Your Complete Guide to Appearance Customization in Bloodlines 2

If you’re diving into Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, you might be wondering just how much control you have over your character’s look. After all, you’re playing as Phyre—a centuries-old Elder Vampire with a fully voiced personality and preset appearance. But here’s the good news: while you can’t rebuild Phyre from scratch, the game still gives you plenty of ways to make them your own.

Let’s break down everything you need to know about customizing your bloodsucker’s style in VTMB2.

Who Is Phyre, and Can You Really Change Them?

Phyre, also known as The Nomad in vampire circles, is your protagonist throughout the game. They’re an ancient vampire with their own voice and established backstory, which means this isn’t your typical RPG character creator experience. Instead of building someone from the ground up, you’re stepping into an existing character’s unlife.

That said, the developers understand that players want some personal connection to their avatar. You’ll be staring at Phyre’s face for dozens of hours, so having some control over their appearance matters—even if it’s not total freedom.

How to Access the Appearance Menu

Here’s where the magic happens. Once you’ve wrapped up the tutorial section, you can customize Phyre whenever you want:

Steps to change your appearance:

• Hit Escape (PC) or Start (console) to open the pause menu
• Navigate to the Appearance tab
• Browse through your unlocked cosmetics
• Make changes instantly—no cost, no cooldown, no restrictions

The beauty of this system? It’s completely free and available anytime, anywhere. Want to change your hairstyle before a big mission? Go for it. Feeling like switching your eye color mid-conversation? Knock yourself out.

What Can You Actually Customize?

While you can’t alter Phyre’s body type or facial structure (those are locked to your initial choice), you get surprising flexibility with other features:

Available customization options:

• Hairstyles – All unlocked from the start
• Eye styles and colors – Complete selection available immediately
• Piercings – Mix and match as you please
• Facial features – Various options to personalize Phyre’s look
• Outfits – These require unlocking through gameplay (more on this below)

The Outfit System: More Than Just Fashion

Here’s where things get interesting. Unlike hair and eyes, outfits aren’t just cosmetic—they’re actually tied to gameplay mechanics and social interactions.

How to Unlock Outfits

Outfits are tied to your progression through each vampire clan’s skill tree. As you invest in abilities from clans like the Toreador or Brujah, you’ll unlock themed clothing that reflects their aesthetic. It’s a clever way to make your fashion choices feel earned while connecting them to your playstyle.

For instance, unlocking a Toreador skill nets you elegant, artistic outfits that match their refined sensibilities.

Why Your Clothes Actually Matter

This is where VTMB2 gets surprisingly deep with its systems. The game pays attention to what you’re wearing, and NPCs will react accordingly:

Outfit consequences:

• District reputation – Wearing the “wrong” outfit in certain neighborhoods can make locals hostile or dismissive
• Social acceptance – Match your attire to your surroundings for better interactions
• Blood Resonance effects – Your clothing influences your ability to manipulate humans (explained below)

Real-world example: Picture this—you stroll into Brujah territory (think working-class, punk aesthetic) wearing a pristine Toreador suit and tie. The locals won’t roll out the welcome mat. They’ll see you as some pretentious outsider. But show up to the upscale Atrium nightclub in those same fancy threads? Suddenly, doors open and conversations flow easier.

Blood Resonance: Dressing for Dinner

One of the game’s more unique mechanics is Blood Resonance, which lets you extract special blood types from humans to power up your abilities. Here’s the twist: what you wear affects your success rate.

Understanding Blood Types

When you activate Heightened Senses, you’ll spot people glowing in different colors:

• Red glow – Choleric blood (awakened through antagonism)
• Pink glow – Sanguine blood (awakened through seduction)
• Blue glow – Melancholic blood (awakened through intimidation)

Strategic Dressing

Your outfit choices can boost your chances of successfully awakening the resonance you need. Wearing seductive, fashionable clothing makes it easier to charm someone into Sanguine resonance, while intimidating outfits help extract Melancholic blood.

Pro tip: Check your mission objectives or ability needs before heading out, then dress accordingly. It’s like being a vampire spy—your wardrobe is part of your toolkit.

My Take: Is the Customization System Worth It?

I’ll be honest—when I first heard Phyre was a preset character, I worried the game would feel restrictive. But after spending time with the system, I appreciate the balance they’ve struck.

What works:

• The freedom to change appearance anytime removes the pressure of “getting it right” initially
• Outfit-based social interactions add meaningful depth beyond pure aesthetics
• Tying cosmetics to clan progression creates a sense of achievement

What could be better:

• Some players will definitely miss full facial customization
• The preset voice might not match everyone’s vision of their character

That said, having outfits actually matter mechanically is refreshing compared to games where cosmetics are purely superficial. It makes you think tactically about presentation, which fits perfectly with vampire society’s obsession with image and influence.

Quick Tips for New Players

Before you head out into Seattle’s vampire underworld:

1. Experiment early – Try different looks since it costs nothing
2. Match the district – Pay attention to where you’re going and dress appropriately
3. Plan your resonance farming – Wear outfits that support your blood-gathering strategy
4. Prioritize clan skills – This unlocks the best outfit options
5. Don’t stress the initial choice – Your starting appearance isn’t permanent

Ending Notes

While Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 doesn’t offer the blank-slate character creation some RPG fans expect, it compensates with a flexible, meaningful customization system. The fact that your fashion choices influence both social dynamics and gameplay mechanics shows thoughtful design.

Plus, being able to change your look whenever you want means you’re never locked into a style you’ve grown tired of. In a game about immortal creatures adapting through centuries, that flexibility feels thematically appropriate.

Want to learn more about the game’s systems and mechanics? Check out the official Steam page or dive deeper into the lore on the game’s Wikipedia page.

Now go ahead—make Phyre look fabulous while you drain Seattle dry.