A modder named Safemilk has been working on an RTX remaster mod for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines that has just reached version 0.2 and had its first public release, an 8.5GB download that makes the 2004 RPG look so gorgeous I suspect I've been hit with Dementation.
Creating it wasn't just a matter of flicking the RTX switch, of course. The mod is "Fully remodeled, retextured, and re-lit using Nvidia's RTX Remix tools" and even replaces the textures of beef jerky packets and the off-model Pepsi and Skittles stacked in the convenience store—sorry, I mean "Cepsi" and "SRittles".
The effort that's gone into making everything down to the mop water look properly grody really is impressive, with the underlit bars and neon signs popping like they never used to. The trailer for this update focuses on locations rather than NPCs, but I'll be interested to see how much the makeover affects them. Bloodlines' characters were so expressive I'd be happy to see them receive a light-touch touch-up.
Even without raytracing, Bloodlines is extremely playable. Throw on the Unofficial Patch Plus and you'll have a good time, and if you want more advice here's how to have the best Bloodlines experience today.
As for the sequel, it's scheduled to come out in October. I'm cautiously optimistic, because even noted curmudgeon Fraser Brown enjoyed his hands-on time with a preview build, especially the way it treats dialogue.
"What makes conversation such a tightrope walk is how elaborate the reputation system is," he wrote, "and how it's all tied to personal relationships and individual points of view. Most RPGs treat reputation as this global resource, like Fallout's karma system. Individuals and groups might react differently to you, but they're all basing this on the same information. In Bloodlines 2, however, you have a discrete relationship with everyone, and one response can be taken in a variety of different ways depending on how you've acted with that person previously."
