Bloodlines 2 – The Masquerade Meter Explained

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, while launched to a mixed reception, has attracted positive reviews due to its unique system. While the game could have incorporated the other mechanics better, it overall offers an okayish experience. So, if you are a fan of the franchise, it may be worth giving it a try. If you want to learn more about the game, visit its official Steam page.

Bloodlines 2 features a unique mechanic known as the Masquerade Meter. This feature was included in the first game in the series, but it was a little different. So, it can be a little challenging to understand what this meter does and how to prevent a breach. Here, in this guide, I will explain to you everything you need to know about the Masquerade Meter.

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What Is The Masquerade Meter In Bloodlines 2

To put it simply, the Masquerade Meter is like a Wanted Level system. It tracks the violations you have committed, and based on the duration of your violation, you may breach the Masquerade. The violation is simply using your Vampiric abilities in public, as you can’t be seen by other people.

You can see an eye at the top middle of the screen, and when it is closed, you are basically free to use your abilities as much as you want. However, if the eye is open, you can’t use your abilities, as the public will notice, and the Masquerade Meter will fill up pretty fast.

When the bar at the side of the meter turns yellow, it means the mortals around you are suspicious. However, if it turns red, then it means they have caught you in the act of using your Vampiric abilities. If the red bar fills, then it means you are in a full breach, and the court scourge will take you out on the spot if caught. As a result, you will be back at the last checkpoint and lose some blood resonance.

How To Prevent A Masquerade Breach

To prevent a Masquerade breach, you need to know what causes a breach or what makes the mortals suspicious. The following are the things I have noticed in my playthrough that cause it:

• Jumping from a building or a rooftop and landing in front of a crowd.
• Performing the Vampiric Sprint ability when there is a crowd.
• Performing the Glide ability where there is a crowd, even a small glide, may arouse suspicion.
• Using your other abilities that you unlock from a clan in public.
• Feeding in public. You may use Feed on someone in public when you need to recharge your abilities, but it comes with consequences.
• Fighting ghouls in public. This can happen in certain missions.

Now, if you perform the aforementioned things in public, you can breach the Masquerade Meter in Bloodlines 2. However, if you are careful enough, it won’t be a problem. You may need to recharge your abilities in public during some missions, but for that, there are certain people designated for you to perform the Feed mechanic on. So, instead of feeding in the open public, try to find someone in alleyways or around some important locations.

How To Lower The Masquerade Meter

If the Masquerade Meter is somewhat filled or you are in a breach, it is not the end of the world. You are not guaranteed to be doomed, and you can do some things to prevent that. When you are in a breach, instantly run using your Vampiric Sprint and find an alleyway.

If there is a vertical steel pipe or any other object you can use to climb and reach the rooftop, then you are in luck. This can help you avoid being seen, so you just have to wait and let the meter reset. Breaking the line of sight is one of the most effective methods of lowering the meter, but there are other options available.

You can use your clan abilities to escape such situations, too. For example, you can use the Unseen Aura, which is limited to the Banu Haqim clan but can, of course, be unlocked later in the game. This ability allows you to conceal your presence and body completely from others for a period of time, providing an opportunity to escape. Another ability I like using to reset or lower the Masquerade Meter is Enter Oblivion.

This ability is limited to the Lasombra clan (though it can be unlocked later). This ability allows you to teleport into the shadow realm, and those you have touched will also appear there. So, if you are fighting ghouls in public, this is the best ability to use. The other abilities you can use to lower the Masquerade Meter are Blink and Cloud Memory.

It is also worth noting that if a mortal has seen you performing an act, they will run to report you. However, you can chase them down.

Blood Resonance – Explained

The last thing I would like to mention in this guide is Blood Resonance. This makes things a bit more complicated. There are three types of Blood Resonance, and they are necessary for unlocking other clans’ abilities. The three types of Blood Resonance are Choleric (Born of Anger), Sanguine (Drawn from Desire), and Melancholic (Steeped in Fear or Sadness).

You can use the Heightened Senses ability to find people in the crowd with partial Blood Resonance. You can then talk to them and choose the correct dialogue options to make them fully resonant. That is when you can feed on them to get the most out of the situation.

Upon feeding on a mortal who is fully resonant, you heal all of your health, restore all of your abilities, and gain resonance points. You can also use different abilities to your advantage in such situations. For example, using Taunt will cause rage in the Choleric ones, as they are Born of Anger; Beckon can help charm the Sanguine ones, as they are Drawn from Desire; and Glimpse of Oblivion puts fear in the Melancholic ones, as they are already steeped in fear or sadness.

You can also use mass manipulation to control multiple targets at once. That said, you will most likely need to feed on them in public, which can be troublesome. However, even if you are caught, you know enough about the Masquerade meter in Bloodlines 2, so it won’t be a problem.

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