The scenario will take place in New York City. As noted in the game description, things have not been going well in the years leading up to 2012. In this vision of the future the situation is to a large extent darker and more bleak than it is during the present day. The U.S. has seen itself sink to the point of becoming almost a Third World country, with the economy in shambles and a huge gap between rich and poor. Increased crime in the cities has led to those companies who still based their operations in urban centers moving out to the suburbs, which has caused things to get even worse for those who have been left behind. The things in the darkness have taken advantage of the situation, and the number of vampires, demons and other denizens of Hell in the cities has been steadily increasing. This hasn't escaped the notice of the increasingly totalitarian U.S. government, and there have been plenty of rumors about what actions might be taken to deal with the problem.