Shadow of the Mask Demo

In the world of comic books, superheroes are as common as cute cats in our world. There are practically thousands of them, and each one has a different ability that makes them more or less useful. Some of these heroes are stronger than others, as it is the case with Superman or Dr. Manhattan, but one thing’s for sure: People always root for them when the situation is dire.

Shadow of the Mask is a point & click adventure game that takes a different approach, especially in terms of how the heroes are perceived. The whole project is designed to look like a combination between Futurama, True Detective and old-school graphic novels, and that should attract a lot of attention. However, the game features classic gameplay mechanics, so it doesn’t unnecessarily reinvent the wheel.

The story takes place in a dystopian future where superheroes are outlawed and sometimes even executed for using their powers. You play the role of a jaded detective by the name of Alanis, who is constantly trying to defend citizens with special abilities from being wrongly accused of crimes. In short, the plot kicks off with a strange murder, and it only gets weirder later on.

The true genius of Shadow of the Mask is in the atmosphere and the world itself, because you can see many interesting things just by examining every scene. There are all sorts of robots, weird humans and other things you can admire, and the dialog is just as enjoyable. In fact, the writing is very strong, which is exactly what you want to hear in a game driven by story.

As for the gameplay, fans of the point & click genre should feel right at home, because there’s nothing too different in terms of how you interact with the environment and gather clues. Thus, you click on objects and choose whether to examine or collect them, depending on where that’s possible. Sometimes you have to solve actual puzzles, while other times it’s all about extracting information through dialog.

In the end, Shadow of the Mask is clearly a class above most indie productions out there, which is obvious in terms of story and graphics. Hence, it’s worth your support if you are willing to participate in the Kickstarter campaign.