Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth Reviews

10/10, one of the best stories I've ever read. Absolutely incredible.

One of the best visual novels of all time, and the gameplay-story integration is amazing. Must be played after the first game.

I have almost nothing negative to say about this game at all. The story picks up right where Mask of Deception left off and it hits hard. The story never lets up and is always making you feel something. I think that worst parts of this game are actually still good, even if I do have some critiques for them. The combat is simple, no need to grind (In fact, I urge you to not grind or there will be no challenge because even though I did not do any grinding, there were only 2 or 3 times I struggled). You must understand, this is a visual novel first and a strategy RPG second. The battles are only there so you feel more engaged with the story. This is a phenomenal ending to this trilogy of games. All lovers of visual novels should buy this game series. I promise you wont regret it.

Mask of Truth has the titanic task of concluding a story that began with the first Utawarerumono game in 2002 and spans a long period of time, involving many different characters. Not only does it successfully wrap up all the plotlines, but it also delivers one of the most incredible payoffs in any game ever. The Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth duology has my favorite protagonist, Haku, brought to life by Keiji Fujiwara (R.I.P :c) with a stellar performance, and my enjoyment of this duology is largely thanks to Haku and his relationship and interactions with the rest of the cast, especially Kuon. Another aspect of this VN that I love is the OST. It has the perfect soundtrack, and all the vocal tracks sung by Suara are incredible. But it's not just the vocal tracks—everything about it is outstanding: the ambient pieces, the emotional ones... Together, they form a truly memorable soundtrack. Gameplay-wise, I genuinely believe that the tactical RPG battles are some of the most fun in a strategy game, every character is unique and I enjoyed playing the challenging Dream Arena battles, I also did all the Munechika's Trials and grinded the main scenario battles while listening to my favorite tracks of the OST, I had so much fun and managed to get all achievements. in the end, it is difficult to put into words a story that you have connected with on so many levels but to me everything related to this series is just perfect and after finishing it I consider it one of my favorite pieces of fiction ever that I will never forget.

Gameplay-wise it's nothing special. The game mechanics are mostly a filler, but it's a decent break from the VN part. The story, the world building and the sound - there is absolutely nothing quite like Utawarerumono. It's a one of a kind gem of a series. Chances are you will never find a better story or book, ever.