Taking place in a mystical world, Mask of Mists puts the player on the path of tracking down a missing mage. Basic platforming and simplistic combat accompany the core gameplay experience and exploration of the world in search of ingredients to craft potions, statues to collect and puzzles to solve.

Having originally launched on the Xbox One in September last year, Mask of Mists is back and this time it has been optimised for the Xbox Series X|S consoles. The sharper visuals and ridiculously fast load times in particular are immediately noticeable for players of the original release.

The opening dialogue establishes the premise and outside of it the story is limited to its pair of alternate endings at the end of the one-to-two-hour affair. There are no cutscenes, no characters to interact with and dialogue to be exchanged. Mask of Mists substitutes story for a series of puzzles that are essentially fetch quests. Finding items to access new areas or to craft things to progress is the essential flow of the gameplay.

The introduction of basic combat using a sword and eventually a pistol keep things simple, emphasising the focus of puzzle solving and exploration over a more meaningful system to combat the sludge monsters and dangerous vegetation that roam the fantastical land and ancient ruins.

Featuring dungeons, caves, houses, and ruins to explore, the world is a respectable size and non-linear in its structure. There are no waypoints, objectives, or indications of any kind where the player needs to go, instead progression is driven by the obstacle the player comes across, such as a locked gate, and the logical thought process of the player seeing slots for statues for example, or a towering tree that looks about the exact size of a gap that needs crossing will lead them in search of an axe.

Some logic and lateral thinking are certainly required to progress, and this may make the experience more challenging for casual players or those seeking a linear, guided experience. The explorable areas aren’t particularly large though they are open enough to disorientate.

Automatically running, dashing and jumping are the means of player traversal and there aren’t many instances where jumping is required and the intended use of the dash is for some toxic environments to be passed quickly before it damages and ultimately kills the player though it is an invaluable tool to spam with the constant backtracking required, speeding up the process of getting from A to B. Interacting with levers is the primary form of puzzle solving in the dungeons which are all set within gorgeous temples. Pressure plates, hidden switches and a few other tricks keep the puzzle solving situations in the labyrinthian ruins interesting.

The environment ranges from the interior and exterior of ancient ruins, deadly caverns, and a surprisingly supernatural landscape in the final act. Each of these areas look great, full of various hazards yet a sense of emptiness is ever-present that feels both fitting and a little disappointing at the same time. With such few enemies or other meaningful points of interest the landscape comes across as little more than a thoroughfare.

The music feels magical and light throughout, pleasant, and relaxing. The sound design is just as soothing and helps instil calm when frustration with puzzles or getting lost likely kick in. The visuals are simplistic and fun, reminiscent of similar titles in the genre. The final act of the game in particular stands out with its contrasting aesthetic when compared to those that preceded it.

Mask of Mists is a relatively straightforward experience full of puzzles to solve that may or may not be considered difficult, almost entirely dependent on exploration and consultation with collected scrolls for clues. My first playthrough took nearly 2 hours, getting lost and failing to look at collected clues being the largest culprit for the length while my second playthrough took just over an hour.

It’s a brief experience regardless and is likely to satisfy those that enjoy puzzle solving while casual players of the genre may get frustrated or simply lack interest. As a fan of the genre, Mask of Mists mostly succeeds but its lack of purpose and narrative restrict it from feeling more than busy work.

+ Surprising size of the explorable environment

+ Final act has a fun visual twist

+ Clever puzzles

– Story essentially absent outside of intro

– A LOT of backtracking

– Pretty disorienting

Developed by: 9 Eyes Game Studio

Published by: Sometimes You

Release Date: August 25 2021

Platforms: Xbox Series X|S

* A digital code was kindly provided by the Publisher for the purpose of this review *

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All digital photography was captured in-game on Xbox Series X by Games of DAYNE

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In Rays of the Light originally launched on Xbox One back in March of this year and now we have the chance to experience it again – this time optimised for Xbox Series X|S. The lonesome exploration/walking sim experience looks and sounds much better this time around with sharper visuals, better lighting and truly feels more immersive.

Developer Sergey Noskov has delivered an experience that is told almost entirely through documentation littered around the environment, missing even one takes away from the story being told. The tale is harrowing, tragic and bleak.

Despite the solemn tone In Rays of the Light is undeniably interesting, reliant though on exploration and the reading of the hidden documents. Light puzzle solving and environmental exploration comprise the core gameplay. It’s simple and it works. If the gameplay were more complex it may detract from the tension and brilliance of its storytelling.

So much of what this game has too say is told through it’s hauntingly beautiful score that dips in and out at moments of consequence, discovery and significant reflection of the events that have transpired in the derelict building it takes place in and around.

