Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Reviews
Despite some problems I found with the game, I did enjoy Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Though it’s not a deep or particularly compelling story, it’s still a fun nod to games of the past with some new bells and whistles. There’s a lot of replay value if you want to 100% the game, including solving all the puzzles, finding all the items and upgrading all the equipment. The charm mostly shines through, and I’m still happy to see games like this on modern consoles. It’s also worth noting this was far more enjoyable than Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, as far as successors go. For $39.99 you’ll get a meaty adventure with lots of platforming, boss slaying and drunken wizardry. So long as you can look past the rough last part of the game and some frustrating dungeons, you’ll get along with Jin and company just fine.
This is a game that’s half a brilliant homage to the old-school Wonder Boy games—particularly Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Wonder Boy in Monster World—and half a game seeking to artificially inflate its length with gimmicks and mandatory busywork. I wholeheartedly recommend one of those halves while having nothing but disdain for the other.
Cursed Kingdom is a fun, occasionally frustrating, romp through a world I hope we get to revisit one day.
The early game has been a treat but as progress is made and dungeons seem to drag on, the enjoyment lessens, especially with the inclusion of puzzles ruined by poor design and lack of clarity
For those with a great deal of patience looking for a challenging 2D platformer with huge amounts of character, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is great. For everyone else, it’s likely to be frustrating just as often as it is fun, severely putting a dampener on the whole affair.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom may come as a surprise for some but the game's overall quality design and structure quickly become obvious, especially to fans of 2D platformers and metroidvania-style games. With its good level design, high quality cartoonish art style and several mechanics from its predecessor, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom should be on the radar of 2D platformer and metroidvania enthusiasts.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I did mostly enjoy the game as a whole and don’t regret my time with it, but it feels uneven and frustrating to me a lot of the time.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a wonderful modern reimagination of the Wonder Boy franchise. The story and graphics are filled with nods to the franchise’s long history.
Despite the concerns and some frustrations Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a very well-designed and gorgeous title as a whole. When you’re in the groove it feels absolutely brilliant and up to a point I appreciate the fact that you won’t be able to get through many sections on the first try as you may need to experiment a bit. The boss battles are challenging but often pretty smart and really none of them play out in the same way or even as you may expect due to their creativity. While I would have rated it higher if it either outright toned down its spikes in challenge or added a means to alter or skip them I’d recommend it without reservations. If you’re willing to either gut it out or assume that the game could get patched at some point to help out you’re in for a treat, just be aware that it can have a mean streak in places.
A terrific, substantial, imaginative package.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom perfectly bridges the gap between old and new, delivering the same style and charm of games from the Master System and Mega Drive, but including the same style of platforming and puzzle solving that have made modern indie titles stand out from the crowd. Essentially, it has captured the heart and soul of the original, and given it a breath of fresh life.
A delightful platforming game for the PS4!
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom brings a long dormant franchise back into the limelight for a whole new generation to enjoy.
That's what Monster Boy's final hours feel like. They're a clunky conclusion clogging up an otherwise slimy sleek progression. Usually in Metroidvanias, your progress stops because you're missing something you need. In Monster Boy, progress slows because The Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment have given you far too much.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a beautiful, challenging, and fantastic successor to the Wonder Boy series.
Both a faithful spiritual sequel and a fresh adventure, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an excellent platformer with some truly gorgeous visuals.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is different, but otherwise goes in all respects as a legitimate successor to the last Wonderboy games through. Connoisseurs of the old games, especially of Dragon`s Trap, feel immediately at home and immediately recognize the numerous references. Monsterboy is almost unconditionally recommended. However, those who only grew up with "modern" games should complain here and there about the "old-fashioned" level of difficulty.
Review in German | Read full review
Monsterboy and the cursed kingdom is a great game that juggles between classics and modern platform games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Easily one of the best platformers released this generation with striking visuals and great game design. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an absolute delight from the beginning until the end its epic story campaign.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an extremely fun and entertaining game that not only pays homage to the Wonder Boy series, but also takes the matters into its own hands and delivers one of the best platforming experiences of this generation.
Review in Persian | Read full review