Never Mind the BioShocks, Clockwork Revolution Is the ‘Love Child’ of Arcanum and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

Recently-announced Xbox game Clockwork Revolution is the “love child” of Arcanum and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.

That’s according to Clockwork Revolution game director Chad Moore, who worked on both cult-classic role-playing games before joining Microsoft-owned studio inXile Entertainment.

Arcanum is a much-loved 2001 steampunk RPG developed by the defunct Troika Games. Both Moore and Clockwork Revolution principal designer Jason Anderson worked on Arcanum before moving on to Troika’s cult-classic 2004 RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Now, over 20 years later, the pair are back together making Clockwork Revolution.

“With deep world building, compelling narrative, crunchy RPG systems, engaging gameplay, and massive reactivity, I’ve always described [Clockwork Revolution] as the love child of [Arcanum] and [Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines],” Moore tweeted.

With deep world building, compelling narrative, crunchy RPG systems, engaging gameplay, and massive reactivity, I’ve always described @ClockworkGame as the love child of #arcanum and @VBloodlines. pic.twitter.com/qp51n2a24L

— Chad Moore (@Pappylicious) July 8, 2023

“In 1998, I started working on [Arcanum] with Jason Anderson – a unique game that took place in a deep and immersive steampunk world,” Moore said last month. “To return to the genre and be reunited with Jason (and [inXile boss] Brian Fargo) on [Clockwork Revolution] almost 25 years has been one of the highlights of my career.”

Moore’s tweet does not mention inspiration from BioShock Infinite. When Microsoft unveiled Clockwork Revolution during June’s Xbox Games Showcase with a reveal trailer some said looked remarkably similar to Irrational Games’ 2013 shooter adventure, Microsoft insisted any similarities between inXile’s upcoming RPG and BioShock Infinite were “unintentional”.

Clockwork Revolution is described as a “time-bending steampunk first-person RPG”. “After stumbling across an incredible invention that allows you to travel into the past, you discover the city you call home — the vibrant steam-powered metropolis of Avalon — has been carefully crafted through the alteration of historical events,” reads the description.

“By traveling back to key moments, your interactions and choices will have a butterfly effect on the deep, narrative-driven world and characters of Avalon, causing them to change and react in unprecedented ways.”

The similarity with BioShock Infinite became the top talking point for Clockwork Revolution in the wake of its reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase. In response, a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN: “Any similarities are unintentional. Players will be able to fully customize their own main character in the game.”

Character customisation was one feature highlighted by inXile boss Brian Fargo in a series of tweets that stressed the RPG-ness of Clockwork Revolution. Fargo called Clockwork Revolution a “deep RPG” with “full character creation”, a “branching dialogue system”, “awesome” steampunk weapons and “dark humour”.

Important to know that Clockwork Revolution is a true RPG with all of the stats, crunchy details and deep reactivity that we’re known for.

— Brian Fargo (@BrianFargo) June 11, 2023

These features are points of difference between Clockwork Revolution and BioShock Infinite, the latter of which is less a role-playing game, more a linear, story-based first-person shooter adventure. These features are also in-keeping with the types of games inXile has made in the past, including Wasteland 3, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and The Bard’s Tale 4.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].