Mask of Mists is an exploration and puzzle-based game that has some light action adventure elements as well. The game revolves around an archmage who has gone missing, and you’re hired to investigate his disappearance and bring him back. This investigation leads you to various areas around a small town, which has since been abandoned. Each area typically requires you to solve item-based puzzles in order to proceed. Most puzzles in the game are pretty simple to work out but others can be a bit more clever and require you to observe your surroundings.
Some of the story is told through notes left around the game world which also act as hints on how to solve various puzzles, so it’s worth checking your journal regularly, especially if you’re getting stuck on one puzzle.
One of the game’s most often visited areas are its dungeons. There are 6 dungeons in total and at the end of each one, you must activate a navigation crystal. These crystals are your main objective in the game. The dungeons have a variety of different puzzles to solve and there’ll be a few monsters to fight along the way as well. There are no bosses at the end of each dungeon but there is a final boss at the end of the game.
The dungeons were pretty fun to work through though, and if you have ever played The Legend of Zelda, you’ll know what to expect from them. The actual combat system is pretty lacklustre, and honestly repetitive. There are only a few monster types, and two ways to attack, either swinging your sword, or shooting a pistol. Once you’ve figured out how to defeat them, the challenge is gone.
I’d go deeper into the story but I’ve pretty much covered it all in the intro, you don’t get any character arcs or plot other than the occasional note, it’s all pretty simple but I didn’t need much for this game as it’s short and sweet.
The graphics to this game again weren’t anything too special. It was all bright and vibrant, but nothing to really write home about. What it does well is bring you into their world and make you want to go exploring to see what you find.
Overall, I enjoyed my short time with Mask of Mists, taking roughly 6 hours to complete. It’s a simple linear experience, whilst not leaving me wanting too much more, I still had fun playing.
I’d give Mask of Mists