Lasombra, who investigates the death of the Anarch movement's local leader. Throughout the game, the player makes decisions that cause the narrative to branch.

Gameplay[edit]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York is a visual novel, in which the player reads dialogue and narration, set to background images and character portraits, and makes decisions by selecting different choices.^[1] These cause branches in the narrative, leading to two different endings, with multiple playthroughs required to see everything;^[2][3] they also shape the player character's personality and outlook.^[4] Taking the role of a vampire of clan Lasombra, the player investigates a death and explores New York, making connections with other characters while needing to satiate their character's blood thirst. As a Lasombra, they can use shadow-related abilities, and can communicate with inhabitants of the Other Side.^[2]

Synopsis[edit]

Setting[edit]

The game is set in New York, in the World of Darkness,^[5] several months after the previous game, Coteries of New York.^[6] It takes place following the events of the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop game's sourcebookChicago by Night, in which the vampire clan Lasombra, former rulers of the Sabbat sect, left the Sabbat and joined forces with its enemy the Camarilla,^[2][4] who are working on keeping the existence of vampires a secret from humans.^[4]

The player takes the role of the Lasombra vampire Julia,^[3] a dissociative immigrant woman who is an outcast within the Camarilla, and who has been tasked with investigating the death of the Anarch movement's New York leader.^[2][7]

Plot[edit]

In June 2019, Julia Sowinski, a struggling investigative journalist, is informed that her investigation into Double Spiral will be buried. She is subsequently fired from her job. On her way home, she is Embraced and turned into a vampire by a member of Clan Lasombra, who is revealed to have orchestrated Julia's personal and professional downfall as a test.

By March 2020, Julia has been made the Lasombra representative in New York City, a position with little actual power or privilege, under the supervision of Sheriff Qadir al-Asmai. She has also moved in with her human best friend and lover, Dakota. When the Anarch Baron Callihan is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Julia is tapped as the investigator of the case by the Camarilla Primogen Council as a gesture of good faith. Arriving at Callihan's office, she finds a card inside his pocket with four names on it: Agathon, Hope, D'Angelo and Tamika.

Julia is unable to locate Agathon, but a secret diary he left behind suggests that he had become aware of a secret scheme involving High Regent Aisling Sturbridge, his mentor, Thomas Arturo, a prominent Camarilla, and Callihan. Julia proceeds to question Hope, who has since taken over and reformed Double Spiral. Hope claims that the list of names came from the information broker Carter Vanderweyden. Vanderweyden categorically denies his involvement. Julia then stumbles into Tamika, who has been in hiding and exacting revenge on government agents targeting vampires. Tamika reveals that Torque, her ex-lover and the presumptive new leader of the Anarchs, has betrayed his revolutionary roots and were working with the opportunistic Callihan. In return, Julia uses her connections to smuggle Tamika out of the city.

Qadir and Julia discover D'Angelo, now a broken man and a drunkard, hiding inside his own detective agency. D'Angelo reveals that the four people on the list, through their frequent employment, became aware of a conspiracy involving multiple sects in the city, after which they either disappeared or were forced into hiding or seeking protection. Back at Callihan's office, D'Angelo assists Julia with her investigation and discovers that the office has been wired by the powerful and elusive information broker Kaiser. Julia manages to reach Kaiser, who berates her for her relentless drive despite no one actually wanting the mystery solved. Sensing a setup, Julia wrestles Kaiser out of the moving limo and subdues him. She then has the option to either walk away or torture him for information. If she does the latter, Kaiser reveals that all parties—the Camarilla, Torque and Callihan—were working together, and that the Council and Torque collectively took part in Callihan's murder after he outlived his usefulness.

Julia is shocked to discover that Dakota has been dressing up as her and trying to live through her. She lashes out at Dakota over the state of their relationship, and the argument ends with Dakota storming out of the apartment. Qadir presents the results of the investigation to the Council in Julia's stead, offering a narrative in which Callihan, with his empire crumbling and him fading into irrelevance, chose to take his own life by exposing himself to sunlight. Everyone present is satisfied with the explanation. Julia's response and the game ending vary, depending on the previous choices she makes.

