Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception Reviews
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception features an interesting story and great cast of characters coupled with excellent 2D visuals and voice acting, making it an easily entertaining experience in spite of its few shortcomings. While those looking for a complex and deep tactical RPG experience may find themselves disappointed, fans of the visual novel genre and the Utawarerumono series will definitely enjoy Mask of Deception and will end up looking forward to Mask of Truth.
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.
The gameplay may be lacking, but the amount of depth that exists plus the fantastic story makes this an entertaining adventure.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a good visual novel that blends that genre in fairly seamlessly with strategy RPGs. It's far more of a visual novel than an SRPG, but when the SRPG elements come in, they're well-done.
While Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception won't break new ground in terms of narrative novelty or tactical depth, it remains an attractive, polished fantasy romp that will especially delight fans familiar with the original story. Everyone else, though, should be prepared to pick up the sequel, lest they leave the story halfway done.
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.
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.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It's only fair to note that Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is still a story worth exploring. While Haku himself feels flat and unexciting, his journey doesn't even come close to fitting that same description.
Utawarerumono: Mask Of Deception is an old fashioned visual novel. The main story gets lost between all the badly written erotic content and the necesity of showing girls in non-natural position just for the fans.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It's quite a step up to make the combat a core part of the storytelling experience.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is definitely a game that'll appeal more to fans of visual novels as opposed to SRPGs. The strategy sections are a nice break from the game's mountains of dialog but they're not too memorable outside of being a short break from the bulk of what you'll be doing early on. The game is pretty long and does drag at the beginning, but fans of the visual novel genre should find a lot of what they're looking for.
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.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is largely a visual novel experience full of anime tropes leaning towards the harem genre. While there are interesting turn-based battles to experience, there isn't any depth to them and merely gives you a 'feels good, looks great' experience without any challenge whatsoever. It's a streamlined experience that you should sit back and mindlessly enjoy, but nothing more.
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.
Jump into Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception expecting a traditional Japanese visual novel experience, and you'll no doubt be a little disappointed… but look past its intermittent battle sections and there's a fulfilling character-driven tale just waiting to be uncovered.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a text based adventure that masquerades as a tactical RPG. There are hours upon hours of low-grade, simple cutscenes with countless lines of text that you'll be reading instead of playing a video game. There are elements of this title that shine through the darkness of boredom, but there are few who can stomach the ride finding them.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a great visual novel for fans of the slice of life genre and one that made me want the sequel right now.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception crosses genres, blending visual novels with a slick strategy role-playing game (SRPG) battle system. The game focuses more on the narrative side, so don't expect anything too deep in the combat. There are some highlights to it, including customizing the stats for characters and staying engaged with critical hits, but for the most part, you should experience Mask of Deception for the story.
Endearing characters, twisty-turny plot and generous sprinkling of anime-inspired humor will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment.
“Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception” is a well-done visual novel that features a chunky narrative as well as some tactical combat to help add diversity to the mix. Its incredibly long walls of text won't be for folks who are more interested in a dedicated tactical RPG. If you're looking for a polished visual novel experience with likable characters and a sprinkling of battling for diversity, however, Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is one amusing and entertaining journey that's worth embarking on.