When I first read about the Unofficial Patch for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, there was division between those who embraced it wholeheartedly for fixing so many of the problems holding back this RPG masterpiece, and those who tempered their praise with complaints about its over-reach. The Unofficial Patch restores cut content as well as fixing bugs, you see, and some of what it resurrects from the grave isn’t up to the standard of the rest.
Modder Wesp5 has recently put together some videos on the making-of the Unofficial Patch, and they’re full of wonderful little details that leave me even more impressed with what this team of modders have achieved. So much of what they’ve done has involved restoring unused assets found in the game files, including a model of The General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard that now sits in the museum’s car park, but also multiple tracks by composer Rick Schaffer that would otherwise go unheard.
When the team has had to get creative, it’s usually based on meticulous research. Even the added shortcut that lets you blessedly bypass the Warrens, the infamous sewer maze that’s among the weaker parts of Bloodlines, uses maps based on screenshots from the beta.
The latest video is the perfect example, as it documents the creation of the Night at the Library quest. The longest cut quest restored by the Unofficial Patch, it’s based on comments Troika’s Brian Mitsoda made in an interview as well as emails asking what he remembered about it. Set mainly in the LA Public Library, the quest relies on unused models and textures found in the game files and wholly new assets based on photos taken by modder Burgermeister, who traveled to Los Angeles to gather reference material. That’s dedication.
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The quest’s finale takes place in an underground lair that’s based on an unused alternate layout for one of the game’s crypts, and another screenshot from the beta. It contains a cutscene put together by modder EntenSchreck that restores some unused animations, and even the villain’s monologue uses a restored voice file that was found floating loose.
That voice file was presumably a placeholder never intended to be heard, and its low quality is one of the things that made the Unofficial Patch’s additions controversial back in the day. These days it’s accepted that the patch is essential, and an incredible achievement, although you can choose between a “plus” version that adds more and a basic edition that contains only bug fixes. (The GOG edition comes with the basic version pre-installed, though an out-of-date one so you should still download the latest version.)
In spite of adding a couple of wonky voices, the plus patch is the one I use and recommend if you want to have the best time playing Bloodlines today. You can download the latest version from Patches Scrolls.