Vampire Coteries Of New York

If Julia has taken a more aggressive, cynical and deceptive approach during the course of the game, she chooses to weave together a narrative that implicates everyone present. She then threatens to go public with it and blackmails the Council into offering her the Primogen title and associated privileges, and setting Carter Vanderweyden up as a scapegoat. A condition of her advancement is Dakota's death, which does not bother her. If Julia has taken a more peaceful, optimistic and honest approach, she chooses to accept the cover-up. Returning to her apartment, she makes up with Dakota, and they decide to head for the West Coast as the city is no longer safe for Julia to stay. Julia is uncertain of what the future holds for them, but remains somewhat hopeful.

Development[edit]

Shadows of New York was developed by Polish studio Draw Distance,^[8] and is based on the fifth edition of the tabletop role-playing gameVampire: The Masquerade.^[2] It was developed as a stand-alone expansion to Draw Distance's earlier game Coteries of New York, and as such features some returning characters,^[5] but has an independent story,^[8] and features new locations and music.^[2] Newly added characters include ones brought over from the tabletop game's sourcebooks, such as New York by Night.^[6]

While Coteries of New York was designed as an introduction to the setting, with a focus on introducing basic concepts and different vampire clans, Shadows of New York was written as a more personal story with themes of personal and political horror, while still developed both for Vampire: The Masquerade fans and newcomers to the series.^[5]

The soundtrack was composed by Karolina 'Resina' Rec, and includes vocals, cello, and electronic sounds. The developers described her compositions as haunting and moody, which they thought made for a good fit for the setting and story.^[3] Although she had composed for theater and film before, it was her first video game project; she described it as leaving a lot of room for experimentation, and noted that the game's genre meant that the music played a central role, with a lot of variety in the tracks. Seeing Vampire: The Masquerade's musical identity as having been defined in the 2004 video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, Rec intended to build on that and update it for 2020.^[9]

The game was announced by Draw Distance in April 2020 with a trailer,^[10] and was released simultaneously for Linux, MacOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 10, 2020.^[2][11] The PC versions were also released in a 'deluxe edition' that includes an artbook and a soundtrack album.^[11] A physical 'collector's edition' that collects both Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York, and includes an artbook and a vinyl soundtrack, is planned for release in Q1/Q2 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4.^[12] The game's soundtrack was also released digitally and on CD and vinyl in 2020 by Coastline Northern Cuts.^[9]

Reception[edit]

Shadows of New York was met by 'mixed or average' reviews from critics, according to the review aggregatorMetacritic,^[13] and was mostly well received by players.^[14]

References[edit]

1. ^Kleffmann, Marcel (2020-04-09). 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York angekündigt'. 4Players (in German). Computec. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
2. ^ ^abcdefgRomano, Sal (2020-04-09). 'Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC'. Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
3. ^ ^abcCraddock, Ryan (2020-07-29). 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York Gets A Haunting New Trailer'. Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
4. ^ ^abcCaicoya, Bea (2020-04-14). 'Shadows of New York: What to Know About the Vampire: The Masquerade Game'. CBR. Valnet. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
5. ^ ^abcTiraxa (2020-04-09). 'Vampire : The Masquerade – Shadows of New York annoncé sur consoles et PC pour 2020'. Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
6. ^ ^abWald, Heather (2020-06-25). 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York sees you try to 'solve an unsolvable crime''. GamesRadar+. Future US. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
7. ^Moyse, Chris (2020-04-09). 'Vampire: The Masquerade: Shadows of New York coming to PC and consoles later this year'. Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
8. ^ ^abSmoła, Wojtek (2020-04-09). 'Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York zapowiedziane!' [Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York announced!]. IGN (in Polish). Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
9. ^ ^abSiegel, Barnaba (2020-11-29). ''Wyjść poza nerdowskie ramy'. Muzyka do polskiego Vampire: The Masquarade to wielkie zaskoczenie' ['Go beyond the nerdy framework'. The music in the Polish Vampire: The Masquerade is a big surprise]. Polygamia.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
10. ^Marchetto, Claudia (2020-04-09). 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York è l'espansione standalone annunciata per PC, Xbox One, Switch e PS4'. Eurogamer (in Italian). Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
11. ^ ^abSheridan, Connor (2020-08-24). 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York release date set for September'. GamesRadar+. Future US. Archived from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
12. ^'World Of Darkness PAX Panel Will Dig Into Three Big Tabletop Universes And Feature Giveaways'. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. 2020-09-08. Archived from the original on 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
13. ^'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York Critic Reviews for PC'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03.
14. ^Bischoff, Jens (2020-09-11). 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York: Zweite Visual Novel im World-of-Darkness-Universum steht bereit'. 4Players (in German). Computec. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-09-20.

