Masquerada: Songs and Shadows is a tactical action RPG developed by Witching Hour Studios.
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The level of production found in Masquerada is above and beyond what I would have expected from a small team of 15 artists, programmers, and designers. From the impeccable writing to the beautiful music, everything about this game feels polished. Each and every character you meet is interesting and well developed, and the adventure is perfectly paced. Anyone with a passing fancy for RPGs and who loves a well thought out and engaging story would do well to give this title a look.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/50418/masquerada-songs-and-shadows-switch-review
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/50418/masquerada-songs-and-shadows-switch-review
Masquerada... Where do I start?
As a game, this is, at best, a very linear mix of a tactical and an action RPG. It's extremely light on the role-playing elements, though, with a small skill tree and unlockable masks being the only real character progression elements. There are no sidequests to speak of, and the world you go through is linear, not letting you explore it as you would like.
As for the combat, the tactical mechanics of it can feel a bit weird, or lacking, though I was lucky enough for it not to be a problem on my end (on Normal difficulty). Overall, it's simple, but pretty fun, especially once you get past the early game and can really play with the Elemental Tag system.
The game's presentation is for sure one of its strong suits — a fun art style, expressive characters, great voice acting, a solid soundtrack. But the game's real worth lies in its story.
The story is nothing short of excellent. The world feels real, the pacing is tight, the character writing hits all the right marks, the plot progresses satisfyingly, and it's all wrapped up in a cohesive package that deals brilliantly with the themes of regrets, grief, friendship, and standing up for what you believe in.
It's hard to say if this game is just a bit of polish or gameplay depth away from being a real gem, or if it might have been better off as a story told in another medium. Either way, I recommend this game to anyone looking to dive into a well-crafted world, filled with characters made with love, as long as you're willing to look past Masquerada's linearity.
As a game, this is, at best, a very linear mix of a tactical and an action RPG. It's extremely light on the role-playing elements, though, with a small skill tree and unlockable masks being the only real character progression elements. There are no sidequests to speak of, and the world you go through is linear, not letting you explore it as you would like.
As for the combat, the tactical mechanics of it can feel a bit weird, or lacking, though I was lucky enough for it not to be a problem on my end (on Normal difficulty). Overall, it's simple, but pretty fun, especially once you get past the early game and can really play with the Elemental Tag system.
The game's presentation is for sure one of its strong suits — a fun art style, expressive characters, great voice acting, a solid soundtrack. But the game's real worth lies in its story.
The story is nothing short of excellent. The world feels real, the pacing is tight, the character writing hits all the right marks, the plot progresses satisfyingly, and it's all wrapped up in a cohesive package that deals brilliantly with the themes of regrets, grief, friendship, and standing up for what you believe in.
It's hard to say if this game is just a bit of polish or gameplay depth away from being a real gem, or if it might have been better off as a story told in another medium. Either way, I recommend this game to anyone looking to dive into a well-crafted world, filled with characters made with love, as long as you're willing to look past Masquerada's linearity.
Favorite Part: Actually bonding with your party members, in particular Kalden.
Least Favorite: The crappy, crappy combat.
Least Favorite: The crappy, crappy combat.