Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York

Shadows of New York continues on the same atmospheric and well written path paved by its predecessor, but its simplification in choices and mechanisms, as well as the lack of classic QoL gameplay features expected in any visual novel, prevent it from soaring higher than a simply interesting Saturday gaming night.

Vampire: the Masquerade - Shadows of New York is a good game to spend an evening with. On those Sundays where you have all day to relax or those randomly dreary days when any kind of chore feels like too much. That’s when this game will feel just right. Getting both endings doesn’t take long, so it’s easy to play and move on. The main word that comes to mind is: simple. Some parts are good, others tiring. It works as a way to get into some of the worldbuilding involved with Vampire the Masquerade games, but as a standalone visual novel I don’t think it will appeal to the masses.

Don't go into Shadows of New York expecting a choose-your-own-adventure mystery, no matter how much it looks like one. This is a casual dip into another world, a game with big ideas that it doesn't quite follow through on pursuing, but which remains moderately compelling thanks to some strong writing, interesting characters, and gorgeous art. It's far from the definitive Vampire: The Masquerade experience, but it's worth spending at least one long, dark night with.

Shadows of New York is an unremarkable story that tries to hold your attention with relevant themes, but ultimately fails into abyss of triteness and weak presentation. If you crave some good vampire story, just read an Anne Rice novel, instead of wasting your time with this game.