Skip to main content

MONARK

Monark's creepy setting, tactical combat and banging soundtrack is well worth experiencing, but prepare for some obtuse puzzles.
MONARK Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
story, music
grinding, optimization
72% User Score Based on 104 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCPlaystation 5Playstation 4WindowsPlayStation
Buy Nowfrom $17.99
Buy NowGet on Steam $17.99
MONARK Game Cover

About

MONARK is a single player role playing game with fantasy and anime themes. It was developed by FURYU Corporation and was released on February 22, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Monark is a single-player Fantasy Turn Based Strategy game with an interesting plot, good graphics, and an ingenious soundtrack. Explore the Mist of the real world and fight in the Otherworld to unravel the mysteries surrounding your academy and save the world from madness. Strengthen your Ego, customize your Fiends, and use tactical systems to defeat enemies in this dark neo-fantasy style game."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Skip User Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews
story42 positive mentions
grinding40 negative mentions
  • The combat system is engaging and revolves around a unique resonance mechanic that allows for strategic team play and powerful combos.
  • The story is intriguing with well-developed characters, exploring deep themes of emotion and personal struggles.
  • The soundtrack is exceptional, featuring catchy boss music that enhances the overall experience and keeps players hyped during battles.
  • The game suffers from tedious grinding, making progression feel unnecessarily prolonged and repetitive.
  • The ending feels rushed and unsatisfying, leaving players wanting more closure and resolution.
  • Instant death mechanics can be frustrating, especially during boss fights, where a single mistake can lead to a game over.
  • story
    144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Monark" is a mixed bag, featuring an intriguing premise set in a magical academy with well-developed characters and emotional depth, but suffers from a slow start and pacing issues that can make it feel tedious. While some players appreciate the plot twists and character development, others criticize the writing quality and predictability, leading to a perception of the narrative as both engaging and flawed. Overall, it appeals to fans of story-rich JRPGs, though it may not meet the expectations of those seeking a tightly woven narrative.

    • “I loved the story; the setting is intriguing, it's got a fair amount of plot twists, and you get to guess some of them by reading records found around the map, which made that feel rewarding.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly fun, the story is engaging and interesting all the way through, the characters are amazing and very relatable, and the music is incredible.”
    • “The story is also very good; while the location and some plot points may seem familiar, the story itself is unique and has some genuinely surprising moments.”
    • “The beginning of the story seems too rushed; there aren't really developments on the characters or enough scenes to 'get to know' the main characters.”
    • “The story starts in media res, but takes a painfully long time to explain how and why things got there.”
    • “The plot is very slow in the beginning, and the plotline between Nozomi and Kurama is boring compared to the plotlines seen later in the game because it involves politics in the student council.”
  • music
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, particularly during boss battles, where the vocal tracks enhance the intensity and atmosphere. While the overall soundtrack is considered fantastic, some players noted issues with repetition and the looping of in-game versions of songs. Despite these minor drawbacks, the music significantly contributes to the game's engaging experience, making it a standout feature for many players.

    • “Another thing I loved is the music; the voiced tracks are absolute bangers while also accompanying the characters they represent extremely well.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing; I love the art, and the atmosphere reminds me of Persona 3 at times.”
    • “The music in this game is a huge bop; the character art styles are amazing and the story is pretty good.”
    • “The soundtracks are really nice, but sadly the in-game versions aren't the full songs; they're cut and looped.”
    • “In some scenes, there is missing music, and I don't think it is a bug.”
    • “While traversing mist areas, there's no music to keep you in suspense while exploring the unknown, which is a neat touch.”
  • gameplay
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a mix of turn-based strategy with various mechanics that can become complex and enjoyable as players progress, though early battles may be challenging. While the game offers a variety of mechanics and character options, many feel underutilized, leading to a repetitive gameplay loop that can detract from the overall experience. Despite its engaging story and character development, the execution of gameplay mechanics is often criticized for being simplistic and grindy.

    • “One thing I really enjoyed about the gameplay is that your character plays a more supportive role from the back rather than being a powerhouse. This can be enjoyable as an enabler of other characters' strengths rather than just a damage dealer.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly fun, the story is engaging and interesting all the way through, the characters are amazing and very relatable, and the music is incredible.”
    • “The game adds a lot of different gameplay twists the more you play, and it does get complex, but the gameplay really grows on you as you unlock more options to break the game.”
    • “The actual gameplay loop is pretty repetitive and stale - go to a building, clear 3 floors (each floor is basically puzzle -> fight), fight the boss on the third floor, and repeat until the end of the game. Most games' loops are pretty mediocre when broken down like this, so maybe it was exacerbated by the boring world.”
    • “It is incredibly simple, with repetitive gameplay that does little of note and a dull, poorly written story.”
    • “About 90% of fights you can finish simply by using basic attacks, and a lot of the time, you have to go out of your way to actually use the more complex mechanics.”
  • grinding
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding in the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to engage in lengthy battles against identical enemies to progress. While some players appreciate the story and combat mechanics, many find the grind detracts from the overall experience, leading to a sense of frustration and a need for guides to optimize progression. Overall, the game is described as excessively grindy, demanding significant time investment for completion.

