The Chinese Room studio has released an exciting new development diary for *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2*, packed with fresh gameplay footage that showcases how the vampire character will hunt within the game. In the *Vampire: The Masquerade* universe, vampires adhere strictly to the Masquerade, a set of rules designed to conceal their true nature from the mortal world. This principle is intricately woven into the gameplay of *Bloodlines 2* through the innovative Masquerade meter, which monitors actions that could potentially expose the vampire community.
The Masquerade meter features three distinct levels of violation, each indicated by a color on the eye icon located at the top of the screen:
- Green: Represents a minor violation. In this scenario, simply hiding from view is sufficient to maintain the Masquerade.
- Yellow: Indicates that the player has committed multiple infractions, fed on humans, or used aggressive powers. At this stage, players must either deal with any witnesses or take measures to avoid drawing further attention from law enforcement.
- Red: Signals a full breach of the Masquerade, resulting in the police actively pursuing the player. The best strategy here is to flee and find a safe place to hide. If the meter fills completely, the Camarilla, the governing body of vampire society, will intervene and deal with the violator, as vividly demonstrated in the provided clip.
To mitigate their "infamy" and maintain the Masquerade, players can choose from several strategies. They may opt to manipulate witnesses into forgetting what they've seen, or, in more extreme cases, eliminate them entirely. If the police become involved, the most straightforward approach is to hide and wait for the situation to de-escalate.
The developers have assured players that the challenge of maintaining the Masquerade will intensify as the game progresses. To successfully navigate this aspect of *Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2*, players must act both swiftly and decisively, ensuring the secret of their vampiric existence remains intact.
