Sometimes Always Monsters
- April 2, 2020
- Vagabond Dog
Get on Steam"Sometimes Always Monsters" is a narrative-driven RPG where you play as a monster trying to make amends for past mistakes. Travel across continents, meet interesting characters, and make meaningful choices that affect the story. This emotional and introspective journey challenges you to consider the consequences of your actions and the power of forgiveness.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a rich narrative with multiple arcs and character interactions that enhance the storytelling experience.
- The graphics and art style have significantly improved from the predecessor, providing a more visually appealing experience.
- The developers are responsive to feedback and actively work on bug fixes and updates, showing dedication to improving the game.
- The gameplay can feel tedious and repetitive, with an emphasis on mundane tasks like cooking and laundry that detracts from the overall experience.
- The main character lacks personality and depth, making it difficult for players to connect with them compared to the previous game.
- The story feels underdeveloped and lacks the impactful choices that defined the first game, leading to a less engaging experience.
- story277 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in "Sometimes Always Monsters" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it less engaging than its predecessor. While it attempts to offer a complex narrative with various character arcs and choices, critics note that the plot feels linear and lacks depth, often leading to a sense of tedium and disconnection from the characters. Despite some interesting moments and the potential for diverse storytelling, the overall execution is seen as lacking, leaving players wanting more substance and excitement.
“Sometimes Always Monsters is a shockingly in-depth and story-driven game with a fantastic and dynamic narration.”
“The decisions you make feel weighty, and I'm hyper-aware that each step and action I'm taking is being recorded somehow in my playthrough, only to drastically affect the story beats later on.”
“It's a wonderful continuation of ASM and very worth importing your save data from the previous game to see the impact the choices you have made on the story.”
“The story was trying to be complex and twisty; there was drama and politics that nobody was asking for.”
“I wasn't really invested in any of the new characters, and the story was also really lacking.”
“The story itself had huge potential, following up immediately after Always Sometimes Monsters, but it just doesn’t deliver at all.”
- gameplay106 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being dull, repetitive, and lacking clear objectives, often feeling like busywork rather than engaging mechanics. While some players appreciate the life-sim elements and the potential for deeper character interactions, many find the overly realistic tasks—such as cooking, laundry, and hygiene—tedious and poorly integrated into the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay fails to deliver a cohesive narrative or enjoyable mechanics, leaving players disappointed compared to its predecessor.
“Thank you, Vagabond Dog, for the amazing gameplay experience.”
“A must play for fans of the first, great updates to gameplay, graphics, and character art.”
“Oh sweet Jesus, do I love the gameplay this time around.”
“Gameplay is boring, repetitive without any clear goal in mind.”
“It’s pure tedium, and it’s baffling so much time and effort clearly went into making a system for cooking different recipes of food and dozens of different food/drink items to buy at stores when it just plain doesn’t matter mechanically for doing anything other than hitting the bare minimum of food needed to do activities.”
“I have to admit the story in this game had the potential to be interesting and decent but gameplay is so dull and boring.”
- music60 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising it as enjoyable and versatile, fitting well within the game's atmosphere, while others found it less cohesive compared to the first installment, describing certain tracks as grating. Many players appreciated the soundtrack's ability to evoke specific feelings and its suitability for background listening, though there were calls for a more expansive in-game selection. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, opinions vary on its effectiveness compared to the previous game's music.
“I even bought the soundtrack; it's that nice.”
“Asm's music was much more iconic, and each track brought you to a very specific thought or feeling (at least for me!).”
“It's a very different kind of soundtrack that I feel fits this game perfectly!”
“The music was horrendous and grating when it actually played.”
“Secondly, I wanted a more expansive in-game soundtrack.”
“Maybe it was some kind of artsy background music?”
- graphics50 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their detailed artwork and charming art style, with many noting significant improvements over the previous installment. The new sprite work is described as gorgeous, enhancing the overall aesthetic and encouraging exploration of the environments. However, some players found the art style jarring compared to the first game, and a few noted minor issues with portrait scaling.
