Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. GameCritics
    Apr 18, 2018
    90
    It’s hard to say whether Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth is better than Mask of Deception since they’re essentially one story split into two halves, but I found the entire tale thought-provoking and its characters lovable and (mostly) funny. It’s a visual novel worth playing, and now that I’ve reached its end, I’m a little sad saying goodbye.
  2. RPG Site
    Sep 13, 2017
    90
    While this series may flow under the radar in the west, if you recognize yourself as a visual novel fan, you sincerely owe it to yourself to indulge in what I consider to be one of the most endearing experiences I’ve had in years. I know I'll miss my fellow party members considerably. As someone who values story above all else in the games I play, that’s saying a lot, but it isn’t the only aspect worth praising here. From the artwork and music to the characters and combat system, I can’t recommend this series enough.
  3. Meristation
    Sep 8, 2017
    90
    Aquaplus returns to demonstrate its talent with the last entry of the series of Utawarerumono, closing finally unsolved questions in more than 10 years in a visual novel that drastically changes the axis of Mask of Deception.
  5. RPG Fan
    Oct 4, 2017
    87
    Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth is a beautiful conclusion to a 14-year long narrative. While it still has its flaws, it is a journey worth seeing through to the end.
  6. DualShockers
    Sep 4, 2017
    85
    The game’s lengthy scenes and repeated statements can feel more like padding on the game’s runtime which makes Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth feel redundant at times, but the conclusion of the story will not disappoint the ones who have stuck with it this far. If you are a fan of visual novels that have elements of the SRPG genre, then very few games do it better than the Utawarerumono series, you won’t be disappointing.
  7. COGconnected
    Sep 5, 2017
    82
    Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth is a great game for those who have played the previous one; however, it isn’t entirely suited for new players. I would definitely recommend picking up the Mask of Deception first to get a feel for the story. That being said, once you have finished Mask of Deception, Mask of Truth will unveil many unanswered questions and with over 80+ hours of story, players will be in for one heck of an emotional rollercoaster.
  8. GameOver.gr
    Sep 28, 2017
    80
    Utawarerumono Mask of Truth is a hybrid JRPG/ Visual novel that gives a long awaited closure to the series. A closure that will satisfy everyone who has been waiting for the end of this saga for so many years.
  9. Everyeye.it
    Sep 6, 2017
    80
    Mask of Truth continues to be as good as we had seen in the previous chapters of the series.
  10. Hardcore Gamer
    Sep 4, 2017
    80
    Mask of Truth continues the trend of the first game and improves upon its combat. The visual novel aspect of things remains enjoyable, while the tactical RPG gameplay is more focused and refined. Graphically, it still falls short of what many would expect on the PS4, with Vita-level graphics that work fine for that version but don’t hold up well on the big screen. Its gorgeous soundtrack helps overcome that issue and allows even the most intense battles to be relaxing. Mask of Truth is a solid follow-up to Mask of Deception and a must-buy for all who enjoyed that game.
  11. 4P.de
    Sep 15, 2017
    75
    Visually Mask of Truth is old-fashioned, but if you can look past that, the mixture of visual novel and strategic RPG has been enhanced or changed in just the right places.
  12. Destructoid
    Sep 6, 2017
    75
    Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth's strengths aren't entirely justified by the sheer amount of time it would take to experience them in full, but anyone that's already willing to give it that time - or those who come in with properly calibrated expectations - will find an entertaining saga that's worth seeing through.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 62
  3. Negative: 5 out of 62
  1. snakekill321
    Sep 11, 2017
    10
    If you are playing Mask of Truth, it is probably because you were entranced by Mask of Deception, and I can honestly say to anyone on theIf you are playing Mask of Truth, it is probably because you were entranced by Mask of Deception, and I can honestly say to anyone on the fence: do it. If you dont like Slice of life fr the first half, watch the anime, itll be quicker, but for those looking for almost 100 hours of living in another world, feeling the whole story, and having the cathartic feeling when it ends, I recommend the whole series.

