Monster Monpiece
- March 14, 2017
- COMPILE HEART
- 13h median play time
Monster Monpiece is certainly not the average digital card game. Upgrading cards requires players to rub down their would-be monster girl soldiers and it features a heavy dose of visual novel style storytelling. It is, however, an okay story at best and a decent card battler. It doesn't stand out much from the field other than its "Crush Rub" upgrade system but, hey, at least it's uncensored.
Monster Monpiece is a card-based battler where you play as May Esperio and aim to become a master in a world of coexistence between humans and "monster girls." The game features over 1
Reviews
- Unique and addictive card-based gameplay that combines strategy and luck.
- Stunning art style with a variety of eye-catching monster girl designs.
- Simple to learn mechanics that allow for deep deck customization and strategy.
- Repetitive gameplay that can become tedious over time, especially with grinding for cards.
- Weak story and character development that fails to engage players.
- Microtransactions for card packs in a single-player game, which can feel unnecessary and greedy.
- story164 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in this game is widely regarded as simplistic, predictable, and often forgettable, with many reviewers noting its lack of depth and originality. While some appreciate the lighthearted and cute elements, the overall narrative is criticized for being bland, repetitive, and filled with clichés, making it feel like a mere backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling experience. Despite a few interesting moments and character interactions, the consensus is that players are primarily drawn to the card mechanics and fanservice rather than the story itself.
“The dialogues and the dynamics between the characters in the story are really well done.”
“The story is cute but very predictable, like almost everything else about this game.”
“Overall, I really enjoyed the story and characters.”
“Give anyone a pen and paper, and they could write a better story, and since this is a story-based deck builder...”
“The story from start to finish has little to no twist; it's as you see it, with some very repetitive encounters between the characters.”
“The story is very simple, generic, and is one of the weakest points of this game.”
- gameplay132 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of card battle mechanics and strategic decision-making, offering a fun and engaging experience, particularly for fans of collectible card games. While the core mechanics are solid and addictive, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive and simplistic over time, with certain mechanics, like the "rubbing" for card upgrades, being polarizing. Overall, the game provides a decent amount of content and tactical depth, making it enjoyable despite its flaws.
“The gameplay is incredibly addicting; you'll find yourself wasting hour after hour just playing this game, and it's so fun that you don't even get mad about it.”
“The core gameplay loop is fun and interesting; it's also a lot of fun to see how cards change when they level up.”
“The card battle gameplay is simple but offers a surprising amount of strategic and tactical depth.”
“It took me 30+ hours just to get through the main story, and the majority of that is from dialogue, not actual gameplay.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty bland.”
“The gameplay is way too simple and repetitive... what can I say about this game?”
- graphics50 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning artwork and unique designs of the monster girls, while others criticize the overall visuals as dated and lacking depth. Although the game features full HD graphics in its port, some players feel that the graphical representation is underdeveloped compared to modern standards. Overall, the artwork is highlighted as a strong point, but the game's visual execution leaves room for improvement.
“Plus, the game's art style is absolutely stunning, with each monster girl boasting a unique and eye-catching design.”
“Overall, the artwork of the game is really good.”
“Thankfully this port has full HD (1080p) graphics and not just the original PS Vita graphics.”
“Graphics look dated.”
“This game isn’t visually interesting — in fact, I consider the visuals to be one of the weakest points of this game.”
“The graphics are also very plain; there are only four different models for the field in three levels of dress.”
- grinding39 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early and late stages where currency and card upgrades are slow to accumulate. Players note that while some grinding is necessary for deck building and unlocking content, it often feels repetitive and lacks meaningful rewards, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite the option to engage in microtransactions to alleviate some of the grind, many players feel that the game could benefit from a more streamlined approach to progression.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Little to no grinding is required to beat the game.”
“Everything about this game is tedious.”
“The game decides at one point to ramp difficulty up and it gets harder and way more grindy from that point onward.”
“Upgrading some cards requires 'seal stones' which cost very, very high amounts of gold, so if you want to upgrade all your monster girls, be prepared for some grinding.”
- music33 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its unique tracks that blend electric guitars, retro electronics, and choirs, while others find it generic or repetitive, particularly during battles. Overall, the soundtrack is described as well-mastered and fitting for the game's atmosphere, though some players noted that it can become annoying over time. While a few standout tracks are appreciated, the overall consensus suggests that the music, while decent, lacks variety and depth.
“The music is nice, and fits well with the situations - except at the end the map theme being the same while everyone turns lost was a major turnoff from the situation.”
