Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is set to release very soon, and while some may view this as merely a game sporting elements of role-playing and action, there is so much more behind this PC title from Activision and Troika Games.

The title is the second in the Vampire: The Masquerade videogame family, but is built on a whole set of circumstances and modern mythology created by the inventive minds at White Wolf. In the Bloodlines installment, players can pick from one of seven clans and work through a story that puts them into the vampire culture in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

The game begins with the player’s character initiated into the ranks of the undead unwillingly. But the “patron” who performed the deed did not have permission to do so, and was executed for his transgression. The prince of the L.A. vampires gives the player’s avatar a series of missions and tasks to accomplish. How far you work up the hierarchy is in your hands, but be prepared for a sometimes bloody, sometimes chilling ride.