Utawarerumono: ZAN is a Hack and Slash action game by Aquaplus and Tamsoft released on September 27th 2018 in Japan. Based on Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception, this game replaces most of the Visual Novel and Tactical RPG aspects for gameplay similar to Dynasty Warriors and/or Senran Kagura (with the Fanservice mostly expunged).
This game was released in the west almost a year later, on September 10th 2019 (in North America), September 13th 2019 (Europe) and September 20th 2019 (Australia/New Zealand).
Tropes:
- Actionized Adaptation: ZAN is a Dynasty Warriors-like adaptation of Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception, which happens to be the least combat-dense game in the series with only 17 battles. The prequel and sequel have 29/32* and 26 battles respectively.
- Adaptation Distillation: Due to the game's format, the game only keeps the essential so to not burden the player with too much superfluous information.
- Adaptation Expansion: ZAN actually adds a few battles where there wasn't any in Mask of Deception, most notably the part where Haku and Ukon sneak in the bugfighting ship, it ends up with a fight Dekopompo and Bokoinante before taking on a Boro-Gigiri. The bugfighting ship arena ends up also being the convenient arena level of the game.
- Compressed Adaptation: Continuing from Adaptation Distillation, this also means that many story lines have been cut and several important characters have either been reduced to a single mention or cut entirely.
- Evolving Title Screen: As you play through the game and gain more party members, they gradually fill up spots on the title screen, starting with Haku and Kuon and it eventually ends with Kuon gone and Haku as Oshtor.
- Promoted to Playable: Aside from Dream Battles, Oshtor was never playable either as Ukon or as himself in Mask of Deception (where, if present, is always an NPC) and Mask of Truth (where he is dead and his role being played by Haku). He is finally playable in this game where as Ukon, he is playable from the start and as Oshtor, he is DLC with an extra story battle.
- Spoiler Opening: The begining of the opening starts with a maskless Oshtor (notice the eyebrows) changing into Haku with his clothes on and putting on his mask, refering to how Haku has to become Oshtor after his death against Vurai in the end of Mask of Deception. Speaking of Vurai, he appears in the end of the opening to signify his importance in the original game.
