Frogmonster
- April 2, 2024
- Ben Jungwirth
Get on Steam"Frogmonster is a single-player, open world fantasy Metroidvania FPS adventure with impressive mechanics and graphics. Protect Melora from Runi, battling over 20 unique bosses and catching bugs with your tongue for bonuses. Explore the colorful world, find upgrades and abilities, and use weapons and spells to defeat enemies and restore balance."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Frogmonster features incredibly unique and creative boss fights that challenge players with diverse mechanics and phases.
- The game combines charming voxel art with engaging gameplay, offering a satisfying mix of exploration and combat.
- The bug-catching mechanic adds depth to gameplay, allowing for various builds and strategies that enhance the overall experience.
- The sound design, particularly the music, is often repetitive and can detract from the immersive experience.
- Some players find the navigation challenging due to a lack of distinct landmarks and a less detailed map.
- The difficulty curve can be inconsistent, with some bosses feeling overly punishing compared to others, leading to frustration.
- music138 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature due to short looping tracks that can become grating over time. While some appreciate the ambiance it creates and its fit with the game's art style, others criticize the lack of diversity and the absence of unique tracks for boss battles, leading to a dissonance during key moments. Overall, while the sound design complements the game well, the soundtrack is seen as a weak point that could benefit from improvement.
“This game feels great to play (super juicy movement/shooting), is beautiful to look at, and has incredible sound design, amazing music, great environments, and really compelling worldbuilding, characters, and storytelling, but it really shines in the boss battles (of which there are many).”
“The music also works well on that front, carrying this mysterious feel everywhere you go.”
“The environments, art, and soundtrack match perfectly to create a charming and calm vibe which contrasts the frantic combat beautifully.”
“The only thing that's truly lacking is the music.”
“The game's music attempts to set a fitting ambiance for each area, though it can become repetitive due to short, looping tracks.”
“The only negative aspect that I can think of is the music, which usually consists of very short loops and which can at times be a little grating.”
- gameplay114 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Frogmonster is characterized by its smooth mechanics, inventive boss designs, and a unique bug-catching feature that enhances player abilities. Players appreciate the variety of challenges presented by over 20 distinct bosses, each with unique mechanics, alongside a fluid mix of jumping, dashing, and shooting reminiscent of classic FPS games. While the game excels in creativity and engagement, some players note issues with the bug-catching mechanic and a slow start, but overall, it offers a charming and enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
“Every mechanic feels polished and fun.”
“The gameplay itself, whether it is in the basic enemy encounter design or the very memorable boss fights, will always keep you on your toes, as you are dashing and hopping along through its memorable combat arenas.”
“The many boss fights are a big highlight of the game, as they're extremely inventive and full of crazy, fun ideas, always bringing something new to the table and pushing the game mechanics in interesting ways.”
“For me though, I just couldn't get connected to the gameplay and feel of the controls.”
“While it impresses with imaginative boss designs and innovative gameplay mechanics, such as enemy weak points, it falters with repetitive music, navigational difficulties, and a flawed bug-catching mechanic.”
“It feels like once the game starts going, it kind of ends before utilizing all the mechanics fully world-wise; maybe we'll get a DLC with more platforming.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming voxel art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. While some players noted minor navigation issues and suggested improvements to visual feedback during combat, the unique art direction and variety of environments contribute to an engaging visual experience. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, complementing the game's humor and challenging gameplay.
“The game is about traversing environments, killing enemies, killing bosses, and finding secrets, all to the backdrop of gorgeous voxel graphics.”
“Delightfully challenging metroidvania FPS with a well-executed focus on a variety of unique boss battles - I love the atmosphere of the voxel graphics and the simple soundtrack; I think it works super well.”
“Plus, this is probably voxel art done the best way possible - beautiful in the way fantastic pixel art is beautiful, and while there are a few areas where the voxels can make the visuals a little too busy, there's no shortage of places to get lost in.”
“I didn't like the visuals of this game at first.”