Sharp and effective sound effects add tension to the empty and uninhabited world, instilling moments of fear despite a complete lack of an actual enemy threat or presence. It is a genuinely masterful presentation, so minimalistic in terms of gameplay yet the execution of its sound design and thoughtful text driven narrative make it a truly next level experience.

My initial and incredibly minor grievances remain the same as my initial review as this experience is unchanged outside of its optimisation. If this game were just 30 minutes longer and had some sort of replay incentive it would be a masterpiece. In Rays of the Light is still an essential experience for players that enjoy thought provoking narratives.

My thoughts on the original release on Xbox One can be found in my review from March HERE.

+ Hauntingly beautiful score

+ Consistent atmospheric tension

+ Clever puzzles

+ Use of documents to clarify the story and provide puzzle clues

– Little replayability

– Lack of guidance for casual players

– Too short

Developed by: Noskov Sergey

Published by: Sometimes You

Release Date: July 21 2021

Platforms: Xbox Series X|S

* A digital copy was provided by the Publisher for the purpose of this review. *

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All digital photography was captured by Games of DAYNE in-game on Xbox Series X.

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Isolomus is unique in many aspects but the most striking feature is easily its visuals. Presented in stop motion animation with hand sculpted plasticine, Isolomus is a gritty but charming horror adventure that can be completed in as little as 10 minutes and offers a pair of endings where it is up to the player to decide which one is the worst. Clever, unique and even unsettling, Isolomus is a one of a kind experience for players on Nintendo Switch and PC.

Adopting point and click mechanics Isolomus asks little from the player mechanically speaking. Understanding what is going on is the real challenge and the ambiguity, oddness and outright abstract happenings are a compliment to the experience, not a negative.

As the game is so brief and so simplistic it’s difficult to go into much detail, Isolomus is an experience that is better to be had than read about. The unsettling madness and interpretive storytelling remains intriguing throughout the brevity of the experience.

The score is consistently ominous and the sound effects are appropriately sharp and effective. The sheer ridiculousness, absurdity and ambiguity of Isolomus are so irresistibly enticing and more-ish, that even without understanding what is happening, you can’t wait to see what happens next.

Isolomus is one of the most unique games I have ever played and yet admittedly, I have no idea what I experienced and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The open interpretation approach to the story allows the mind to wander and think metaphorically, philosophically and even read into things to the point where you know you’re likely wrong. Without any context to suggest otherwise, how you interpret this beautifully hand crafted world is up to you.

+ Stunning stop motion animation using handcrafted plasticine

+ Odd, unsettling and creepy

+ Bizarrely mesmerizing

+ Interpretive storytelling

– Extremely short, left wanting more (like a true psycho)

– Little replay value after exploring other ending

– A little more complexity with the gameplay wouldn’t hurt

Developed by: Michael Rfdshir

Published by: Sometimes You

Release Date: April 14 2021

Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

* A digital code was kindly provided by the Publisher for the purpose of this review. * 

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On the surface Dull Grey is an interactive tale of oppression taking place in an industrial Soviet world. Developer Provodnik Games have cleverly integrated the oppressive nature of the world the narrative takes place in with its minimalistic gameplay.

Choice is a luxury in this world and so too are the opportunities to make them in Dull Grey. While the trend of games requiring minimal input from players continues to be divisive, in this case it’s a statement, a frustrating truth of the “big brother”-esque world that the player’s character Kir inhabits.

In a way Dull Grey essentially plays itself and the player is limited to watching Kir’s life unfold before them, unable to interfere or take control of his destiny. There’s something poetic about the setting and approach to the gameplay that manages to effectively tell an emotionally sombre tale of a man unable to take control of his own life. Kir and the player alike are victims of the totalitarian government system in the striking monochromatic world.

Freedom is often taken for granted and that expression translates effectively in Dull Grey in regards to its gameplay. From the player’s perspective it may be frustrating to witness events unfold with little to no opportunity to intervene, to wonder if their actions could make a difference and to know with certainty whether choice is merely an illusion.

These frustrations are shared by Kir in a world where his fate is determined for him and the path he’ll take already laid out. Surprisingly, the seemingly linear parallels of the narrative and Kir’s life reach one of a number of conclusions based on these choices, encouraging replay to see alternative outcomes.

The gameplay is essentially reading text and very rarely making a choice. Visually limited to still images or panning shots, and with incredibly sparing but effective use of music, the presentation is very static, relying on the emotional impact of the text based dialogue to paint a picture full of more detail than can be found on screen.

The reliance on the story to tell itself and to breathe life into a world so visually stationary is bold and one that somehow manages to remain interesting through its brief 30 minute run time. The depth and impact of the writing carries Dull Grey through the near-automated affair and overall tells a story worth experiencing and worth revisiting to see the alternative endings.

