Developer InnerspaceVR's Maskmaker is an exploration-heavy VR title that sees players roam its mysterious world as an apprentice mask maker trying to solve the secret of their own identity through perfecting their craft. Maskmaker is packed full of colorful worlds to explore and intriguing maskmaking mechanics. Unfortunately, Maskmaker fails to provide much in the way of interesting gameplay or story to complement its aesthetic, and it feels more like a game from the early days of VR than a title pushing the medium forward.
Maskmaker begins with an apprentice exploring their missing master's mask shop. Masks in this world are magical in nature and can give people the ability to become a new person entirely just by donning them. After some opening exposition, the player is able to find their way inside their master's secret workshop where they can begin crafting their very own masks. From here the player will be able to split their time between the workshop and far-off lands as they search for their master. Each new mask they are able to craft grants them the ability to travel to a new location, which in turn means finding new maskmaking resources and blueprints.
Entering the workshop for the first time and being tasked with making the protagonist's first mask is a fairly simple affair. Maskmaking is probably the most fun aspect of the game - players must take a block of wood and first carve out the correct mask shape that is needed on the blueprint, then use the design table to paint it and add decorations. Once the mask has been completed it just needs to be picked up and put on to be transported to a brand new realm. These areas are where the bulk of Maskmaker takes place.
When exploring a new world in Maskmaker, the player will be guided around the area by the disembodied voice of a king who helps them solve gameplay puzzles. The objective of each world is to figure out how to access a large tower that holds a piece of a master blueprint. In order to do this, the protagonist needs to walk around until they find humanoid figures wearing masks. These masks will need to be examined and the necessary materials to craft them tracked down. Once found it's a simple matter of returning to the workshop, carving whatever new mask has been acquired, and then taking control of the figure that was wearing it in the first place. This allows for exploration of new areas and progression further into each world.
If the game only stuck to this exploration-based gameplay and maskmaking mechanics, it may have been a lot more fun, but it suffers when trying to employ different puzzles. Almost all of the Maskmaker's puzzles are too easy, but their constant presence makes them nuisances that feel unproductive to the game's other, more enjoyable experiences. It doesn't help that Maskmaker's VR mechanics feel rudimentary compared to other more modern VR games, either. Both visually and mechanically, Maskmaker is clunky and buggy, which can make for a very disorienting experience. The entire experience lacks the polish and innovation that many player expect from VR titles.
Maskmaker isn't a bad game by any means, but it is generic and restrictive in what it allows players to do. Making masks and exploring the world can be immensely enjoyable at times, but the game seems intent on stopping the player from interacting with those elements with any regularity. What's here is a strong foundation for future pursuits, but in its current form, Maskmaker feels a little too lackluster to recommend to anyone who isn't a dedicated VR aficionado looking for their next title amongst the genre's somewhat limited options.
Maskmaker can be played on PC and PlayStation VR. Screen Rant was provided with a PSVR code for the purpose of this review.