The refreshingly unpretentious dialogue is one of the strengths of Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York, creating a nice sense of the unexpected even in the most seemingly banal interactions. There are also plenty of references to popular culture, though used in a way that makes the world feel more tangible and convincing, and the interactions more believably natural. Not so much in terms of its fantastical elements, but in the way it laces them through a very recognisable and thoroughly modern world, all the way down to the influence of COVID-19. There's also a nifty glossary of Vampire: The Masquerade jargon, though despite being series neophytes ourselves, we never felt confused or lost in the world as it was presented. Text size, positioning, speed, a log to check out any dialogue you may have accidentally tapped through. Presentation is strong in general, right down to the font choices yes, it's just reading, but you have all the options you could realistically ask for.
It's visually attractive throughout, with a parade of beautifully evocative animated scenes and fantastic character portraits.
Let's just say Julia gets to put her investigative skills to use in a more violent scenario. To reveal much more would be heading into spoiler territory, and when the story is all there is, that would be doing Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York a disservice. It's only a matter of time before she falls in with the Lasombra clan of vampires, a mysterious and powerful sect with metaphorical tendrils all over New York. The protagonist role is taken up by Julia, an investigative journalist whose life begins to systematically fall apart – almost as though it's part of some grand plan. Immersed in the world of, erm, "Darkness", Shadows of New York is a moody, gothic but surprisingly contemporary piece of work, and one we found engaging from start to finish. It was compelling to this writer, anyway.
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