This new Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 developer diary showcases exciting gameplay footage, focusing on the mechanics of vampire hunting and maintaining the Masquerade. The game faithfully incorporates the Masquerade, a central tenet of the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, where vampires must conceal their true nature from humans.
A Masquerade meter visually represents the player's actions, indicating the level of transgression. Three distinct levels are represented by an eye icon:
- Green: Minor breaches, easily resolved by simply hiding.
- Yellow: Multiple infractions, such as feeding or using aggressive powers, requiring more effort to manage witnesses and avoid police attention.
- Red: A complete breach of the Masquerade, resulting in a police pursuit. Escape and concealment are paramount, as the Camarilla will intervene once the meter is full. (See the included gameplay clip for an example).
Players can mitigate their "infamy" by making witnesses forget their actions or, alternatively, eliminating them. When dealing with police involvement, discretion and hiding are the most effective strategies.
The developers emphasize that the risk of exposure escalates throughout the game, demanding swift and decisive actions from players to maintain the Masquerade.