- Frustrating default controls
- Collect juice to earn boosts like a juice power punch
- Use juice to buy new weapons and items
As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from pixelated classics to state-of-the-art virtual reality experiences. Yet, nothing quite prepared me for the juice-fueled chaos that is Mask Around. This 2D roguelite platformer has got me hooked!
Mask Around – A Vibrant 2D Shooter Platformer Roguelike by Developer Rouli
In the game “Mask Around”, you’ll traverse vibrant stages, defeating adversaries, gathering juice, and uncovering fresh weapons and power-ups. Initially, you’ll navigate with basic controls like jumping and knocking aside obstacles. But as you progress further, you’ll encounter more complex tasks, such as pulling levers to move obstacles or platforms.
Battling Enemies in Mask Around
You can take down enemies by shooting, punching, or kicking. One punch is often enough to take down a foe. However, you have to get up and close. You can kick enemies by jumping and pressing the punch button.
Each type of adversary poses unique difficulties. For example, those with triangular green heads have a protective shield that can be destroyed or evaded to defeat them. Flying robots don’t attack you directly, but they can snatch your juice if given the chance, so it’s crucial to keep them at bay. On the other hand, enemies without weapons compensate by moving swiftly.
Mask Around is All About the Juice
When you fill up your juice meter, a yellow juice hand will sprout from your backpack, letting you pack a bigger punch. Fill the meter a second time to temporarily transform your avatar into a beefy juiced-up version of himself. While juiced up, you can’t die, so take advantage of this mode while it lasts.
You can also choose to spend your juice on new weapons and items. You can purchase drinks at vending machines. Red drinks heal you, green drinks increase your punch damage, and pink ones increase bullet damage. You’ll also come across items you can purchase, such as a cosmic trampoline that makes each bullet you shoot bounce off the walls once, or the Big White Boots, which let you walk on air.
Mask Around Features Annoying Controls
Mask Around suffers from poor default controls. The default controls are especially difficult to handle. You hold your finger on the left side of the screen to go left and the right side of the screen to go right. Unlike many games, changing directions does not change the direction your avatar faces.
In this game, you can perform different actions by tapping specific areas of the screen. To make your avatar face the opposite direction, double-tap on the side it’s currently not facing. If you want to punch enemies, double-tap the side that your character is facing. To jump, tap both sides of the screen simultaneously. Lastly, to aim your gun, tilt your phone. If you find these controls difficult to grasp, it might be challenging for you, especially if you’re not accustomed to using gyroscopic controls. However, if you’re skilled with such controls, then you should have a great time!
In this 2D roguelike platformer game, you can customize the controls to use on-screen buttons, but they may feel somewhat awkward. Fortunately, it’s compatible with controllers, and playing with my NEO S Frost edition controller made navigating and collecting juice droplets a breeze. I strongly suggest using a controller or adjusting to the on-screen button layout for a smoother gaming experience.
Mask Around and Find Out
Mask Around is a creative 2D
roguelite
platformer and the only one I’ve come across to put such an emphasis on juice. While the default controls are incredibly vexing, switching to an
external controller
or on-screen buttons makes the experience much more enjoyable. Thanks to silly juice boosts, a variety of enemies, and entertaining weapons to unlock, Mask Around is worth checking out.
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2024-12-05 02:48