Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
Release: November 19, 2004 | Developer: Troika Games | Platforms: Windows (Steam)
The role-playing game is based on the eponymous pen-and-paper and is the second installment in video game form. Rather atypical for the genre, vampires are at the center of the narrative. The scenario is set in the present and has nothing to do with classic fantasy.
As a “new” vampire, we roam through an alternate version of Los Angeles. The game and its world are deliberately kept dark. The goth influence is always palpable. The countless quests can be resolved in various ways. Combat is done with firearms, in close combat, or using special abilities that only a vampire possesses.
The game received positive reviews at release but sold only 72,000 copies in the first three months (via gamedailybiz.com). The reason for this could be the simultaneous release of Half Life 2. Over time, the game achieved a cult status that has fans still waiting for the sequel. It was already announced in 2019. Since then, we have been waiting for a release. Recent reports (via gamestar.de) suggest problems during development.
Counter-Strike: Source
Release: November 1, 2004 | Developer: Valve | Platforms: Windows (Steam), macOS, Linux
The indestructible gameplay of Counter-Strike was transferred to Valve’s proprietary Source engine in 2004. Thanks to its physics system, the game became more realistic. The hitboxes were also improved, and the weapon feel was enhanced. However, little changed in the actual gameplay.
CS: Source was initially bundled with Half Life 2, which was released just a few days after the new Counter-Strike. Only in 2005 was the game available for purchase in its own version. Until the release of the successor Global Offensive in 2012, Source was the “new” Counterstrike.
To this day, the series remains very popular, especially in e-sports. In 2023, a free upgrade called Counter-Strike 2 was released.
BONUS: Nintendo DS & PlayStation Portable
Before we send you back to the present year of 2024, let’s fondly remember the release of two handheld consoles that came to market 20 years ago.
The Nintendo DS was a great success and sold about 154 million units including its variants (via nintendo.co.jp). This makes it the second best-selling console after the PlayStation 2.
The PlayStation Portable, short PSP, offered not only pure gaming but also the ability to watch movies and photos, listen to music, or even use the internet. It was an attempt to dethrone Nintendo in the handheld console market. Ultimately, however, it was perhaps the enormous success of the DS and the soon-to-emerge smartphone that prevented the PSP from achieving massive success. Nevertheless, about 81 million consoles were sold by 2019 (via statista.com).
And with that, we have returned to the present. The nostalgia train stops here. Everybody please disembark. Were you there 20 years ago? How many of these games have you played? One game on our list belongs to the highest-rated MMORPGs according to Metacritic.
