Using the same engine that has won Half-Life 2 more than a few friends, Bloodlines turns players into one of the 'eternally dammed' on the streets of LA. It comes with a terrific plot supported by excellent writing, and developer Troika has pitched Bloodlines squarely at an adult audience. Importantly, the MA15+ rating isn't just a reflection of the violence you'd expect in a title like this -- Bloodlines explores a host of adult themes in a thought-provoking and unnerving atmosphere. It's let down by some bugs, a clumsy combat system and a generally unfinished feel, but Bloodlines does some things so exceptionally well that other developers are likely to follow its lead down its dark alleys.

Best described as an action RPG, Bloodlines is essentially about choices. After joining one of the seven vampire clans on offer and selecting a mix of character attributes, abilities and disciplines, you're thrown into the night to tackle a series of compulsory and optional quests in a sombre dark world inhabited by thugs, other vampires and scores of 'innocents.' A lot of help is provided in the early stages of the game, but things quickly become relatively open-ended as you're confronted with options that ultimately influence your fate. The Vampire society's self-imposed 'Masquerade' outlaws public displays of blood-sucking and other vampire talents, and killing victims (as opposed to just having a little snack) gradually erodes your humanity and unleashes the frenzied beast within.

Bloodlines boasts first-rate voice acting and (in the early stages at least) the chance to develop your character in a number of ways. Stealth and cunning are as effective as fighting skills early on, and many missions can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Unfortunately (and despite its Half-Life 2 connections), the combat system in Bloodlines is complex and cumbersome, and the pace just seems to drag along at times. Slow load times don't help, and we were disappointed with the average AI. Even so, it has a lot to offer. The character models are terrific, the environments are gritty and realistic, and the points system used for levelling up is nicely presented and implemented. A little more development time, however, would have produced a classic.