Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong review – a thriller to get your teeth into

PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5; Big Bad Wolf
Solve a string of murders as an undead psychopath in this chatter-heavy role-playing game - while feeding on humans, obviously

Hand on heart: is anyone truly afraid of Edward Cullen? Pop culture has defanged vampires in modern times, but the undead of Swansong - an RPG-meets-detective-thriller, in which conversations replace combat - are truly fearsome. They're not Harryhausen monsters or twinkly eyed teen idols. They're something closer to those frightening people on LinkedIn who get promoted every three weeks, live every second of their lives in tailored suits and run their own consultancy by age 23. They're the pallid overachievers who run our society with no concern for the rest of us, other than what we can offer them. In this case, of course, what we can offer them is blood.

It's lucky the premise is as strong as it is, because Swansong inducts you into this world with a barrage of information. While dust gathers on your controller, you're introduced to a shadow covenant of vampires, its many rules and political power struggles, a trio of protagonists, and a code-red event that threatens the order and secrecy you only just learned about, all in swift succession.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is out now; 34.99