Monsters and Monocles remind me of “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” or “The Avengers” set in an entirely unknown pixellated universe. This league of Sophisticated Gentleman and women are fighting evil to regain balance between good and bad. This group consists of different unique characters such as a man, woman, dog and a monocyclic robot. Dark clouds are scattered across different worlds and it’s raining monster-like beings like it’s nothing. It’s the job of this tiny league to use an incredible amount of weaponry to vanquish these enemies as quickly as they can before the dark forces overwhelm their beloved worlds.
The story of the game is quite simple. An unknown person opens up a mysterious jar containing nothing but dark forces. As this person’s interests quickly rises, he opens up the jar and out comes the creepy monsters spreading across different places. This ghost hunting league of four jumps out their flying zeppelin, hoping to cleanse these worlds from those hideous creatures. The story is a bit of a letdown but then again, these games are more for the gameplay experience than the narrative. The game is a top-down shooter for up to 4 players. You can play the game single-handed or cooperatively, local and/or online. I prefer the co-op mode because blasting your way through different waves of mobs is much more fun when you can share it with another person
You choose one of the 4 characters and you’re teleported to a certain world that’s being overrun by these creatures. Each character starts off with a revolver and they can eventually hold up to weapons. Weapons are randomly placed in destructible objects on the map, so you can just pick it up and start experimenting with your new big ass gun. You move around with your left analog stick and aim/shoot with your right analog stick. You can also use your mouse and keyboard for those who aren’t fond of the controller button layout. Enemies or destructible objects can drop weapons (as I said before) but also health and coins. This drop rate is entirely random. The player has to complete different objectives in the world before they can actually move on. Each world has 3 basic levels, formed by different “smaller levels”. Each level has its own unique enemies, not the “copy & paste” kind of re-skin monsters. They’re enjoyable to look at and it’s even more satisfying killing them. If an objective is completed, the party can move on to the next level. Between each level, there’s a shop where you can refill your health, get a power-up or even buy a new gun. The 8-bit pixellated world is viewed top-down, the graphics are colorful and the retro music really gets you into the game. Also, there are different layouts throughout the game which make up for a lot of different “environments” while gaming.
The game itself plays a bit like Nuclear Throne but the game truly feels like a big step up from other top-down shooter games. The game is very challenging due to the “open levels” and “a lot more enemies on the screen”. It can get a bit hectic at first and you’ll die a lot throughout the game but in the end, you’ll use a lot more of your open spaces and you’ll keep a better lookout on the enemies projectiles . Even the boss fights are well designed and a blast to play. There’s also a relic system that lets you equip different relics to enhance weapons and even add new abilities to your character.
The best way to play this game is with a friend or even a couple of friends. It’s an easy pick up and play kind of game with an addictive touch. In the beginning, you’ll die very often but it’s worth trying again and again. You learn from your mistakes and you take on a different approach. The game is also a bit hectic but this can form up different humoristic situations with your friends. If you don’t have friends close to you, you can still go online and check out the built-in server that’s easy to use.
The game looks fairly simple but don’t let the game deceive you when it comes to its true potential: the mechanics are simple but the enemies won’t let you go out and walking that easily. The “graphics and sound” part of the game suit the game perfectly, I mean the 8-bit setting with all of these colorful panels takes you back to some real old school gaming. It’s a game that you can easily pick up with some friends and play without thinking too much. If you want a blast with a simple but yet challenging and humoristic game then this might be the game you want.
| The good | The Bad |
| – simple but challenging | – simplistic story |
| – 8-bit themed | – technical bugs |
| – just a fun top-down shooter game | |
| – local and online co-op |
Score: 4 out of 5:
