This Way Madness Lies Mimics Stage Performances Effectively

Setting the stage is important in games, and This Way Madness Lies does it quite well. Another one of Zeboyd Games’ humor-filled RPGs, this one stars a bunch of magical girls who are also actresses in their school’s drama club. Oh, and the worlds they’re saving actually alternate ones based on the stories of Shakespeare’s plays. So, appropriately enough, it’s constantly playing with the idea of these sorts of productions.

One of the most noticeable elements is that Zeboyd constantly treats as as though we are in the audience. While the actual exploration of worlds based on Shakespeare’s works are handled like an overhead RPG as usual, everything else forces a perspective that makes it seem like everything happening in the game is on a “stage,” and we’re watching from the seats. Battles? We’re behind the four magical girls currently fighting and the enemies are in rows past them. Seeing a story segment? It’s a 2D slice of the story where we’re watching from the side. Breaks between segments? We’re actually backstage and able to have Imogen, the lead, getting a chance to talk with all the other characters who share names with famous Shakespearean heroines.

Image via Zeboyd Games

The actual gameplay elements also treat the player as though they are someone watching along and this is a show, rather than a more traditional RPG where we can self-insert. For example, when the team is in a Shakespearean world saving the day, odds are you won’t get to explore as much. You won’t talk with NPCs, explore houses, or go off of beaten paths like you would in other titles. Everything is laid out a bit more rigidly. You only go inside of a place if the story demands it. Likewise, only major players appear for conversations, with their dialogue being critical to the moment at hand.

There’s also the breaking of the fourth wall. Imogen and the other heroines are very aware that they are being watched. So much so that we’re given nicknames and allowed to weigh in on the decisions, slightly influencing the game as a result. It calls to mind the idea of an actual Elizabethan audience being a little more active in the proceedings when viewing a Shakespearean play. They’d likely be more vocal, and so we are as well here.

This does mean the experience can be a bit limiting. Since This Way Madness Lies isn’t functioning as a traditional RPG, we aren’t getting the same degree of exploration. It’s a more streamlined approach as we go through specific acts and places when the story demands it. However, it is helpful that this is mitigated a bit by offering an option in the menu proper to trigger a battle. That way if you are feeling underleveled during an intermission or at some other point, a remedy is right there.

In short, This Way Madness Lies ends up feeling something like a playable play itself. You’re shifting around the cast sometimes. The perspective places you in the audience, watching both the daily lives and the activities. Between “acts,” you get little “intermissions” to talk to the “actors.” Zeboyd really makes sure it sticks with the vibe its presenting.

This Way Madness Lies is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC.