Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception Reviews
Having the upcoming sequel hanging over it doesn't do Mask of Deception any favours.
I had a lot of fun with Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception. It features a very nice art style and striking cutscenes, which are always a big plus for visual novels, not to mention a solid story that will keep you engaged as you move forward. It's strategy, and tactics gameplay mechanics are a nice counterpart to the visual novel side of things, with a deep and rich battle system in which every choice you make can have a considerable impact on a battle's outcome if you play your cards right. I highly recommend this visual novel/tactical RPG on PS Vita and look forward to playing its sequel later in the year!
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a fantastic visual novel that integrates some great ideas with its turn-based strategy combat. While the game's story is highly enjoyable, the pacing of the game is terrible at times, leading to some dull moments that dampen the overall experience.
It's quite a step up to make the combat a core part of the storytelling experience.
If you're a fan of Utawarerumono then Mask of Deception is definitely a worthwhile addition to the series.
Overall, I found Mask of Deception to be a slow affair with big chunks of the game being text-based and the battle sections few and far between. I’ve played a few other VN’s in the past so I knew what to expect but I wasn’t expecting it to be that text-heavy. There were moments where I’ve set the text to autoplay, and I’ve not touched the controller for a few hours. The battle sections are very enjoyable to play, although at first, they can be quite confusing to understand. Mask of Deception isn’t a bad game, the story is very enjoyable, blending in humour and seriousness very well, and the artwork along with the background music are some of the best I’ve seen in a Japanese game.
Yet while its objective flaws stand out, they don’t weigh Mask of Deception down quite enough to diminish its entertainment value. It lands awkwardly between a serious SRPG-VN and a quirky Aiun-inspired harem anime a mere stone’s throw from its eroge origins, yes. But will that do anything to turn off its target demographic? Probably not.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is an amazing game and after playing it I understand why it got so much praise over seas. It was funny, exciting, charming, and so much more. I cannot wait for the second part to come here. If you are looking for a game that has a great sense of humor and amazing gameplay all throughout this is the one I would recommend. It is also one of those games that I had a hard time even trying to find a flaw with. It was great being able to have a refreshing experience that you were able to just sit back and really enjoy everything it offered without being overwhelmed or feel like there's just so much to do and so little time. By far one of the better games I have played so far this year.
Utawarerumono is a good tactic RPG game. However it's main component lies in the story. You could describe the game as a tale with some battles to go through the chapters. Sadly the game is pointed to a very specific target making it unappealing to a general audience.
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In the end, this game is pretty out there in terms of it doing what it’s doing, as while the SRPG elements are good, there are so few far in between the amount of good yet bloated story content there is it feels like there’s no real point these SRPG parts. That said though, the SRPG elements while not terribly difficult, are certainly fun to play.
When things finally get going in the second half, it suddenly becomes a much more engaging experience, but the change will come too late for many.
If you don’t mind an adventure that lays the story on thick while keeping the gameplay to a minimum, then this is definitely worth checking out.
I have to admit I was disappointed at first and then found myself absolutely loving it.
Go in expecting a chill visual novel and not a grand strategy epic, and you’ll have a good time. There’s a lot here to like, so long as you don’t mind your strategy games with more drinking parties than battles.