izigame.me

Everybody, or at least most people, would enjoy relishing in the glory that comes with being a hero. That’s why stories of both realistic and fictional heroes are so amazing to us. These tales bring forth a fraction of the fame which we can feel as just everyday people, inducing fake, albeit satisfying, rushes of adrenaline.
When I first heard of the “all-time great” Utawarerumono series, I dug for info about what the game had in store. The mixing pot of a war game with decent gameplay, along with an overarching mystery, buttered up my brain. Buying the trilogy in and of itself spawned a rush of dopamine in me, along with a sense of dread at the price.
The first game of the trilogy was good, nothing extraordinary. It was just an enjoyable time-waster, laying blocks of foundation for the next two games. However, the next game stepped it up. Besides the occasional cartoony situations, it was evident in the background that something was building. The majority of the game felt like ignoring appetizers so the main dish could be enjoyed in full, the standout game, named Mask of Truth. Even the title explains itself as THE game of the trilogy. The ending of Mask of Deception outdid itself, too, building a bedrock foundation for Mask of Truth.
However, in the end, the final game of the trilogy was like giving a baked potato for the standout dish at a Michelin-starred restaurant. It’s subjectively good, but that’s about it. The best part of the game was the gameplay, which is the evolution and fine-tuning of the past two games’ systems. The OST was also amazing, like staring at your screen for ten minutes amazing. It birthed the feeling of an epic adventure, the accelerating heart rate spawning inside. Besides the previous two boons, the game was also super well-polished. The display had no obvious cuts, and the voice acting fit each line nearly perfectly.
How can the game be mediocre then? If a baked potato has caviar, truffles, and saffron on it, all it would be is a good baked potato. At its core, baked potatoes are a mediocre dish. It doesn’t matter if it has great toppings, because in the end, you can’t elevate a baked potato in the same way you can elevate a steak (I’m sorry, baked potato fans).
The story of Utawarerumono Mask of Truth is a baked potato. Underneath all the excessive toppings given to the game to make it stand out, the most important aspect of it all, the story, has the same amount of depth to it as a lagoon pool. The plot uses an insane number of cliches, and instead of merging them into one masterpiece or adding an unique twist to each of them, the cliches stay cliches. Most of the game contains unexplored morals, themes slapped onto the game like a magnet on an agonizing fridge door. Whenever it seems like a serious moment is going to be explored further, the plot just skips straight to the next exciting idea. The scenario writer combined five enjoyable fantasy books into one game and called it a day. Even the “cool” war part is only for around 3/4ths of the game before it transforms into a wannabe AOT (not a spoiler).

The characters aren’t spared from the generic writing either, as even the heroines who seemingly have a romantic interest of their own turn out to have a crush on the main character. Mask of Deception has already created a band of romantic interests who have valid reasons to like him, but apparently, that’s not enough girls. This game doesn’t need a whole harem of romantic interests when the protagonist hasn’t even developed his relationship with any of them beyond friendship. The only romance in the game developed quite late and ended on a short note. Hakuoro didn’t even acknowledge the other heroines’ romantic interests, even at the end. Along with the poorly written romance, the characters were all cliches made into characters, except for the main character. Think of a shy girl who can cook and clean. Poof! You just imagined one of the side characters’ complete personality one-to-one.
The villains are scary, though, right? After all, it is a war-based game. Nope, most of the villains are about as intimidating as a dragon-shaped cheeto. The one threatening villain was cut short in Mask of Deception. You never feel the fear of what they can do to the cast because they never do anything. Some characters are stuck in a sticky situation amidst the battlefield? Beat up the villain, and it's solved. One of the good guys is about to die? Beat up the villain, and it’s solved. There shouldn’t have been so many surviving characters in a war-centered game, at least not in a realistic story. Even ignoring the complaints about the villain, the game makes it clear who the antagonist is at all times. The question of who is going to betray whom is never asked, since even their character design tells the twists for itself. This entire story could be a mock battle between two kindergarteners when considering how the villains’ motivations are all simply childish. Real people simply don’t go to the same lengths these characters do for the reasons they have.
Despite all my nitpicks about this game, people do like it and for actual reasons. It’s a nice fictional story about a hero, and it generates the feeling of awe expected from a heroic story. Just don’t hold expectations for the wrong reasons. This game makes it clear that it is indeed fictional. If you’re looking for a realistic story concerning everything about war, this isn’t for you. Utawarerumono Mask of Truth doesn’t have the nitty gritty despair contained inside visual novels like Fata Morgana. Instead, it feels like a top-tier isekai. Isekais are still super enjoyable, only if it is acknowledged that they are isekais at the core. If Steam had a mixed review category, this would be it. 6.8/10