Instead of tromping through the standard fantasy fields and forests of the Sword Coast, the expansion brings you to Rashemen, a spirit-infested land where witches and Red Wizards maintain order and shadow portals open the way to demons and gods. To keep with this ghostly theme and reinforce the driving force of the narrative, your character is burdened with a spirit meter, a mechanic which essentially keeps you on the move and forces you to be much more selective about when to rest your party. Through the meter you do gain a few neat abilities with more unlocking as things progress, but ultimately the meter felt more like an unnecessary nuisance than a well-integrated gameplay feature. You'll figure out how to deal with it eventually, but throughout the game it remains an annoyance.

Meter issues aside, you'll find Mask of the Betrayer's narrative to be well done overall. You don't spend loads of time dungeon crawling mostly because there aren't that many huge dungeons to crawl around in. Most combat areas are smaller and feature fewer enemies than you might expect with a game like this, keeping the focus on plot and character development. A notable exception is the Academy, which requires a surprising amount of problem solving skills to complete. It can be an enjoyable diversion, featuring a number of side-quests to absorb your time like a golem boxing match. It really jumps out of nowhere, however, and slows down the game's otherwise high-tempo progression. It isn't really a problem, just unexpected. When you do head out into the field to fight, expect some challenging resistance, as many foes in the game will easily shred an improperly buffed party.​