Monster Monpiece
- March 14, 2017
- COMPILE HEART
- 31h 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
- The game features a unique card battle system that combines strategy with deck building, making it engaging for players who enjoy tactical gameplay.
- The artwork and character designs are well done, appealing to fans of anime and monster girl aesthetics.
- The game is uncensored, allowing for a more authentic experience compared to its previous versions.
- The story is weak and predictable, lacking depth and engaging character development.
- The grinding required to upgrade cards can become tedious, and the 'rub' mini-game is often seen as a chore rather than a fun mechanic.
- Microtransactions are present for card packs, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience, even though all cards can be obtained through gameplay.
- story121 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story in this game is widely criticized for being generic, predictable, and lacking depth, with many reviewers describing it as forgettable and filled with clichéd characters. While some appreciate the light-hearted and fanservice elements, the overall narrative is seen as poorly executed, often leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of engaging plot twists. Many players feel that the story serves merely as a backdrop to the card game mechanics, rather than a compelling experience in its own right.
“As her quest unfolds, she will find that the world and its inhabitants are not as they seem.”
“The story is a standard JRPG affair where friendship prevails and an evil god is vanquished.”
“Overall, the gameplay and the story is worth it.”
“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.”
“It is a very forgettable save-the-world story with an even more forgettable cast and a plethora of repeat content that makes it just feel like a trudge.”
“The story is very simple, generic, and is one of the weakest points of this game.”
- gameplay94 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its engaging card battle mechanics, which offer a surprising depth of strategy despite a simple core loop. Players appreciate the tactical decisions involved in deck building and positioning, although some find the mechanics repetitive and marred by issues like power creep and microtransactions. Overall, while the game has its flaws, many reviewers find it addictive and recommend it for fans of card games and strategy.
“I love the card battle mechanics in this game enough to recommend it; it starts off very simple, but once you reach a certain point in the game, the strange mechanics really start to shine.”
“The gameplay is incredibly addicting; you'll find yourself wasting hour after hour of your precious time just playing this game, and it is so fun that you don't even get mad about it.”
“The card battle gameplay is simple, but offers a surprising amount of strategic and tactical depth.”
“After the first few battles, you have basically mastered the game; from there, the only thing that changes is getting new cards that do new things that the old cards might not have done, or they do better, until you realize two things.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty bland.”
“Alas, most of their mechanics run in opposition to each other and take what could be a fun and varied game experience with a multitude of decks and turn it into a boring grind with little payoff.”
- graphics37 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they appear dated and reminiscent of older mobile games, despite the port offering full HD (1080p) resolution. While the artwork is praised for its variety and quality, particularly in character design, the overall visual presentation is considered plain and underdeveloped, especially in comparison to modern titles. Some players appreciate the good artwork and animations, but feel that the graphical elements do not fully engage or enhance the gameplay experience.
“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.”
“The graphics are stellar to be fair, your waifus will look hot, your cat-eared girls will look like lady cats.”
“This game isn’t visually interesting — as a matter of fact, I consider '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.”
“I don't know if Compile Heart just didn't have the heart to put an actual writer into this, but it is quite a sad jumble considering the effort that was put into the art and graphics.”
- grinding31 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early and late game stages, where currency accumulation and card upgrades require excessive effort. Players note that while some grinding is expected in a JRPG, the repetitive nature of tasks like "rubbing" cards and opening booster packs detracts from the overall enjoyment. Although there are some mechanisms to alleviate the grind, such as allowing multiple card upgrades at once, many feel that the game demands too much farming for minimal rewards, making it less appealing for those who dislike grinding.
“Everything about this game is tedious.”
“The rub system is unbelievably tedious and the game has stupid AI.”
“Opening multiple booster packs is a very tedious process since you can't skip the animations and can only open one pack at a time.”
- music28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique blend of electric guitars, retro electronics, and choirs, while others find the soundtrack generic and repetitive. While a few tracks stand out as enjoyable, many users note that the overall music experience can become monotonous, especially during battles. Despite these criticisms, the voice acting and sound effects are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“Also want to point out towards the music - unique tracks mixing some electric guitars, retro electronics and choirs which I find very appealing.”
“In general: great story, great cards/characters and great music/graphics.”
“Overall because of the beautifully composed soundtrack, the category deserves a 9 out of 10.”
“The music is also generic.”
“Too short soundtrack where they play the same song over and over again during battles.”
“Music, sound effects, and voice acting are okay but can get a bit annoying after a while.”
- monetization24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The monetization in *Monster Monpiece* includes optional microtransactions for card packs, which are not necessary to complete the game, as all cards can be earned through gameplay. While some players criticize the presence of microtransactions in a single-player game, many agree that they serve as a convenience for those who prefer to pay for quicker access to higher-tier cards. Overall, the game is not free-to-play and has additional costs for the base game and supplementary content, but players can fully enjoy it without spending extra money.
“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.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as light and slightly amusing, with some players appreciating the comedic mechanics and strategic elements, while others find it lacking compared to similar titles. Overall, the humor is seen as enjoyable but not particularly standout, with some reviewers noting a more serious tone in the story that detracts from the comedic potential.
“At first this seems unfair but really it's hilarious how much a non-threat the AI manages to be with practically infinite mana.”
“The game has a light, slightly funny but still enjoyable story and an even better after story (onsen ;3 ).”
“Art is fantastic, not too much talking between fights, lots of different music (changes in each city), funny mechanic to upgrade cards.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth and meaningful storytelling, with reviewers noting that while there are some touching moments and comedic elements, the overall narrative feels shallow and unengaging. The focus on superficial themes detracts from any potential emotional impact, leaving players feeling bored rather than moved.
“The game features some touching moments that add a layer of emotional depth to the story.”
“There are moments of comedy intertwined with heartfelt scenes that create a unique emotional experience.”
“The narrative includes elements that evoke feelings of connection and empathy among the characters.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some users praise it for being a good PC port with smooth performance and no crashes, others report issues such as black screens and sound stuttering. Overall, it is considered well-optimized by many, providing a generally enjoyable experience.
“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”
“Good port on PC (no crashes, no stuttering)”
“There's a lot of issues right now, like the screen going black and sound stuttering.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization problems that make it nearly unplayable.”
“Performance drops are frequent, and the frame rate is inconsistent, which ruins the experience.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Replayability is considered low due to the absence of online play, which diminishes the game's longevity after players have collected all cards.
“So replayability is not that great.”
“The lack of online play reduces replay value once you collect all 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.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized for being buggy, with users reporting various issues that affect gameplay. Overall, these problems detract from the overall experience and suggest a need for further optimization.
“The game is incredibly buggy, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered numerous issues that severely impacted my gaming experience.”
“The stability of the game is a major concern, with frequent crashes and glitches.”
- 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 mood.
“Both elements do not break the atmosphere and blend right in.”
“Both do not break the atmosphere and blend right in.”