“Awesome graphics! You can tell they spent a lot of time on details.”
“The art style is charming, and the new sprite work is honestly gorgeous. I wish more games would adopt an aesthetic like this.”
“The concentrated details in the artwork alone keep up the desire to explore every environment carefully, just in case you miss something.”
“While the graphics have improved and the interface has been tweaked a wee bit, the game still looks and plays the same.”
“I say on its own as after finishing my desired asm playthrough, going into this seemed jarring, as the tone and change in art style took me off guard.”
“The art style in this game is just plain ugly.”
- humor26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by crude and outlandish elements, with a focus on tongue-in-cheek parody and engaging character interactions that often lead to funny moments. Players appreciate the diverse personalities of the characters, which contribute to humorous scenarios, such as NPCs causing unexpected mishaps. Overall, the writing is noted for its wit, providing a mix of lighthearted and comedic experiences throughout the gameplay.
“The story writing is largely at a young adult level with a focus on tongue-in-cheek parody and an airy, fun sense of humor.”
“It was funny to see how my character and other authors interacted with each other and how they created dramas while living in the tour bus. I got a mix of different personalities in my group; some authors are gentle and kind, but some are snobby and have big attitudes.”
“There are some funny choices you can make in the game, and they shape your adventure, which I like.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspects of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging part of the experience. Despite developers' efforts to make the game more accessible and less monotonous, many still feel that the life simulation elements lack enjoyment and lead to a grindy gameplay experience. Overall, while the game has its moments, the repetitive mechanics detract from the overall enjoyment.
“Go watch a movie, work out, take a shower, do a class; none of it was of any interest to me and reminded me hugely of the tedious work sections from the first game, so I avoided them wherever I could.”
“But wow, that was tedious and grindy.”
“In general, the gameplay is tedious and the game itself is short.”
- emotional13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Sometimes Always Monsters" is marked by a profound investment in its realistic and often intense themes, such as relationships, violence, and substance use. Players report experiencing a wide range of emotions, from dread to pleasure, and appreciate the depth of character interactions that feel genuine rather than scripted. This emotional engagement is seen as a refreshing departure from the more heartwarming narratives typical of other RPG Maker titles.
“Some tracks made me feel outright dread in one scene, but weirdly pleasant in others.”
“You really do get emotionally invested.”
“Suffice to say, ASM gave me a profound emotional experience.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is somewhat limited, primarily appealing to those interested in experiencing different character perspectives, as the core story remains largely unchanged. While there are multiple choices and interactions available, many players feel that the lack of significant changes in activities after the first playthrough diminishes the incentive to replay. Overall, the replay value is noted as moderate, with some players opting to uninstall after completing the game.
“Despite the replayability offered by the multitude of choices and characters, I didn't get a good sense of what activities could change once I finished my first playthrough.”
“The replay value is significant if you want to experience the point of view from different characters, as the story and surrounding events change depending on who you are.”
“The replay value isn't overly high; it's really only if you want to experience the point of view from two different characters. The story and what is going on surrounding the book actually does change depending on who you are.”
“Despite the replayability offered by the multitude of choices and characters, I didn't get a good sense of what activities could change once I finished my first playthrough. I pretty much uninstalled the game once I finished playing.”
“Replayability: just like in ASM, there are so many things left to explore and interact with.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a significant improvement in stability since the last update, with fewer bugs and glitches encountered. However, some users have noted persistent grammatical and spelling errors that detract from the overall experience.
“While the game appears way less buggy than at the time of my original review, I noticed grammatical and spelling errors, such as a remarkably consistent and amateur-level grammatical error during the reading of Ruth's book.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is noted for its simplicity yet distinctiveness, with each town featuring unique designs and personalities that contribute to the overall narrative. The combination of character design and soundtrack enhances the immersive experience, allowing players to connect with the characters and their environments.
“The character design, soundtrack, and overall town designs were simple but always different, with each town having a personality behind it.”
