TIGSource: Masq

Masq

Derek Yu — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 03:46:00 +0000

Masq is a visual novel game that puts you at the head of a fashion design company that needs money to advertise its new line of clothing. A line of clothing that apparently combines the chic of being a clown with the elegance of practically being nude!

I have very little experience with visual novels, but I have plenty of experience with Choose Your Own Adventure books (I once famously tried to do a book report on one in the third grade). Masq is very much like a baudy, hardboiled CYOA book, and as such, it suffers from the same problems. Namely, that the consequences of your actions feel very arbitrary and also, in order to see all the possible outcomes you have to go through the same scenes and choices over and over again.

The game actually is quite fun, though, and it’s easy to get caught up in the story and characters. It’s also very fast-paced, often moving forward if you take too long to respond – this definitely alleviates some of the repetitiveness. It’s just not the kind of emotional thrillride that it is touted as on its webpage.

Update: According to the author, the game must be played online, which is a fallout from when it would track your “lives” and charge for more. Now, however, the game is completely free to play.

"Masq" by rinkuhero

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:28:53 +0000

I’ve heard of it before but haven’t tried it until now. Found it pretty fun, I was surprised how many alternate paths there where. And yeah, Choose Your Own Adventure books were the best.

"Masq" by Ugh

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:05:18 +0000

Oh, i’ll discharge the doll for ya…yea i wil…oh wait, no. shit

"Masq" by xagarath

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:22:23 +0000

The lives are taken away each time you enetr the final chapter, not each time you play.

"Masq" by BigbossSNK

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:07:08 +0000

Masq… Facade… Iron carapace…

"Masq" by FireSword

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:58:44 +0000

Hey Ugh, buy the doll for yourself so u can discharge it haha

Peace

"Masq" by John H.

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:36:00 +0000

The game requires you to be online to play, although the author claims that it’s only to keep track of the “lives” you have in the game. You start with 15 and can buy more when those are all out[…]

With what, real money? FAIL.

"Masq" by Ugh

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:06:35 +0000

Well, considering the sentence in that picture is poorly phrased and the “people die” fragment makes no sense in context…i’ll probably pass on this…

and someone get firesword a blow up doll please. A disfigured balloon will do.

"Masq" by Xander

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:03:36 +0000

It’s a pretty entertaining game actually, and both times I played it through had considerably different outcomes.

Mostly because I screwed the girl who invited me to dinner, but come on, I did it for the character’s penis more than my own.

Um, that meant to say ‘Sake’.. not ‘penis’… yeah.

The problem with it is that instead of being some kind of pure H-sim, a visual novel like Narcissu or a sweet combination of the two (Yeah, I’m loving Tsukihime at the moment. It’s good to know more about the characters in Melty Blood beyond “I will destroy you” and “I spam knives! LOL!”), it actually turns out to a be a little detached, especially with it’s constant reminders of what you can do in situations. Having ‘Lives’ especially makes me very aware that I’m playing a game, which is the very least of what you should wish for in an immersive experience.

"Masq" by FireSword

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:01:59 +0000

Interactive comics… gee we have returned to Prehistoric age.. Well i guess it’s better than nothing and more interactive than some stupid hentai slideshow.

Peace.