“Visually, Frogmonster utilizes voxel graphics which, while charming in concept, contribute to frustrating navigation.”
“The voxel graphics were sometimes a bit disorienting and the weapon wheel could do with some visual aid (since I kept forgetting which weapon was which).”
- story36 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring compelling worldbuilding, unique characters, and a minimal yet effective narrative that enhances the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the quirky tone and witty dialogue, which add levity to the adventure, while the "chosen one" theme provides a personal touch. However, some players noted minor bugs affecting plot triggers and expressed a desire for more optional content and side quests.
“What an astounding feat, a very fun and very challenging game with a pretty great story as well!”
“The story is surprisingly good in my opinion for how minimal it is, and serves exactly the purpose it needs to serve.”
“I came for the cool visual style and the grungy swamp aesthetic, but I was surprised by how much the story drew me in too.”
“Story is forgettable.”
“It would be great to have a few optional/hidden regions and more hidden NPCs to come across, or side quests that don't progress along with the main story.”
“This sounds close to a 'chosen one' type of story, doesn't it?”
- atmosphere34 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its immersive and unique qualities, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and engaging visuals. Players appreciate the blend of combat and exploration within a beautifully crafted world, often describing it as both comfy and unsettling in a positive way. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“Finally, the music and atmosphere is superb.”
“This is an atmospheric gem with fun and frantic combat as well as light exploration and weapon customization.”
“Atmospherically and visually the game is a 10/10.”
“Animations and atmosphere are okay.”
“This actually added to the atmosphere and made the game more unsettling (in a good way).”
“Love the atmosphere and the world!”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its charming and goofy elements, such as funny NPC interactions and quirky sound effects. The unique and hilarious boss encounters, along with the cutesy art style, contribute to an overall lighthearted and enjoyable experience, making it a standout title for those seeking both challenge and comedy. Players appreciate the blend of humor with engaging gameplay, creating a memorable atmosphere throughout their adventure.
“Overall, this game is hilarious, it's fun, it has super cool ideas, probably one of the favorite games I've played in the last year.”
“The NPCs are fun to interact with, the game has a nice humor and don't get fooled by the graphic style, it can be very challenging.”
“The vibe of being a funny lil guy wandering through a dangerous world made for people much bigger than you is immaculate.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably poor, with frequent stuttering when entering new areas and significant frame drops during boss fights and underwater sections. Players have reported that the game even prompts them to disable shadows to improve performance, indicating a lack of effective optimization despite its subpar graphics. Overall, there are strong hopes for future performance improvements, particularly for the Steam Deck.
“I wish Steam Deck performance was better.”
“I hope it gets better performance for Deck.”
“I wish the Steam Deck performance was better.”
“I hope it gets better performance for the Deck.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of "Frogmonster" engaging, particularly through the rewarding experience of collecting trophies from defeated bosses, which fosters a sense of accomplishment and connection to the game's charming characters. The overall atmosphere is described as wholesome, enhancing the emotional investment in the gameplay.
“One small detail is that when you beat a boss, one character keeps trophies of those bosses in his hut, and seeing the trove of trophies grow throughout the game made me feel like a frogbadass!”
“Frogmonster, a fun little voxel shooter with a lot of charm, wholesome characters, and unique bosses.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to erratic bug behavior and the tediousness of chasing them, which detracts from enjoyment. While puzzles offer minimal rewards and can feel skippable, they are quicker and more rewarding than grinding enemies, as players can purchase desirable items from shops. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a less appealing option compared to other gameplay elements.
“Erratic bug behavior and the tediousness of chasing them detract from the overall enjoyment, potentially frustrating players seeking a smoother gameplay experience.”
“Puzzles consist of only some standard push puzzles with basic currency rewards, leading to a desire to skip them. However, they are easy, quick, and not too numerous, making them a faster and better option than grinding enemies, especially since there are shops with nice items to buy.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its stunning designs and rich personality, highlighting how these elements contribute to an immersive and engaging experience.
“The world and character designs are beautiful and have so much personality.”
