Inuyasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask

"Great if you're an Inuyasha fan"

Inuyasha, an old favorite of mine, hits the PS2 with its newest RPG. I quite liked this show when I was younger but never saw all of it because in my opinion the show dragged on too much and lost originality after the 2nd season. Up until then it was a very good anime. But while the show lost its way I always knew that Inuyasha had the potential to be a good game, especially as an RPG.

And for the most part it doesn't disappoint. So let's get started, obviously the main focus of the game is the secret behind “a certain someone's” cursed mask. The game has a great feel and at the same time reveals a lot of back-story and incite of the show that even fans may be surprised with. Anyways...

On with the review!!!

Characters: 9/10

You will get to choose to play as either a male or a female character created just for this game (though there aren't any significant changes in their gameplay or story at all, just as a heads up). And all of the gang is here. You have Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Kirara. Shippo, and Miroku. Then you also have Seeshomaru, Naraku, and Utsugi, basically everyone. Which is awesome.

And at times the game can show even more details about each character that even fans might find unexpected. And you do this in SotCM through your “days off”. Occasionally in the game, the party will decide to take a break and you are given a choice on who you want to spend your day with. Which is always very interesting, depending on who choose.

Story: 8.5/10

The story here is great, It's pretty much the show's story but manages to be still be interesting. To sum it up, you were merely going to a carnival with your friends. But while you're there, you are somehow warped through time back to feudal Japan. You eventually meet up with the Inuyasha gang (shortly after a deadly encounter with some villagers) explaining that you want to get back home, but you can't. So you're stuck there.

So you help the gang in there struggle to finish off Naraku for good and help reveal the truth behind Utsugi's mask.... and at the same time still trying to find a way to get back home. There are a lot of plot twists in the game that you have to solve and It has a very fitting tone and aura to it all. It also manages to make you really feel like a part of the show. Which was a nice touch.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics in this game are overall very pleasing and lush. You take control of chibi characters, meaning big heads/small bodies. The models are incredibly basic, but somehow grow on you (I actually found myself liking this style very quickly). The models manage to be both cute and not take away from any of the character's personalities at all. But if the thought of little chibi people moving around the whole game bothers you, don't worry. There are a lot of anime scenes in the game so it looks and feels more like the show. The environments are also excellent and capture the essence of Inuyasha and its feudal world.

Gameplay: 7.5/10

In a sense, playing the game is fun because it really makes you feel like you're really part of the Inuyasha gang. But battling is another story. The gameplay isn't anything special. It's really no better/different than the average RPG. There are some pretty cool moves from the show you can try out though. Such as Inuyasha's “Backlash Wave” and Miroku's “Wind Tunnel.”

So if you're not really into turn-based battling you might get a little frustrated cause you will be running into many random battles. Oh and I should also mention that scrolling through the battle menu is somewhat slow so it can lag a bit after a while.

But even if you are into turn based fighting, I'm sure you'll still pull out your hair a little. The reason I say this is because (and this is probably the game's biggest flaw) whenever you're on a road to a new place there are A LOT of forks and turns that you'll run into. It's not that I don't like exploring, but when your running into battles every 15 seconds with no guarantee you're going in the right direction (there are also many dead ends) you can get very frustrated and annoyed. Plus, there are no save points in the roads (huge peeve) so you're basically stuck there until you've found the new town. This is why Secret of the Cursed Mask may only be for patient gamers.

Sound: 8.2/10

All of the original voice actors who do the characters for the show are in the game, which is a relief. The music is great too; I dare even say at times it's inspirational, even if it lacks variety.

But…. this game can be extremely cheesy sometimes. Some of the dialogue was literally, god awful. I think I can recall a scene right at the beginning where you encounter your first demon and it goes something like this- "You: Ahh he's gonna eat me! Demon: I'm going to eat you! You: Oh no! He's gonna eat me! Demon: rarblagahagahaga!" those were a bit embarrassing to watch...So just be prepared for that. But the voice acting of the 2 main characters were pretty good, though not Emmy worthy material.

Overall: 7.8/10

It's an interesting game that may reveal more to the show and give you different perspectives on the characters and story...but it's definitely only a game true fans will enjoy. And it should also be mentioned that if you're an impatient person you should stay away from this game. I enjoyed it though, and I found the ending to be very touching.

Rent or Buy

It's a great game if you're a fan. If you're not a fan, and just happen to be an RPG veteran you should probably pass on this. It doesn't really offer anything new to the RPG world. But hey maybe you'll end up liking it anyway. It's your choice. And if you've thought about getting into the show, this would actually be a great way to get you hooked.

Until my next review...

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/28/05, Updated 05/29/08

Game Release: Inuyasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask (US, 11/02/04)