Linked Mask

I already got stuck in the first level with no clue on what to do next. A proper tutorial would have been nice. Looking at other Steam reviews this seems to be completely intentional by the game developers. I have little free time available for playing games and therefore no patience with games that try to be hardcore just by being optuse. Refunded. I truely think there is no audience for games like this. By the way, the game tried to fry my graphics card by opening in a teeny tiny window with a framerate of 3700+. I do not understand why full screen with V-sync on is not the default.

"Linked Mask" is an agonizing and brutally difficult platformer. It isn't for the average player, that's for sure. You [b]have[/b] to be a fan of said genre to be able to enjoy this experience. Every move, every jump, every hit will make your heart pump! You'll feel a crazy adrenalin rush and you'll overflow from satisfaction upon a sweet victory or from rage when you, yet again, fail miserably and die for the 100th time... Carefully crafted with many skills to unlock. You can return to all places later on with new powers to try another route. The story is interesting though not really complex, it isn't the game for that anyway but it is catchy! The mechanics are simple in nature but hard in execution. They require extreme precision, focus, reflexes and skills. Again, it isn't for those looking to pass their time with a simple game. It's painfully hard. The checkpoints are usually fair to the player and well placed. Climb towers, unlock masks, fight challenging bosses. View it as a blessing or a curse but the gods wanted you to have this chance! The premise of this game is great. With a few fixes it would had been perfect. Unfortunately, as it is now, I can't say that. There are…

Very, VERY hesitant recommend, but with a massive caveat. [b]The gameplay can be buggy and inconsistent. Camera tracking issues, softlocks forcing you to restart the level, gimmicks that feel out of place in a precision platformer and feel like they take control away from you.[/b] There's a good chance you'll be frustrated for the wrong reasons in this game... but man, the graphics, the music, the character designs are all great, and most of the gameplay is very good too! If you're able to put up with raw jank that screws you over sometimes, give this game a shot. Otherwise you'll probably want to skip the headache and find something else.

It is a difficult game, but does little to keep the player engaged. In a time when time is scarce, I find it pretentious for a game to ask the player to grind levels by trial and error. This is not that big of a deal if the difficulty is spread thoughtfully and if it has a sense of progression. However, there are platforming sections that aren't too challenging, followed by contrived sections that suddenly demand little to no error. In addition, the levels drag for too long and could've been broken into multiple smaller sections to ease the engagement to the player. Also, there are hints for other tools or mechanics that could be used after completing each course, but since these are long sections, most players may lose interest in going on as they don't get rewards for completing smaller sections. The base character moveset is static throughout the level, except for the last sections where the challenge rises and a small new mechanic twist is put to the level. It is a nice challenge for the brave of heart willing to pour their grindy hours. But the game does little to keep your emotions engaged.

Game pulls no punches. Sometimes to an unfair degree. Still had a great time.

I've jumped around all of the levels, and completed none. It's obvious to me that's how it's going to be. The reality of the situation, I'm simply never going to finish any of the levels as I lack the skill required for this particular amount of precision. I think overall the levels seem to be well designed, but holy heck is it frustrating to get shot back quite a bit before trying once again to complete a difficult bit of platforming. There are checkpoints throughout levels, but not always in areas that mean you can avoid specific difficult portions again. I guess it's by design, and if I didn't die so often it'd of been completely fine. The game has an awesome gameboy look to it, a good soundtrack, and responsive controls. All of the things are there to give you a pretty enjoyable platformer - as long as you enjoy games that require absolute precision and punishing gameplay. I thought it'd be something I'd learn to enjoy, or at least push through. But it just feels like I'm never going to make progress and it's sucked all of the joy directly out of my veins. Still, I think levels are certainly something you can complete. It feels like a game I'd thoroughly enjoy if I w…