Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception

Related reading: For another tactics JRPG just recently released, there’s a new Fire Emblem on the 3DS, and it’s a great game itself! Matt’s full review.

RPGSiteZack Reese

8/10

The gameplay may be lacking, but the amount of depth that exists plus the fantastic story makes this an entertaining adventure.

DualShockersJordan Boyd

7/10

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.

GameSpewAaron Potter

7/10

Jump into Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception expecting a traditional Japanese visual novel experience, and you’ll no doubt be a little disappointed by the game’s inclusion of a somewhat forced SRPG system as opposed to the puzzle approach present in other games of its ilk. The game knowingly tries to satisfy two differing audiences while compromising the sought-after experience for both, but look past these intermittent battle sections and there’s a fulfilling character-driven tale just waiting to be uncovered.

Playstation LifestyleMartin Patino

7/10

Originally launched in Japan in 2015, Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception (or Itsuwari no Kamen in Japan) is the second game of the Utawarerumono series but is the first to get a global release. The first game, simply entitled Utawarerumono, was originally released in Japan back in 2002 for the PC but never got a global release.

COGConnectedJudi Azmand

67/100

Utawarerumono has an interesting history with a handful of drama CDs, mangas, animes, and games. Spanning back to 2002 in Japan, its first game was an adult tactical role-playing visual novel – yes, it has ‘adult’ roots embedded into it. Although its localization ripped out the mature content in 2006, Utawarerumono did not fall short of familiar anime tropes present within the harem genre. And, as you might expect, Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception doesn’t stray too far away from its predecessor as it combines visual novel storytelling and turn-based battles that ultimately sets up the story fo...

DestructoidJosh Tolentino

6.5/10

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.

RPGamerZack Webster

Aquaplus and Atlus combine tactical RPG combat with visual novel storytelling once again in Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception. RPGamer examines this first part of a duology before the concluding Mask of Truth arrives in September.

Gamer EscapeAnthony Moss

6/10

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. So while this review aims to be an impartial critique of a video game, Mask of Deception offers plenty of opportunities to reclaim bonus points with t...

Video ChumsA.J. Maciejewski

5.6/10

Aquaplus' adult-oriented visual novel / strategy RPG hybrid has finally made its western debut. Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is an intriguing game indeed but is it held back by its limited niche appeal?

Checkpoint GamingJakob Quilligan

Unscored

I had my first glimpse of the world that Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception portrays in the anime of the same name (without hyphen or secondary title) . An interesting blend of samurai like lore and scientific experimentation it was intriguing and surprisingly complex. I was excited to hear about the reboot of the video game adaptations this year as the combination of strategy RPG and visual novel seemed like a very niche experiment.