Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom

Although it may be undeniably pretty, Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom suffers from a number of glaring flaws that prevent it from being a worthwhile experience. A clunky combat system, misdirected humour, and stale repetitive gameplay are just a few things that will likely diminish any amount of enjoyment that you may be able to draw from this sadly mediocre effort.

20%Game Brain Score

graphics, humor

gameplay, story

18% User Score Based on 56 reviews

Critic Score 50%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

Masquerade is an action-adventure set in the fantasy world of The Realm, centered around a battle for the mythical Druid Orbs, the most powerful pair of balls in all the land. For it was said that whomever possessed the Orbs, possessed the power to rule all.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom screenshot

18%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features a colorful and appealing comic art style that is reminiscent of early 2000s cartoons.
Some players find the humor and dialogue entertaining, providing a quirky and light-hearted experience.
The straightforward hack-and-slash gameplay can be enjoyable for those looking for a simple distraction.

The game suffers from severe technical issues, including crashes on startup and during gameplay, often requiring a controller to be plugged in to even launch.
The camera controls are overly sensitive and poorly designed, leading to disorientation and difficulty in combat and platforming sections.
Combat mechanics are clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to engage with enemies and navigate the game effectively.

graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a distinct and appealing art style, particularly in its colorful cutscenes and comic elements, which many players find memorable. However, while the visuals are generally decent, some users note that the in-game graphics can appear odd and that the overall execution is hindered by poor controls, especially during platforming segments. Despite these criticisms, the art style remains a highlight for many, contributing positively to the game's quirky and humorous atmosphere.
- “The art style is distinct enough to make it memorable, and the game looks decent in both 2D cutscenes and the 3D gameplay segments.”
- “The art style is great.”
- “Comic art style is pretty good and has great humor (dialogue and its slapstick cut scenes).”
- “Don't let the colorful graphics fool you.”
- “I can't see this game holding appeal to adults or children for the same reasons: bad gameplay and bland everything else except for the art style.”
- “But the graphics look odd because they're trying to match the top-notch animation they have in cutscenes and elsewhere.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and poorly executed, with clunky mechanics and frequent interruptions from lengthy cutscenes that detract from the experience. While the art style is noted as memorable, the combat system is described as basic and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement for players. Overall, the game struggles to deliver a satisfying gameplay experience, feeling more like a poorly designed movie than a cohesive game.
- “You have attacks and counterattacks, as well as dodge mechanics.”
- “The art style is distinct enough to make it memorable, and the game looks decent in both 2D cutscenes and the 3D gameplay segments.”
- “The gameplay reminded me of a Ratchet version of 'Ratchet & Clank' at first glance.”
- “Gameplay is dead simple, but implementation is still massively bungled.”
- “The movie-like intro with the opening credits and overly long cinematic seeded my suspicions that this was made by people who wanted to make movies, not games, or were trying their hands at games after making movies, but the first moments of gameplay confirmed to me that whoever was developing the game part of this video game had little to no idea how to make a 3D beat 'em up/platformer.”
- “A clunky combat system, misdirected humor, and stale repetitive gameplay are just a few things that will likely diminish any amount of enjoyment that you may be able to draw from this sadly mediocre effort.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely criticized as bland and juvenile, with many players finding it unoriginal and poorly executed, resulting in more misses than hits. However, some appreciate the comic art style and slapstick elements, noting that while the humor may not resonate with everyone, it can still elicit a few smiles. Overall, opinions are mixed, with a significant portion of players feeling the humor detracts from the experience.
- “Making it a simple, easy, goofy/silly, humorous action game.”
- “And while the humor's juvenile, it can still make you crack a smile.”
- “Comic art style is pretty good and has great humor (dialogue and its slapstick cut scenes).”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
44%
33%
The story is generally viewed as a standard quest narrative centered around a magic item, often described as a clichéd damsel in distress trope. While some players find the jester character likable, overall engagement with the plot is hindered by technical issues and a lack of originality, leading to a consensus that the story is uninspired and lacking depth.
- “The jester's a likable sort, and the story has a nice ring to it.”
- “Story: standard quest for the magic mcguffin story.”
- “I possibly would have been more invested in the story if the game hadn't crashed on startup. After a quick Google search, I discovered that you had to have a gamepad plugged in for the game to even make it to the menu.”
- “The plot is a damsel in distress parable.”
- “There's no hope for the story; it's just lame.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its poor stability, with users reporting numerous bugs that hinder gameplay, particularly during the first mission. Overall, players describe the experience as frustrating and unplayable due to these issues.
- “The game is a buggy mess.”
- “First mission, buggy issues, can't do anything.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express that the game's mechanics, particularly the spinning and jumping, can induce feelings of nausea, detracting from the emotional experience. The lack of momentum and weight in character movement further contributes to a disconnection from the game's emotional impact.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in the game has been criticized for its overt sexualization of female characters, including the protagonists, which many reviewers feel is inappropriate for a title aimed at a younger audience. This design choice detracts from the overall character depth and relatability.
- “The two protagonists' character designs, along with all female characters, are overtly sexualized, with nipples poking through clothes on literally every female character. This feels out of place in a kid's game.”
- “Character development is shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “The choices you make don't seem to impact the characters' growth or relationships, leaving the story feeling flat.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting poor overall performance.
- “The game suffers from poor performance overall.”
- “Optimization issues lead to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- “The lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The music and sound effects in the game are generally well-received, contributing positively to the overall experience.
- “The music in the game perfectly complements the atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “The sound effects are immersive and add a layer of depth to the gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack is incredibly catchy and keeps you engaged throughout the game.”
- “The music is repetitive and lacks variety.”
- “The sound effects are poorly designed and don't fit the game atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack feels uninspired and fails to enhance the gaming experience.”