opinion: A mix of Zelda, Super Mario and Dark Souls? Sounds strange, but it’s pretty much the gameplay experience you can expect in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.
At the moment, unfortunately, there are many reasons why looking at the world outside might make your heart heavy. I know this feeling all too well, as for health reasons, even away from war and pandemic, I have many bad days when I can hardly get out of bed.
Gaming is therefore more than just a fun pastime for me. It gives me strength, energy and keeps the hope alive in me that no trough is endless and that better times will come again. That is also the reason why I play pretty much everything: The more new worlds, stories and characters I get to know, the more I learn about myself as well.
What does this have to do with Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom? I would like to recommend this game to you if you too are having a bad day and are looking for cheering up and distraction. Because don’t let the colourful cartoon look fool you: Behind the childlike façade lies a grand, challenging and often just plain thrilling adventure.
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This is how much fun a family tragedy can be
You know this? You are crouching unsuspectingly on the seashore, holding your fishing rod in the water and thinking of nothing bad. Suddenly, your mad uncle comes floating by on a flying barrel, waving his magic wand and throwing the whole kingdom into chaos. You are suddenly transformed into a pig and must not only regain your true form, but also put a stop to your relative.
What, you don’t know that? Never mind, because that’s exactly the plot of Monster Boy, whose namesake with the time-honoured Wonder Boy series is no coincidence. In fact, the title is set in the same universe, but due to licensing difficulties, they were forced to change the name. Series creator Ryuichi Nishizawa, however, stood by the French developer Game Atelier with advice and support.
On your way through the beautiful fantasy world, you will explore many magical places: a sewer (well, less magical), a haunted castle, a volcano, a pirate ship and many more! The hand-drawn backgrounds are one of Monster Boy’s great strengths and make you feel like you’re in a childhood TV series that you can finally relive:
Zelda + Mario + … Dark Souls?
The gameplay of Monster Boy can be described as a mix of The Legend of Zelda (you collect equipment, find heart pieces and solve puzzles), Super Mario (you hop and jump through the world) and yes, somehow also some Dark Souls or Soulsborne games in general.
Admittedly, Monster Boy never gets quite as tough as the infamous From Software titles. If you bite the dust, you are reset to the last save point you visited. There are many of these, so you are usually spared a long walk. You also don’t have to worry about losing items or gold. However, this does not make the game easy.
In the course of your journey you have to defeat numerous bosses that are really tough. If you don’t dodge and strike with skill and precise timing, and pay hellish attention to your surroundings, you won’t last long. Especially at the beginning of the game, you have to expect to tackle some passages several times.
Even if no octopus, giant mushroom, dragon or pirate king rams you into the ground without a point, you must have a certain frustration tolerance. Because the jumping passages through the game world also demand a high degree of precision, otherwise your heart bar will quickly drop to zero.
Wake up the tiger in you!
The good news is that as tough as your opponents may be, you’re not defenceless at all! After you have undone the initial transformation into a pig, you will gradually unlock other animal forms. You can switch back and forth between the different forms at the touch of a button.
You have to do this, because only then can you reach every corner of the world, which is bursting with secrets and puzzles. As a snake you can slip into small holes, as a frog you can swing over precipices with your sticky tongue and as a dragon you can even fly. The lion is the ideal form to kick the crap out of your enemies. And yes, the pig form also has its advantages. Which ones? You’d best find out for yourself!
However, this interplay also has a comfort hook: Unfortunately, many pieces of equipment can only be used with a certain animal shape. It’s logical that a snake can’t wear boots that allow us to walk on the bottom of the sea. Nevertheless, the item management is annoying from time to time, especially in tricky jumping passages. Apart from that, the game controls smoothly.
If you want to find all the treasures, uncover all the secrets and defeat the enemies, you can easily expect to play for 30 hours.
Who should play Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom?
As I mentioned at the beginning, Monster Boy is the ideal game for me when I’m feeling particularly bad. Because despite the challenging difficulty level, I can’t put the controller (oh yes, make sure you play with a controller!) down for a minute and forget everything around me for a while.
This game is a humorous fairy tale, a light-hearted story and a captivating adventure. It exudes that very special magic that I felt in almost every game when I was a child and unfortunately rarely find today. Is it perfect? Not at all! The aforementioned item management is annoying, and the plot could have used a bit more substance. In addition, the difficulty level increases quite a bit towards the end and is no longer challenging in places, but almost brutal.
Who should keep their hands off it? Anyone who expects a complex plot, has a problem with trial-and-error passages or wants to be taken by the hand by a game. There is a world map, but it is deliberately kept simple and only tells you roughly in which direction you have to go next. This can sometimes result in you wandering aimlessly through the world.
Test it for free and get it for free: Finally, I have some good news for you! You don’t have to buy a pig in a poke, but can try out Monster Boy at your leisure thanks to a free demo. And if you then decide to buy the game, you can get it for just 10 euros (67 percent off) until 7 April 2022.
( Click here to get Monster Boy and the Cursed Kindom on Steam )
Editor’s verdict
While I put Metroid: Dread aside after playing through it once and want to keep Hollow Knight in my heart as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I can play through Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom year after year.
The fascinating thing about this game is that even after three playthroughs now, I am still fascinated by every area, every hidden chest and the different animal forms. The visuals and music literally force my thoughts to lighten up and completely forget the dreary everyday life. Only a few games can have this effect on me.
Of course, the title does not reinvent the genre wheel. Perhaps it doesn’t break away enough from its old Wonder Boy ancestor and is aimed too much at connoisseurs. Above all, the wayfinding might put some people off. The map is rudimentary and you are responsible for finding the right way. If you don’t want to do that, you should take a look at other Metroidvanias like Ori and the Blind Forest.
But if you currently have the feeling that the real events are dragging you down and you desperately need cheering up, then give Monster Boy a chance. Play the demo and find out if this crazy cartoon world can captivate you.