Fate versus free will and freedom versus oppression aren’t as black as white as they may seem in Dull Grey. Conversely, the black and white colour palette this tale is painted with works wonderfully as a visual metaphor of the government’s control over Kir and the world he inhabits. Kir seeks happiness, a thought so alien to him and one that is all but forbidden.

Witnessing this story unfold instead of controlling and more directly impacting it perhaps tells the story better than it would with player intervention. Genre fans and Achievement/Trophy hunters are in for a treat while players less familiar with the lack of player input may not enjoy or appreciate the experience in the same light.

+ Surprising depth of narrative

+ Relevance of gameplay with the story

+ Effective audio-visual storytelling

– Minimal replay value for non-completionists

– Casual players may be alienated by minimal input

– Too short, left wanting more

Developed by: Provodnik Games

Published by: Sometimes You

Release Date: May 5 2021

Platforms: Xbox One/Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC

* A digital code was provided by the Publisher for the purpose of this review. *

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A mystical world full of puzzles and ancient ruins, secrets lay hidden behind a Mask of Mists.

A first person puzzle adventure set in a mystical world, Mask of Mists has the player seeking a missing mage. Classic elements such as platforming, basic combat and extensive puzzle solving in an enchanted land full of ancient ruins set the tone of this short adventure. The narrative is essentially confined to the premise, finding a missing mage, and is only featured again at the end of the adventure for our faceless and voiceless protagonist through illustrations. The gameplay requires the player to explore a fairly open environment finding items required to progress. Backtracking is pivotal as certain items such as keys need to be found elsewhere before new areas can be accessed to find things for other puzzles elsewhere. The player is able to run, dash and jump through the environment as well as cut down enemies with a sword and eventually shoot them as well.

The gameplay itself is simple but it’s the puzzles that can frustrate if care and awareness isn’t given to the environment and the dozen or so clues found in the form of scrolls. These scrolls provide information essential for solving puzzles and can be accessed at any time once found. Majority of the puzzles share the same core concepts of find keys/statuettes to open doors, manipulate levers and platforms or use item X on item Y. Some of the other puzzle types can only be solved by finding clues in non-related areas so attention to the environment, and the path as it pertains to backtracking, is critical.

While the overall explorable area is not particularly large, it is open enough to disorientate when backtracking. The path forwards is pretty linear and it is possible to explore, solve some puzzles or progress to a certain extent in a non-linear order. For instance, the core mission revolves around the player entering and reaching the end of 6 dungeons, all riddled with environmental puzzles to solve, and activating a light crystal. Depending on which items the player had in their inventory and which parts of the world they have unlocked they may be able to choose which one to do first instead of being forced to do them in a certain order.

There are only a select few enemy types that each have unique attacks to consider and take only a few hits or shots to dispose of. Both the sword and pistol have alternate variants to find that are more powerful, making even lighter work of the combat encounters. The combat feels a little tacked on as if it were only included to break the monotony of searching for items. As such it’s simplistic approach is competent and encounters are few and far between.

The environment ranges from the interior and exterior of ancient ruins, deadly caverns and a surprisingly supernatural landscape in the final act. Each of these areas look great, full of various hazards yet a sense of emptiness is ever present that feels both fitting and a little disappointing at the same time. With such few enemies or other meaningful points of interest the landscape comes across as little more than a thoroughfare.

The music feels magical and light throughout, pleasant and relaxing. The sound design is just as soothing and helps instil calm when frustration with puzzles or getting lost likely kick in. The visuals are simplistic and fun, reminiscent of similar titles in the genre. The final act of the game in particular stands out with its contrasting aesthetic when compared to those that preceded it.

Mask of Mists is a relatively straightforward experience full of puzzles to solve that may or may not be considered difficult, almost entirely dependent on exploration and consultation with collected scrolls for clues. My first playthrough took nearly 4 hours, getting lost and failing to look at collected clues being the largest culprit for the length while my second playthrough took just less than an hour and a half. It’s a brief experience regardless and is likely to satisfy those that enjoy puzzle solving while casual players of the genre may get frustrated or simply lack interest. As a fan of the genre, Mask of Mists mostly succeeds but its lack of purpose and narrative restrict it from feeling more than busy work.

Final Verdict:

+ Surprising size of explorable environment
+ Cool final act
+ Puzzles that actually challenge
– Story is thrown out after intro
– Backtracking is painful
– Easy to get lost

Games of DAYNE Rating

* A review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review *

Developed by: 9 Eyes Game Studio

Published by: Sometimes You

Release Date: September 2 2020 

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

The post Mask of Mists Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.