Monark Reviews
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 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 delivers a satisfying JRPG experience, with a creative and unique battle system and creepy demon-filled world. But a weak story and characters prevent the game from truly delivering something stellar.
Seven years after the launch of Lost Dimension, FuRyu and studio Lancarse are back on the scene to impress JRPG fans with a dark tactician. Although the influence of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona 5 in particular is evident on the narrative level, MONARK has conquered us with a dramatic, crazy and sometimes brutal story, as well as able to make us reflect on the most hidden and primitive desires of mankind.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Set in a similar setting with concepts derived from many other JRPGs, Monark fails to differentiate itself in the genre.
Monark is a turn based JRPG that brings to the table a lot of longevity and fun, especially for anime lovers, but unfortunately fails to reach its potential due to a technical department that is simply too dated.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
With an interesting story and solid gameplay, Monark is an excellent addition to FuRyu's RPGs. Despite having some flaws in the level design, it is a consistent title from the company and an RPG that any fan of the genre should explore.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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
Being Monark an RPG developed by ex-producers of Shin Mengami Tensei, it's natural to notice some similarities. Particularly regarding the school theme, the mute main character or pacts with demons. What we emphasize in Monark is exactly the opposite. Namely, all the changes that were considered in order to give a breath of fresh air and, brilliantly, provide a new direction to an already very defined genre. So Monark presents itself as something innovative that only lacks some graphic polish, but for fans of the style, they will certainly be able to suffer from some "Gluttony" to taste this game! We fully believe that there is a silver lining for a Monark 2 and we're hopping for that to happen, so that we can present the developers with the "sin" of Pride.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
So that’s Monark, a game that really doesn’t do much for me. But at the same time it’s a fascinating game that wants to do things a little differently. You won’t play another JRPG operating like Monark anytime soon. Monark doesn’t hit the mark but it shows us there are folks in the industry taking these swings, even in historied spaces like JRPGs. And there’s a demo, so I sincerely reccommend giving that a whirl and seeing what you think.
Our feelings at the end of our experience with MONARK is to be in front of a two-faced work. The JRPG long surprised us thanks to its serious and never trivial plot in addressing topics already seen and a really impressive care of the psychological aspect throughout the gaming experience. At the same time, as the hours passed, some technical and gameplay flaws came out on which it’s difficult to skip over.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Monark delivers a refreshing JRPG approach with a mystery filled narrative and great turn-based strategy gameplay. A fulfilling experience that stands out from many JRPGs in the past few years. For those coming from The Caligula Effect 2, Monark is worth taking a look at!
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 a smart game. It knows it, and it wants you to know it too. Some may well find that it's even pretentious. But it’s also in so many ways a boundary-pushing and innovative experience, and one that I imagine will be unique for a very long time to come. Putting aside the disappointment that comes from realising that it could have attacked with its themes more, I don’t think there is any other way that the creative team could have delivered on a more coherent and compelling vision and, really, it is experiences like Monark that keep me interested in this medium. Don’t let this one pass you by, folks.
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.
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.
In our intent to devote the right attention even to the less noble projects, we would have really liked to give Monark a higher grade, especially to reward the ideas and efforts of a certainly talented team that is looking for its space in the market. However, there are still limits to overcome for a real leap in quality, and we are not just talking about budget.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This is a game that will provide you something you can keep coming back to for relaxation. This is a comfort food JRPG. This is a game you can put on and just grind away to build your party, with the enemies growing alongside you to ensure there’s enough challenge.