Monark Reviews
It may not be the next great JRPG, but if you’ve been looking for a tactics style game that provides a decent challenge, I’m going to recommend picking Monark up when your budget allows.
Set in a similar setting with concepts derived from many other JRPGs, Monark fails to differentiate itself in the genre.
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 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 is an excellent JRPG with a dark and appealing story and an incredible soundtrack, that it's perfect for every fan of the turn-based strategy games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The amazing thing about these moment to moment battles is that they always end in euphoria and rarely cause fatigue. The sense of victory that comes from figuring out the next location to explore or that final blow on a boss always provides a boost of energy before the next challenge. In every way possible, Monark succeeds in providing an amazing experience that always keeps you on the edge of your seat.
MONARK is one of those games that had everything in place for it to be something special and unfortunately either a lack of experience or budget absolutely crucifies it. Uninspired gameplay and poor graphics spend their time battling an amazing narrative and well-crafted atmosphere. You can see where the influences came from and the presentation of the game has some great aspects. But when it comes to the actual video game section of MONARK, you find it’s just middle of the road.