    I hate visual novels. I dont like reading my video games, and you dont really rate the novel on its gameplay, because it is focusing more on telling a story. I picked up Mask of Deception because it was sold to me as an SRPG. I played it and got tired of it for a while, on a whim I picked it up, and Once i finished the first few battles, I fell in love with the cast, the characters, the story, the music, the whole damn thing. It was such a fresh experience. Even the beginning which is almost all slice of life, felt engaging. The music and the writing really made you feel like you were there. When the story finally picks up though, you feel the rush coming, when the climax is at the peak, it leaves you wanting more, and that is where Mask of Truth picks up. It maintains the same music, and style of writing, which is perfect, but more of the story is shown, and It has all sorts of plot twist and turns, and each character death really made me feel something, whether it was a guy I hated, or someone i loved. I teared up multiple times during this game. Suara, (the singer of most of the vocals) does a great job on these games, in fact she also did the songs for the Anime as well.

    I highly recommend anyone who likes a fantasy style atmosphere in their anime. If you are playing this just for the SRPG elements, I would say shy away from it unless you love a good story, the battles are few and far between, but I didnt play Mask of Truth for the gameplay, I wanted to finish the story, and as this is the onyl way to see the sequel in a non manga form, I gladly shelled out the money to finish my story with Haku and Kuon. I honestly feel empty and happy at the same time, It is one of those games that you want to forget so you can do it all again. It reminds us of why we are only human, and that nothing is perfect.    … Full Review »
  2. tomvs123
    Oct 5, 2020
    3
    When compared to the first game, this sequel is overly-long, cliche, has more plot holes, and is not nearly as interesting.

    The combat is    When compared to the first game, this sequel is overly-long, cliche, has more plot holes, and is not nearly as interesting.

    The combat is mostly the same as the last game and there's about twice as many combat missions, though that's due to the game being nearly twice as long. Combat is slightly harder. Where I failed no missions in the last game, I had to retry two missions in this game (one being one of the final bosses). Though this isn't really a game you play for the combat, so I'll get onto the story.

    I'll be brief and general here, as talking about the story could spoil the previous game (Mask of Deception), which you should play before considering playing this one.

    Whereas the last game kept me interested in the world due to strange (and believable) things being uncovered, this game takes a much more generic approach. There's very little new and interesting happening and the characters unfortunately become solidified into their stereotypes, which makes them less interesting.

    The first half of the game is all about a war that you're leading. The writers are not very good at war stories, so if you're into those types of stories, you'll be disappointed here. One of the main things they do is to have one side discuss what possible battle options there are, make a decision, and then switch to the enemy, who discusses the exact battle options. This is a writing trick to convince the reader/player that those are the only options that exist, which adds credibility to the plot. But the more critically-minded will see a large number of options that weren't discussed and see that the narrow-mindnesses of the opponents is due to the writers wanting to force the story to move in a certain direction, while providing these explanations as an attempt to improve believability.

    I should also point out that during the war section of the story, there's an individual enemy who vows to kill you, but never actually does. You get into numerous battles where he is about to make the final strike and possibly end your life, but something silly comes up that requires his attention and it turns into a children's "I'll get you next time!" fiasco.

    Oh, and there's the mind-altering bug that's implanted into a different individual to manufacture another opponent for you. Yep, we've got mind control here and it's the only instance of something like this being used with no reasonable world-explanation for its use. That's not bad on its own, but nonsensical stuff like this just keeps coming up over and over in the story.

    After the long (and arguably pointless) war section, you get back to the interesting stuff, such as the origins of this world, its people, and yourself. This section is also drawn out and has very little new to offer when compared to the previous game. New enemies are manufactured for you to fight, and for some reason, you must fight them multiple times. It seems as though the protagonist in this game has a hard time verifying whether someone is dead before declaring victory.

    You'll run into other writing issues here too, such as learning it's much easier than you expected to get this "key" that unlocks the secrets of the world - making some of the major actions in the previous game pointless. And coming across not one, but two, people/entities who want to destroy the world because they're depressed.

    Oh well, at least there was one well-written and touching scene in the middle of the game regarding a particular mother.

    Not exactly the game/story for people who easily notice (and dislike) plot holes, but decent enough if you liked the first game and just want to get more of these characters.    … Full Review »
  3. kaleidonec
    Jun 9, 2019
    9
    A step up to Utawarerumono Mask of Deception. It improves nearly every shortcoming the prequel has.
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