In two video reviews I remember watching of Bloodlines, the reviewers (Gmanlives and Linkara respectively) said that guns aren't worth it and you're better off sticking to melee. However, I have to call bull on this.

Firearms are a necessity in select engagements of Bloodlines. This is because guns are dangerous in Bloodlines' depiction of The World of Darkness, some moreso on Vampires than others, and so IMO, you NEED to level up with perception, firearms, and anything else that can affect ranged combat alongside either the melee or stealth-affecting stats. I can't help but feel like the main reason people look down on guns in Bloodlines is because the first two guns you get, the Revolver and ESPECIALLY the Ithaca Shotgun, are only good for Santa Monica. When you get to Downtown onwards, people will be packing Glocks and Ingrams, so it's best to sell that Shotgun and keep your Revolver as a tertiary option.

Not to mention that in Bloodlines, the engagements you take part in vary, so why not come packing when the situation calls for it? Why not rely on melee weapons when the situation calls for it? And why not say "screw it" and sneak? You need to adapt in Bloodlines to certain situations, and so guns are a viable option in that regard.

Overall, I'll never understand WHY people say "guns aren't worth it in Bloodlines". Guns NEED to be used alongside other tactical approaches you take, so in that regard, they have their place. Make sure you stick to handguns though.

EDIT: A good example can be found in the side quest "Hot Stripper Assassination Action!" where you end up assassinating a hunter moonlighting as a stripper. Said hunter is armed with a Katana, and if you fight on her terms with a melee weapon, you perish, but with a firearm, with the necessary stats, you can easily put her down. And you WILL want to use a gun because DAMN is that sword deadly!

I agree, although I think the Ithaca is worth it even in later parts of the game. I played a Toreador gun slinger with maxed out Firearms and Celerity and the game was a blast, almost like in the Matrix :)!

I'd be willing to bet that half the time when people complain about the guns, they haven't put the necessary skill points in. Sorta like in Morrowind when players start without any agility or weapon skills and complain that they can't hit anything.

And that's exactly why I generally prefer melee in Bloodlines. In my experience at least, melee with low stats is a lot less frustrating than firearms with low stats.
Of course some fights are easier with guns, so I don't neglect them completely.

Guns don't need to be used at all. It might just be trickier in some situations without them but you can go the whole game without firing a single shot. Which is good, it allows you to choose playstyle.

But yeah, people should know that more stats means improvement. It's an RPG......

Err ...

Are you sure those are videos about BLOODLINES -->1<-- ??!?

Because thats what I heard about Bloodlines 2. And didnt liked it at all, by the way. Just one of many things they wanted to simplify.

In Bloodlines 1, I start with Fists, for the simple reason that this way you have an easier time feeding, then comes very quickly melee (basically after the Ocean Hotel, when you get the Fire Axe), then comes firearms.

Specifically I routinely get Brawl 4, Melee 5, Firearms 5 thanks to teachers and books, and then I push Perception to 5 for maximum Firearms damage, while Strength usually stays at 1.

Unless I specifically go for fists on a Gangrel, or melee on a Brujah, I will always go for firearms in the end, for their superior damage.

Regular critter still is handled with Melee of course.