Linked Mask is a beautifully animated Game Boy styled action platforming adventure where you attempt to conquer six towers and obtain six powerful masks that give you new abilities.
In Linked Mask you set out to conquer six towers that stand amid a great wasteland. Each tower is home to a different deity and you must obtain each of their masks to free the world. In the full game you’ll be able to tackle the towers in any order you like (much like Mega Man) and each one will grant you new abilities.
The gameplay and visuals in Linked Mask harken back to the golden days of the Game Boy era (though it obviously looks way better and plays better than most games of that era). The platforming is responsive and you can switch between masks and weapon forms on-the-fly, allowing you to use their unique abilities. It also has some interesting sliding and momentum mechanics which sees you instantly sliding and picking up speed when you stand on a slope.
An issue at the moment is that although the artwork is fantastic, a lot of the level design feels more like it’s procedurally generated than hand crafted. There’s quite a lot of repetition of structures and there are large sections that just feel like filler to make the levels longer rather than to challenge the player. It is still in development though, so hopefully the levels are still being refined.
Aside from the level design, Linked Mask is a very promising game that really impresses with its gorgeous Game Boy styled pixel art animation, responsive controls and nifty mask-switching mechanics. A fun callback to the glory days of the 2D action platformer.
Download The Linked Mask Beta Demo Here (Steam)