“Also want to point out towards the music - unique tracks mixing some electric guitars, retro electronics, and choirs which I find very appealing.”
“The soundtrack is well-mastered and in my opinion really good with enough tracks to not get bored.”
“The music is also generic.”
“Too short soundtrack where they play the same song over and over again during battles.”
“Goes to a black screen with music even if you uninstall and reinstall it stays messed up like that.”
- monetization30 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of *Monster Monpiece* features microtransactions for card packs, which some players view as unnecessary in a single-player game. While these purchases can provide access to rare cards, they are not essential for completing the game, as all cards can be obtained through gameplay. However, the presence of microtransactions has drawn criticism, particularly for being a remnant of the game's original Vita release, leading to concerns about grind and accessibility for completionists.
“Without giving into the online store (or microtransactions), Monster Monpiece can be super-grindy; however, you don’t need to spend a dime to steamroll the game.”
“There is absolutely no need to purchase the online shop card packs using microtransactions.”
“This game has microtransactions available to buy card packs in the game, but they are certainly not needed to beat the game.”
“Microtransactions on a single player game?!”
“The +1 cards completely outclass the standard cards, meaning that to continue progressing you have to either grind or pay real money for microtransactions and hope to get higher-tiered cards from booster packs in order to proceed with the story.”
“Microtransactions really bring this game down, especially with no way to restore erased data.”
- humor7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the lighthearted elements and funny mechanics, others find certain aspects, like voice lines and character interactions, to be cringeworthy or lacking in depth. The overall comedic tone is seen as enjoyable but not as strong or engaging as in other similar titles, leading to a somewhat underwhelming experience for those seeking more humor.
“At first this seems unfair but really it's hilarious how much a non-threat the AI manages to be with practically infinite mana.”
“Oh, and the characters are also funny.”
“The game has a light, slightly funny but still enjoyable story and an even better after story.”
“The game's unique strengthening mode is funny at first, but gets cringey after a while, especially because of the voice actresses' lines - they can do a whole 180° in both extremes.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is generally perceived as lacking depth and significance, with players noting a mix of mild touching moments and comedic elements that fail to create a meaningful narrative. The story is described as boring and superficial, focusing on trivial themes rather than delivering a profound or thrilling experience. Overall, expectations for emotional engagement should be tempered, as the game does not offer a compelling or emotionally resonant storyline.
“As for the game itself: a typical if/ch story with cuties all over the place, some touching moments and some comedy.”
“The story is boring and lacks emotional depth.”
“The narrative feels dull and fails to engage emotionally.”
“The combat is uninteresting, which detracts from any potential emotional impact.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players report a smooth experience with no crashes or stuttering, others have encountered issues like black screens and sound stuttering. Overall, many users find it well-optimized, particularly on PC, with solid performance and minimal problems.
“Well optimized and runs without a hitch; the story is simple but pleasantly not cringeworthy so far, contrary to what often comes with the anime genre.”
“Awesome performance.”
“For me, it has no performance issues.”
“Also, there are a lot of issues right now; the screen goes black, sound stuttering, etc.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, replayability is considered limited due to the absence of online play and the potential to collect all cards, which diminishes the incentive to revisit the game. However, the visually appealing characters do contribute positively to the experience, offering some motivation for players to return.
“The characters are visually appealing, which really enhances replayability.”
“Each playthrough offers new choices and outcomes, making me want to dive back in again.”
“The variety of paths and endings keeps the experience fresh and exciting every time I play.”
“Replayability is not that great.”
“The lack of online play reduces replay value once you collect all the cards.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with many users finding the characters forgettable and lacking depth. Players feel that they learn everything necessary about a character upon first meeting them, resulting in minimal growth or evolution throughout the story. While the character design is noted as somewhat good, it does not compensate for the overall lack of development.
“The story features very forgettable characters; you hardly experience any character development, and you probably learn everything you need to know about them when you first meet.”
“Character development is almost non-existent; the characters feel flat and uninteresting, making it hard to connect with them.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of depth in character development; the characters don't evolve or change throughout the game, leaving them feeling static.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users frequently encountering bugs that affect gameplay. Overall, the experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to frustration among players.
“The game is incredibly buggy, with frequent crashes and issues that disrupt gameplay.”
“I encountered numerous stability issues that made it nearly unplayable at times.”
“There are so many bugs that it feels like the game was released in an unfinished state.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the elements in the game seamlessly integrate into the overall atmosphere, enhancing the immersive experience without disrupting the game's mood.
“Both elements do not break the atmosphere and blend right in.”
“Both do not break the atmosphere and blend right in.”