The Hero Unmasked!
By Christopher Huang
☆ (9/10)
Before there was Fallen Hero (“FH”), there was The Hero Unmasked! I don’t mean to compare the two to bring either game down; no, I want to point out the similarities between the two. While The Hero Unmasked! is FH’s older, happier brother; both games feature superheroes and villains, focus on duplicity, and well. Accept a player who believes in Hoe-ism™️ I want to gaslight and romance all the characters I can, basically. And that’s what this game does!
The Hero Unmasked! has a fun, bold set-up. You’re a simple civilian—except you work for a famous TV show, and you’re engaged to marry a mayor, who is quite literally the perfect spouse. However, some super bad dudes capture the city’s greatest hero, the Swashbuckler, and reveal their identity. The Swashbuckler, to your shock, is actually your twin sibling! Well, plot twist to the plot twist: because you guys are ~so~ similar, everyone thinks your sibling is you. As a result, you’re forced to take up their mantle and go along with the charade, so no one knows the all-mighty Swashbuckler has been kidnapped by some losers. It’s a silly premise that somehow works, and Christopher Huang adds great romance, humor, and surprisingly deep player reactivity to pull the whole thing together. I’m so grateful to the staff for giving me a review copy.
Pros:
Humor. I haven’t quite figured out how to describe humor besides “funny.” But Unmasked! is funny in a stupid way, I suppose? It leans into all the superhero tropes with kind of a wink to the audience—this is silly, but go with it. There are some good one-liners or cracks. It’s purposefully unbelievable. Like, for example, since you’re not as famous as your spouse, you’ll need correct a misspelling of your name. I put in “Kate,” as usual, only to see the misspelling: “Kater.” Ugh, these plebs. On the next page, you get to choose a name for your sibling. One of the default names is the mispelled name: “Kater.” So, the narrative says in-universe that people mistake you for your sibling. Of course, they get your last name right, a spelling similar to “Wojnoweski.” For some reason, this cracked me up—that the author would code an additional “r” to your correct name, then give that misspelling as the name of your sibling. But of course, the long and confusing last name is spelled perfectly. So, yeah, meet me, Kate, and my sister, Kater. Totally normal and cool.
ROs. I will be totally honest, once I saw that the MC was engaged, I added the game to my wishlist. They are quite literally the perfect, ideal spouse. It’s rare for IF to have such a set relationship. But no worries! For those who choose chaos, there’s also a charming, sharp female journalist, a male fiery (literally!) anti-hero, and a freakin’ lady vampire. Which leads me to my next pro …
Player choice. You are engaged, but does that stop you from flirting with other ROs? Not … necessarily 
Let’s just say I was amused when I took a peek into the code, and there was an INFIDELITY variable. Of course, what goes around, comes around. So let’s just say if you treat your fiancée like trash, that’s going to be reflected in the narrative There’s also great player choice when you’re masquerading as the Swashbuckler. You’ll meet new and familiar faces, and you can decide if you want to reveal your identity or not. Additionally, when facing off with mega villains, there are a couple of different ending options for each villain! You can get your butt kicked, kick butt, or even get kidnapped yourself . . .
Investigative gameplay. I was surprised by this portion of the game! Your sibling will drop hints about who the big, bad villain is. You will investigate the turf and/or lair of three potential suspects. Of course, it’s not as easy as just walking into Evil Casino #1 and asking for proof of villainy. No, for one sense, you’re investigating a suspicious church. Do you follow the trail of the money? Shake up common thugs? Intimidate one of the members? It was a neat addition!
Cons:
Length. I want to be clear, I don’t think the game is rushed at all. The pacing is quite tight, and there’s some dabbling in romance, gameplay, and character customization. I was quite happy with my playthrough. However, I think there’s a ton of untapped potential. What’s going to happen with the president? How does the MC react to the melding of brains? How was our relationship with our sibling? How can the MC balance civilian and superhero life? Can I get a real, normal damned wedding with the mayor?!
N-no sequel? 