Monark Reviews
Monark has some good ideas on how to reinvigorate tactical JPRG combat but its repetitive level design makes it feel more like a prototype.
While certain aspects of Monark have great potential, the formulaic design, trope-heavy story, and frustrating puzzles render the product as a whole feeling unimpressive.
Set in a similar setting with concepts derived from many other JRPGs, Monark fails to differentiate itself in the genre.
MONARK isn't a bad game, but unfortunately, for every lime it offers, it offers another sand. An unfluid rhythm, some repetition and a lot, a lot of farming tarnish a game that, on the other hand, has an interesting story, good characters and a lot of psychology.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Monark has a refreshing battle system that will appeal to turn-based strategy gamers, but the dated graphics and overall redundancy make it a hard game to recommend at its full asking price. As with the game's dangerous Mist, enter with caution.
Despite its flaws, Monark is not such a bad experience. Admittedly, it is not very pretty, a little heavy, but quite enjoyable. And while it's true that the real interest lies only in the combat system and its riches, that seems enough to draw attention to the title.
Review in French | Read full review
Monark has many great ideas, and some of them are executed well, but the game falters when it requires you to grind for hours just to stand a chance against the next story battle. The exploration and puzzle-solving keep things exciting, and the use of the Seven Deadly Sins for character personalities is a unique way to develop your characters. All in all, though, Monark may have been a better adventure or visual novel game than an RPG.
A mature, long-lived and sometimes inspired JRPG, held in check by an obsolete technical sector, forgettable characters and serious problems of repetitiveness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Monark is not a perfect game, but it's a really solid RPG. The battle system is good, the storyline is interesting once it gets going, and there's some great music, too. Graphically, the game is one of the uglier releases I've come across over the last few years, and I think the game could do a better job explaining elements of its battle system. However, if players can ignore these imperfections, there really is a lot to love, and I can see fans of the genre falling in love with it. The RPG genre has plenty of great options to pick from at the moment, but Monark's blend of JRPG, strategy, and horror elements make it a compelling option.
Monark is an unrefined gem, but it is definitely a game worth checking out. Despite some issues, it’s a good first attempt with plenty of room for polish in any subsequent follow-up.
The story and creepy atmosphere paired with psych tests gives Monark a unique RPG twist. I highly recommend checking out and exploring Monark for its story development, gameplay, and its unconventional but familiar JRPG action.
Overall, Monark scores above average on its report card. Non-traditional JRPG elements combined with a fun tactical based combat system and plenty of different musical tracks to groove to, it was hard to put down even when I couldn’t figure out what I was actually supposed to be doing. Maybe this was just me and the types of puzzles, or maybe it was a bit too vague, but it was often almost enough to make me quit and have to retake my semester all over again.
If you’re looking for an entertaining turn-based strategy game and a linear, school-based story similar to the first two Persona titles, then go forth. For everyone else, it’s going to depend on whether you can stomach a bunch of frustrating puzzles, terrible graphics, annoying exploration mechanics and a story that takes its sweet sweet time to get going.
Monark treads the fine line between a good RPG and a truly great one. I enjoyed that it was a stripped back affair and that I only had the story to focus on instead of thousands of pointless side quests. The story, while dark, was enjoyable, particularly in the second half of the game. Some of the investigative portions really tested my mettle and while there is a grind to keep up with the difficulty curve, this was well balanced and always fair. If the early stages of hunting Pactbearers wasn’t the same process in a different environment, Monark would be a truly great game. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty good RPG, but the flaws are noticeable, and it runs the risk of putting people off.
Monark is a game filled with great ideas and themes, and it manages to deliver on some of those in spades. Unfortunately, Monark is also its own worst enemy, and many of the gameplay elements simply get in the way of making it something truly exceptional. Still, if you can manage to get through the slog of repetitiveness, there’s a fascinating and thematically engaging story underneath.
Monark weaves an engaging story even though it may rely on tropes and archetypes to do so.
There is fun to be had and lessons to be learned, but it is a true test of your patience and dedication.
Overall, Monark is a perfectly functional JRPG with a great combat system, some strong aesthetic designs, and a decent story. It's held back a bit by its school setting and a lack of exposition early, and could have benefited from embracing its darker themes more readily to help establish stakes in the opening chapters. Still, what's here is a fun game with an addictive combat system, and lessons learned in Monark could make the next effort from FURYU Corporation even more appealing.
Monark proves itself to be an interesting, low-budget take on an SRPG, combining its Persona influences with original ideas to make for a compelling experience. Risky, rewarding combat, a creepy atmosphere, and an interesting story make this one easy to recommend, but things like the low-quality graphics, repetitive environments, and nonexistent enemy variety keep it from ever approaching greatness. We'd recommend Monark to any SRPG enthusiasts (especially those that are sick of fighting on a grid) or fans of the old-school SMT and Persona games. It may not have nailed its execution, but Monark is an experience that we think is still worth your time.
Monark can be seen as a good opportunity to try something new in an ocean of stale JRPG tropes, especially for the players who enjoy tactical thinking and resource management gameplay.
Review in Russian | Read full review