The end of Utawarerumono is upon us. We saw the first part of Haku and Kuon’s story in Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception earlier this year. Now, it will come to a close in Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth. We’ll get to see what happens to characters people may have come to appreciate and love. Since it has been a few months, now is a good time to have a refresher, go through what happened, and see what people should expect. Yes, that means there will be spoilers.
First, before we get to the spoiler section, let’s go over something rather important. If you have an Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception save file, data will carry over. This means if people go through the Boro Gigiri or dream maps to get extra weapons, some may carry over. If you’re getting tired of the more casual segments in the first game and want to get to the civil war action and intrigue of the sequel, it is absolutely fine to hop into Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth without any additional preparation. It isn’t like character levels are carrying over.
Now, on to what people need to know about what happened at the end of Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth!
In Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception, Haku is an amnesiac found by Kuon, a woman with animal attributes.She takes him under her wing. Due to her skills as a healter, the two end up joining the mercenary company of a man called Ukon. However, Ukon wasn’t just some mercenary group leader. He was actually Oshtor, Imperial Guard of the Right, elder brother of Nekone, and one of the eight generals of Emperor Mito, head of Yamato. This means the group finds themselves in the capital.
Once the party reaches Yamato, Haku gets to meet Emperor Mito. It is a big deal, as he doesn’t normally let people meet him. The big surprise here is that he is actually human, just like Haku. His wife, Honoka, and daughter, Anju, are clones of his human wife and child. Mito is Haku’s brother and wants Haku to help him restore the human race. All other humans, except for the two of them, are under a curse that essentially turns them into slimes. (Haku sees this in person, as Emperor Mito sends the group to Uzurushan ruins on a mission and this happens to another human waking up from stasis in front of him.) Emperor Mito dying, but is assassinated before old age can claim him and he can invade Tuskur for information that would help with his goal to restore the human race. His death leaves the leadership of Yamato uncertain and leads to a civil war, as some believe Anju, his daughter, isn’t fit to rule.
After Emperor Mito’s assassination, Oshtor is framed and accused of poisoning princess Anju. This means it is up to Haku, Kuon, and their group to uncover the truth and save Oshtor and Anju. Which of course they do. But, the ending is bittersweet. Haku’s group attempts to escape to Ennakamuy to prepare for the upcoming war. Vurai, another one of the eight generals, follows and fights Oshtor. Both use the power of their masks to fight. Nekone gets in the way, causing Oshtor to take a hit for her and expend what’s left of his energy saving the party. For the sake of Anju and her forces, Haku puts on Oshtor’s mask and assumes his identity, with word being spread that he was the one who died in the fight instead. So Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth begins with Haku in Oshtor’s role, fighting for the sake of restoring Anju to power. Kuon, heartbroken by Haku’s death, has left the party.
As long as you know all this, you are ready to tackle Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth. This entry is more serious, with a focus on the war for succession. Your goal is to have Haku, as Oshtor, get Anju find her rightful place for the sake of Yamato. Along the way, the party will eventually reunite and shape the fate of the world.
Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth will come to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on September 5, 2017.
