Atlus has a special surprise for fans of visual novels and strategy games; both Utawarerumono titles (Mast of Deception & Mask of Truth) are getting localized for the PS4 and PS Vita!

Prepare to lose hours of sleep, because AQUAPLUS’ visual novel/SRPG epics Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception and Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth will be arriving to the Americas and Europe in 2017! We’ll be honest, these games WILL make you lose track of time, but you won’t care because there are fantastical beasts to fight, powerful magic to unleash, political machinations to partake in, intriguing characters to meet, and magical lands to explore. Heroes never rest! Especially since the fate of the world depends on you… so no pressure. Mask of Deception will be available for PS4 and PS Vita this Spring, while Mask of Truth will be coming out later in the year.

This is great news, as this means both games in the franchise are getting localization treatment. It reminds me of when the Danganronpa series got localized in the west; the first came out in the Spring while it’s sequal released later in the Fall.

Atlus gave some bullet points about Mask of Deception, an image of what the box art’s of the game look like, and even touched on that the game might need changes for localization purposes.

Small Content Edit: A brief note on content: While Atlus is committed to bringing over games that are as true to their original forms as possible, in the case of Mask of Deception, a scene had to have a small content edit to comply with various regional regulations about the depiction of physical discipline to minors. We worked with Aquaplus to keep the scope of the editing to an absolute minimum, and we both agree the change made to the scene in the game still conveys its full meaning without running into issues.

• An Unforgettable Story – Mask of Deception offers a story-rich visual novel experience (40-50+ hours long) that lets players shape the future of a fully realized world filled with fantastical lore and history! Mask of Deception sets up the story for a thrilling conclusion in Mask of Truth, and we’ll reveal more information about the final game at a later date.
• An Active SRPG Battle System – Players will need to defend Haku and his friends by engaging in intense SRPG combat with the various hostiles that populate the world. The battle system is a thrilling mix of turn-based tactics and Attack Chain mechanics. Players can remain active during combat by successfully completing timing-based charging rings to execute critical attacks or vital dodges/blocks.
• Fully Fleshed Out Combat – Unique combat features such as the rewind function, elemental affinities/weaknesses, unique character skills, and more add a layer of depth to fights. It’ll take true tactical acumen to emerge victorious in battle!
• Breathtaking Art – With a stunning art style and beautifully rendered cutscenes, the game is a feast for the eyes for Japanese visual novel and anime aficionados!
• Beautiful Songs and a Thrilling Score – The rousing music, recorded and remastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and EastWest Studios, is a perfect soundtrack to accompany a great adventure.

Source: Atlus Press Release