Bloodlines 2 Team Explains Key Mechanics in New Dev Diary

This new developer diary for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 showcases exciting gameplay footage, focusing on the mechanics of vampire hunting and maintaining the Masquerade.

In the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, vampires must conceal their true nature from humans. Bloodlines 2 incorporates this with a Masquerade meter, visually represented by an eye icon in the game's UI. This meter tracks actions that violate the Masquerade, escalating through three levels:

• Green: Minor infractions; simply hiding will suffice.
• Yellow: Multiple violations, such as feeding or using aggressive powers, have occurred. Players must manage witnesses or avoid attracting police attention.
• Red: The Masquerade is severely compromised, and the police are pursuing the player. Escape and concealment are crucial, as the Camarilla will intervene once the meter fills completely. (See the accompanying gameplay clip for an example.)

Players can mitigate their "infamy" by making witnesses forget their actions or, alternatively, eliminating them. If the police are involved, discretion is key; hiding until the situation cools down is the best approach.

The developers emphasize that the risk of exposure will steadily increase as the game progresses. Maintaining the Masquerade will demand swift and strategic decision-making from players.