A gruesome retro adventure
The Maker Of Masks is a free adventure game from Felix Kraus. In this retro horror, you control a nameless, faceless mass of flesh that looks like a human. You are given a second lease in life after a mask has been attached to your face. As the player, you walk around the gruesome facility in hopes of finding your purpose.
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The Maker of Masks is a short disturbing story that leaves the player with a lot of questions—all in a classic visual reminiscent of a PlayStation One game, much like The Man in the Park or The Smiling Man.
Existentially terrifying walking sim
Initially created for PS1 Horror Jam, an anthology of indie PS1-styled games, The Maker of Masks features key characteristics of games from PlayStation One. Expect low-res, low-poly visuals, or graphics with rough polygonal shapes. Also, it uses the fog system from the original Silent Hill, plus fixed camera angles that are familiar to those who played the dated console. The interaction and controls can also get confusing.
Story-wise, it’s one of those games that introduces the player to a new world. However, as an indie game, it doesn’t wrap up completely and leaves the player guessing and filling in the blanks. It has a surprisingly short playthrough of fewer than 30 minutes. Still, it is filled with a lot of great scenery and equally disturbing dialogue. Each area evokes equal parts of gore and existential horror.
With the dialogue and the stage design creating tension at every turn, the final reveal can feel anticlimactic. Still, it works by rounding up the overall feel of uneasiness and mystery. Gameplay-wise, it also works much like a walking simulator. You walk around, talk to people, and proceed. There’s no puzzle and no combat to this game, which might underwhelm people looking for a bit more action.
A worthy tribute to PS1 horror
PlayStation One was known for defining the horror video game genre, some of its tropes are still being used today—and The Maker Of Masks is a fitting tribute to those games. It captures most of the traits of retro games from that generation. More importantly, it teases a scary and unsettling world for its players. It’s so effective, in fact, that you’d want more content from this game.
