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."
Reviews
- The game features a captivating sci-fi atmosphere with beautiful hand-drawn backgrounds and decent voice acting.
- Puzzles are well-designed, offering a good balance of challenge without being overly difficult, and the built-in walkthrough is helpful.
- The story is intriguing with a nice twist at the end, keeping players engaged throughout the adventure.
- The voice acting and animations can be awkward and detract from the overall experience, with some dialogue being excessively long and poorly written.
- The ending is disappointing and feels like a tired trope, undermining the buildup of the story and leaving players unsatisfied.
- Some puzzles can be illogical or require 'moon logic', leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs.
- story71 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-written, while others criticize it for being generic and poorly executed, particularly in its ending. Many appreciated the nostalgic and mysterious elements, as well as the immersive atmosphere, but noted that the narrative sometimes veered into clichéd territory or became convoluted. Overall, the game's story is seen as a significant aspect, though its effectiveness varies widely among players.
“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.”
“I loved the setting from the start and, in the end, could really connect with the story on a personal level. Your mileage may vary depending on your own experiences in life.”
“The story and atmosphere kept me engaged the whole time.”
“The mini games were a waste of time because the story was as bad as the crappy ending it was leading up to.”
“If the story is important to you, don't buy this game.”
“And then the 'twist' happens and it seems to turn into a different game that lacks puzzles and the story turned out in a way I didn't like.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising the well-rendered environments and nostalgic classic feel, while others criticize outdated character models and awkward animations. Overall, many players appreciate the art style and ambiance, noting that despite some graphical glitches, the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
“The game's graphics might not be the most modern looking, but that also gives it that captivating classic feel; it gave me flashbacks to playing my all-time favorite point-and-click adventure game, way back in 2000.”
“Graphically, Monolith is a very good-looking game.”
“I'm loving the graphics, story, and the interface is a delight to use.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Some small graphics glitches, collision problems, and weird character cartoon shadows.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its depth and engagement, complementing a detailed storyline and well-crafted puzzles. Reviewers highlight that the immersive environment significantly enhances the overall experience, making it a standout feature despite some technical flaws.
“Very interesting and detailed storyline, nice atmosphere.”
“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.”
“The story and atmosphere kept me engaged the whole time.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a solid but ultimately frustrating point-and-click adventure, with good graphics and simple mechanics that rely heavily on inventory management. While it starts off engaging, the pacing falters towards the end, and players encounter obtuse puzzles that often require the use of a built-in walkthrough, detracting from the overall experience.
“It's a solid point-and-click adventure with good graphics and simple gameplay, but the core of a game like this, the riddles, mostly follow the same pattern: you use an item from the inventory on something in your surroundings, or you combine objects within the inventory.”
“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 (it's a sci-fi-ish game, I'll remind you).”
“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.”
- 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 lacks the comedic depth of classic LucasArts adventures. While the robots are seen as less funny than intended, the overall tone remains engaging and not overly serious.
“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.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, with interactions feeling monotonous and characters lacking depth. This contributes to a frustrating experience, particularly as the game relies heavily on its central pairing and puzzle mechanics, which are often poorly executed.
“It makes for some very tedious interactions.”
“Talking of tedious, the characters are dull as dishwater, and that's death for a game that's so clearly dependent on the central pairing.”
“The puzzles are either tedious or poorly explained.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game's voice acting has received mixed reviews, with some performances being described as weak and stilted, leading to a disconnect between the dialogue and subtitles. While the story itself is engaging, the inconsistency in voice acting quality detracts from 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 sci-fi ambiance is well rendered with the great old school graphics, the music is nice, the quests and puzzles fit very well with the story.”
