Monolith
- October 11, 2023
- Animation Arts
- 11h median play time
Get on Steam"Monolith is a single-player Mystery Point and Click game with sensational graphics and story. As space explorer Tessa, crash-landed on a barren planet, you must uncover the fate of a abandoned mining station, owned by your employer, to escape. With the help of your analysis robot CORE, solve puzzles, restore the station and uncover chilling secrets in this thrilling and emotional adventure."
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Reviews
- Engaging and well-structured story with intriguing twists and a captivating sci-fi atmosphere.
- Visually appealing graphics and art direction, complemented by decent voice acting.
- Logical puzzles that are mostly enjoyable and not overly difficult, with a built-in walkthrough for assistance.
- The ending is disappointing and relies on a clichéd twist that undermines the overall narrative.
- Some puzzles can be obscure or illogical, leading to frustration and reliance on external guides.
- Voice acting and animations can be inconsistent, detracting from the immersion of the experience.
- story102 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many praising its intriguing and well-structured narrative, engaging atmosphere, and character development. However, some players found the plot to be generic or disappointing, particularly criticizing the ending for being anticlimactic or overly familiar. Overall, while the story captivates many, it may not resonate with everyone, especially those seeking a more original or impactful conclusion.
“Monolith is a real hidden gem in the point & click genre; I did not expect too much going in to play it, but the game's story is absolutely great, the voice acting is near perfect, and the characters are believable and relatable.”
“Having finished the game and reflected on the way the story was told, I think the developers have done a brilliant job, not only of how the story evolves but the way they keep you guessing about what really happened to your character until you are close to the end.”
“The story is good and the puzzles are very logical, and the game has a very nice flow.”
“The mini games were to waste time because the story was as bad as the crappy ending it was leading up to.”
“I got bored about an hour and a half in and decided to skip through a video walkthrough to get a general idea of whether or not it improves only to find that it switches away from what the demo and screenshots billed it as and starts moralizing and introspecting in ways we have seen countless times in better games.”
“If the story is important to you: don't buy this game.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed artwork and nostalgic classic feel, while others criticize outdated character models and awkward animations. Some players appreciate the overall aesthetic and immersive environments, but note issues with clarity regarding paths and interactions. Despite minor glitches and inconsistencies, the visuals are generally considered good for the game's genre and price point, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“Great story and visuals, highly recommended.”
“The graphics are great.”
“The artwork is detailed and overall, it is a fun environment to explore.”
“Basic things like not being able to tell from the graphics what exits and entrances or paths there are.”
“Firstly, the artwork for the environments is well done and pleasingly rendered, but the character models would be more fitting for a game from 20 years ago and the voice acting and localization is awful.”
“The immediacy of poor voice acting and awkward animations was a terminal turn off for me, despite loving so much about the setting and general aesthetic.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, starting as a solid point-and-click adventure with engaging puzzles and a journal system, but it suffers from pacing issues and a reliance on repetitive inventory mechanics. While some players appreciate the graphics and mini-games, others find the puzzles frustratingly obtuse and illogical, leading to frequent use of the built-in walkthrough. Overall, the game showcases improvements in gameplay but ultimately falters due to its design choices and pacing in the latter stages.
“The story is not as good as in previous animation arts games (still ok for me), but the team improved a lot in gameplay aspects, so thumbs up.”
“It's a solid point-and-click adventure with good graphics and simple gameplay, but the center of a game like this, the riddles, follow mostly the same pattern: you use an item from the inventory on something in your surroundings, or you combine objects within the inventory.”
“- Interesting and engaging puzzle mechanics, mostly typical point-and-click inventory based with some mini-games thrown in which you can skip if you want.”
“I enjoyed playing it but thought the pacing of the gameplay at the end left a lot to be desired.”
“The gameplay starts out as a serviceable if unimaginative point and click game but then devolves into obtuse puzzles where basic science doesn't matter and it's easier to click on stuff.”
“Even though Monolith starts with solid ingredients and some flaws, for me it crashes around the two-thirds mark, when the story and the gameplay take a sharp turn.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its depth and engagement, with many reviewers highlighting its strong narrative and cinematic qualities. Players appreciate the detailed storytelling and the immersive environment, which effectively enhance the overall experience, despite some minor gameplay flaws. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that captivates and maintains player interest throughout.
“The aspect in which [i]monolith[/i] shines is the enigmatic atmosphere that it conveys and the strong cinematic component of the game.”
“The story and atmosphere kept me engaged the whole time.”
“Very atmospheric; excellent quality as long as observant in different areas can find clues to areas and how to solve puzzles overall very good game.”
“Point-and-click adventures need to excel in three departments: story, puzzles, and atmosphere.”
“It's janky as all hell, but the story and atmosphere make up for it.”
“Although there is still some adventure logic present, such as when you put large objects in your pockets, it doesn’t break the atmosphere.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the repetitive and tedious nature of collecting clues, which often involves aimless navigation. Additionally, the dull character interactions and poorly designed puzzles contribute to an overall sense of monotony, detracting from the game's engagement.
“Navigating around to systematically cover all ground to collect clues is frustrating, as it involves a lot of repetition and is tedious.”
“It makes for some very tedious interactions.”
“The puzzles are either tedious or poorly explained.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of light-heartedness and subtlety, with some enjoyable dialogue moments, though it may not reach the comedic heights of classic LucasArts adventures. While the robots are seen as less funny than intended, the overall tone remains engaging and charming, complemented by well-executed graphics.
“There are some humorous bits in the dialogue, but this is no LucasArts adventure; the tone is more serious, but overall still light-hearted and never as melancholic as some of Daedalic’s adventures.”
“The graphics are spot on, the humor is great.”
“The game also has some charming subtle humor.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game's voice acting and dialogue delivery has received mixed reviews, with some performances being criticized as weak and stilted. Additionally, discrepancies between subtitles and spoken dialogue have been noted, impacting the overall experience.
“The supporting cast is even weaker, with some shocking performances in parts.”
“I found the story to be interesting and well told, with some nice dialogue, but also some rather stilted performances from some of the voice actors, with the subtitles not always matching the spoken words.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a visually appealing presentation and a compelling narrative, with a main protagonist whose emotional depth adds to the overall entertainment value. However, some players feel that the intended heartwarming tone may not resonate as strongly, suggesting a disconnect between the developers' goals and the players' experiences.
“The game has good graphics, a dense story, and an emotional main protagonist who is always on the edge - it makes for good entertainment.”
“That may be harsh, and I'm sure the developers were instead aiming for a heartwarming, family-friendly story.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its fitting sci-fi ambiance, described as "science-fiction study music," which complements the old-school graphics and enhances the overall atmosphere. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, some players noted that it effectively supports the game's quests and puzzles, contributing to an immersive experience.
“The soundtrack was also a good match; I would describe it as science-fiction study music most of the time.”
“The music is nice, and the quests and puzzles fit very well with the story.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game experiences a few glitches, but these issues do not significantly impact overall stability.
“There are a few glitches here and there.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy.”
“I experienced constant lag and instability during gameplay.”