    • “Everything about it is a tedious and boring slog.”
    • “It exists to add 10+ hours of rather mindless grinding to the playtime of anyone hoping to get 100% completion in the game.”
    • “What you are left with is an incredibly grindy, repetitive, and unfulfilling game loop.”
  • graphics
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the anime-inspired art style is appealing, the overall graphical quality is underwhelming, especially for a 2022 release. Performance issues persist even on high-end hardware, and animations are often criticized for their stiffness. Despite these shortcomings, the unique aesthetic and accompanying music have been praised, suggesting that the game's strengths lie more in its narrative and artistic direction than in its visual fidelity.

    • “Thematically, this game is a banger. I love the art style a lot, and the boss OSTs are phenomenal, worth listening to by themselves honestly.”
    • “The game does have a pretty unique art style to it; I will give it that it was certainly interesting to look at.”
    • “I think the graphics are decent, and the art style is super nice.”
    • “Game runs extremely poorly even on a 4070 and the graphic settings do nothing.”
    • “I'm no expert in game visuals, but even I can see how bad the 3D models are.”
    • “- Graphics are very underwhelming for a 2022 game, and the characters' personalities suffer a lot from lack of good animations and facial expressions.”
  • character development
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the depth and design of the characters, particularly in the latter acts. While the story and combat are praised, some reviewers feel that certain aspects of character backstories and motivations could have been better explored. Overall, the development is engaging but somewhat stereotypical, reflecting the rebellious nature of the teenage characters.

    • “If you played The Caligula Effect and enjoyed the character development in those games, you can expect to see more of it in Monark.”
    • “Character development is great and comes off as stereotypical but really fleshes out in Act II.”
    • “To summarize, the story is well thought out, as is the combat. The human character development is good (about as developed as you'd expect a bunch of rebellious teens to be).”
    • “Some character development could have explained why each student was singled out, the reason each sin related to the power it gave, and overall show more about the demons behind everything that's going on.”
    • “The lack of depth in character development left me feeling disconnected from the story and the characters' motivations.”
    • “I expected more growth and complexity from the characters, but they felt one-dimensional and predictable throughout the game.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game effectively captures major emotional moments, delivering a satisfying narrative with impactful plot twists and a moving cast of characters. While it attempts to tackle deep themes like depression and self-doubt, some reviewers feel that the writing quality detracts from its emotional depth. Overall, it resonates emotionally, despite pacing issues and a lack of narrative depth compared to other titles.

    • “Most importantly, it manages to nail the major emotional beats in its story in a satisfying manner.”
    • “The intermission between the two halves of the game is full of plot twists that shocked me and even made me feel emotional.”
    • “All of these topped off with an emotionally moving cast of characters and a story that really kept me going despite the game's length and slightly questionable gameplay-related pacing issues somewhere in the middle portion.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant stuttering and frame rate issues even on high-end hardware. While some workarounds have been suggested, they do not fully resolve the performance problems, leading many to feel that the game feels unfinished.

    • “Performance is sadly not so great on high-end hardware; I hope it will be patched soon.”
    • “Firstly, I had crazy stuttering issues throughout. Doing a workaround posted in the discussions helped but didn't fix it completely, which obviously detracts from the experience.”
    • “It's not optimized well and has stutters even on high-end hardware, and is generally an unfinished game.”
    • “Performance is sadly not so great on high-end hardware; hope it will be patched...”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its well-composed soundtrack and artistic design, evoking comparisons to titles like Persona 3 and Shin Megami Tensei. Reviewers appreciate the creepy and oppressive ambiance, which enhances the overall experience, while even the low-fps cutscenes contribute a nostalgic charm reminiscent of PS1 games.

    • “I find the songs well composed and capable of setting the right atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing, I love the art, and the atmosphere reminds me of Persona 3 at times.”
    • “You can definitely feel the SMT influence in Monark's atmosphere, and as a Megaten fan, the game didn't need more to grab my attention.”
    • “The atmosphere in the mist is very creepy and oppressive, and I'm all for it.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the monetization aspect frustrating due to high prices and a lack of clear advertising regarding costs.

    • “The only thing that is annoying is the price and it's not advertised enough.”
    • “The monetization model feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I feel pressured to spend money to enjoy the game fully, which is frustrating.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some writing and characters providing enjoyable moments, while the long pauses in dialogue can create an awkward atmosphere that may be funny in certain contexts. Overall, the comedic elements are inconsistent but have potential.

    • “Some of the writing is funny, and a few characters are enjoyable.”
    • “The long pauses between people talking made the dialogue scenes strange, which could be funny in some situations.”
Skip Critic Reviews

80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy MONARK

13h Median play time
11h Average play time
6-15h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like MONARK

Games Like MONARK

BLUE REFLECTION Image
74%927reviews

BLUE REFLECTION

2017Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchPCPlaystation 5+4
Battle Chasers: Nightwar Image
81%4.7kreviews

Battle Chasers: Nightwar

2017Role Playing Shooter
Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5+14
Cosmic Star Heroine Image
83%1.1kreviews

Cosmic Star Heroine

2017Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchPCPlaystation 5+6
Skyborn Image
88%1.2kreviews

Skyborn

2014Casual Role Playing
LinuxPCMac OS+1
Tales of Arise Image
87%20.7kreviews

Tales of Arise

2021Role Playing
Xbox Series X|SPCXbox Game Pass+9
More games like MONARK
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

MONARK is a role playing game with fantasy and anime themes.

MONARK is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing MONARK.

MONARK was released on February 22, 2022.

MONARK was developed by FURYU Corporation.

MONARK has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

MONARK is a single player game.

Similar games include BLUE REFLECTION, Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Cosmic Star Heroine, Skyborn, Tales of Arise and others.