External links[edit]

'Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York' (ALL) Gets PS4 Date, Switch Pre-order Details, PC Update

by Rainier on March 18, 2020 @ 9:37 a.m. PDT

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York presents the conflict between two vampiric factions: the traditionalist Camarilla and the fiercely independent Anarchs among the iconic landmarks and night lights of The Big Apple.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York aims to translate the complex and fascinating world of vampires, their nightly struggles for power and attempts to hold on to their humanity, to a format previously unexplored by the brand - an atmospheric narrative experience. Think interactive story meets choices-that-matter; dark, atmospheric, emotional narration meets Telltale-like way of creating morally challenging dilemmas, answers to which are entirely up to the players, allowing them to reach one of a variety of possible endings.

You act as a newly-fledged vampire in New York. You have to learn what it means to be one of the Kindred in a huge, vibrant, contemporary metropolis. On your way you’ll meet different NPCs – other vampires, thin-bloods, ghouls, humans... and more. You will perform tasks that will put test your humanity and take part in a complex and often brutal struggle for power between the Camarilla and the Anarchs. You’ll build your Coterie and learn your undead companions’ deepest secrets… or see them abandon you. You’ll feast on the living and will ask yourself about the very nature of humanity and will feel the constant lure of the Beast inside you. You will make choices for the character, including which storylines to pursue and how to approach the different situations presented. You will take part in a narrative experience with branching dialogue choices, memorable characters - all among iconic locales of the Big Apple. You’ll be able to use Disciplines to charm, sneak, intimidate or kill and your choices will determine your path.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York for Playstation 4 will be released on March 25th, 2020 (the game will also be available for Nintendo Switch on March 24th and Xbox One release is very close).

The console versions will contain additional elements, such as new graphic assets (new character portraits and new location backgrounds), improved music and numerous fixes.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York pre-order (with a discount) for Nintendo Switch is live on both European or North American eShop.

Also on March 24th the PC version, which has launched December last year will receive a big update containing all extra content implemented in console version. On the same day an extensive game artbook (70 pages) and game soundtrack (containing 13 tracks) will be released on Steam, GOG.com and other digital outlets. In the following months Draw Distance plans to implement additional language versions.

Coteries of New York is set in a fully licensed universe of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition! However, even if you know nothing about the setting, don't fret! The game is designed to meet the expectations of both Vampire: The Masquerade veterans, and new players, who never had an opportunity to delve into the World of Darkness.

The game does justice to the mature themes of the World of Darkness, and takes advantage of the excellent atmosphere of the source material. It also creates new stories, which, thanks to the full creative license, will be incorporated as official lore of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition.

You’ll be able to choose your character from three different vampires, representing three iconic Camarilla Clans (we’ll unveil them at a later date). Every character has access to a different set of Disciplines (unique supernatural skills that are characteristic to that Clan) and different narration. Your initial choice also influences your Coterie members’ approach to you, dialogue lines, possible side quests etc. Hence, it takes hours to experience every piece of content we prepared. You’ll go through the main quest, side quests and loyalty quests (aimed to build closer relations between the protagonist and members of your Coterie). BUT one playthrough is definitely not enough to see every piece of content we’ve prepared.

Key Features:

• Choose your character from one of several distinct Clans
• Every playable character offers unique powers (Disciplines), different ethical approaches to certain issues, and dialogue lines
• Character-oriented quests allow you to create your own coterie and shape your relations by reinforcing NPC loyalties
• Highly replayable - choices made in the game are reflected by the game's changing fiction
• Various endings depending on your actions - which conclusion will you reach?
• Suitable for both Vampire: The Masquerade veterans, and fans of mature narrative-driven games who are newcomers to the setting

As for post-launch support, you can definitely expect new, standalone stories, enriching the lore, telling different bloody stories from the history of vampiric New York and adding new twists to interpersonal plots.

You’ll be able to play the PC version both with mouse and keyboard, as well as with a controller. Full list of supported controllers will be revealed closer to launch.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries Of New York Soundtrack List

Currently available on PC (Steam), Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York will be coming to PS4 on March 25, 2020 (Nintendo Switch on March 24th and Xbox One release is very close)