Masquerada - Interview and Previews

Some news about Masquerada: Songs and Shadows, a 2.5D isometric RPG with pausable combat.

VG27/7:

RPG Masquerada is light, fresh and, thankfully, entirely orc-free

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows may claim to follow in the footsteps of some of the RPG genre’s greatest greats, but Pat finds something completely new in an early build.

RPGs always disappoint me. There I am, keyed up to play, full of the preview promise of immersion and plot, only to be left eye-rolled by a reality of tedious bloat. Yes please, says my imagination. Being a fantasy dude in a thrilling, hundred-hour thing is something I absolutely want to do. No thanks, says my shooter-fried peanut brain after I’ve watched the eighth pretend orc, dripping in triple-A sweat, prattle on for half an hour while I fall asleep to the groan of stuffed hard drive. Take me back to the pew-pew.

But maybe, finally, I’m about to find an entry point. Masquerada: Songs and Shadows, developed by Singaporean studio Witching Hour, bills itself as following the tradition of Dragon Age and Baldur’s Gate (I’m afraid I’m going to have to assume that as truth. I tried to play Baldur’s Gate once. All I remember is a large amount of little words on the screen before I pressed “off”), but, thankfully, this is different. There’s nary a goblin in sight, and the story’s delivered in bites small enough to maintain balance between compulsion and boredom. The combat’s instantly accessible (right-click to attack, press numbers for skills, execute them with left-click) but is undercut by the ability to pause the action and assign attacks, movements and buffs to individual party members. Tactics a-go-go. Masquerada doesn’t require RPG master status to play, but it isn’t lightweight. That suits me fine. [...]

Indie Game Mag:

IGM at EGX 2015 – Masquerada: Songs and Shadows

In the madness that is EGX, a free leaflet and badge cut through the noise. The shiny new badge meant one thing: I was at the booth of Witching Hour Studios, showing off its 2.5-D isometric RPG by the name of Masquerada: Songs and Shadows.

Masquerada is set in a “Venetian-inspired fantasy city” called Ombre, where magic can be cast by those that have access to rare masks. The game’s unique style is apparently motivated by French comic books and games such as Bastion. Gamers will play as – among others – Cicero Gavar, an Inspettore (inspector), as he returns from “exile to solve a kidnapping that will shake up the foundations of the city.” This already had me interested, but before I sat down to try the game out for myself, I wanted a little bit of insight into what makes the studio tick.
Masquerada was inspired by the developer’s initial love of Dungeons & Dragons, which led the way for development on a title that has also been said to be heavily influenced by Baldur’s Gate, Diablo, and Dragon Age. This definitely showed each time I eagerly glanced over at the demo being played, and I couldn’t wait any longer. [...]

Words about Games:

EGX 2015 | Masquerada: Songs and Shadows Hands-On Impressions

I was wandering the Rezzed section of EGX towards the end of my final day at the show when I overheard someone say two words that always make me stop in my tracks. Those words were “Baldur’s Gate.” My curiosity instantly piqued, I turned to see that the man who said it was a developer, and he was talking to someone as they were playing a game called Masquerada: Songs and Shadows. Naturally I paused to watch someone playing through the final boss fight of the demo, and wait for a PC to become free so I could have a turn.

While I was waiting I got a chance to speak to one of the games developers. He went on to tell me that Masquerada: Songs and Shadows is a 2.5D isometric action RPG in which you control multiple members of your party, and can pause combat at any time to plan your tactics, taking inspiration from Baldur’s Gate and Dragon Age: Origins. Before I had a chance to shout “SOLD” in his face he continued on (which was probably for the best).

The game also features a narrative experience that takes its inspiration from games such as Mass Effect, with fully voiced dialogue from the likes of Matthew Mercer, Jennifer Hale and Dave Fennoy. The game follows the Inspettore, Cicero Gavar, a Sherlock Holmes-esque character who has returned from exile in an attempt to solve a kidnapping. [...]

Zero1gaming interview with Creative Director Ian Gregory Tan: