Inspired by its watery nightmare predecessor, Monstrum 2, by developer Team Junkfish, takes terror from the deep to multiplayer. The name of the game is escape, and that includes solving small puzzles to arrange for an escape from your least favorite cruise. OR be the monster and intercept prisoners before they break for freedom. We had the chance to play, so let’s get into it.
If you are a fan of the original Monstrum, the first thing you might notice is that you are not alone. Now you can team up with other Aquaman-looking prisoners. Another player is the monster, lurking around in the form of either a big magma brute or a small and agile Zergling-looking beast. I wish that there was a “Secret Neighbor” or “Unfortunate Spacemen” mode where a human player was disguised as the monster. I also wonder if there should be more scenarios where weapons are available because the monster can die and return after a 5 second respawn time.
Prisoners have to avoid the monster, but they also have to solve a semi-reasonable puzzle in order to escape. I say semi-reasonable, because it can feel like the world is against you. There is a time limit, a monster, and a randomized environment. If your team was murdered in the early game, then that’s one hell of an uphill battle. There are tools scattered around, and luckily, you can keep up to 5 of them on you at a time. Prisoners can also hide in lockers when they need to. What I hate, and get confused by, is the use of security cameras. They catch you even at a subtle glance and they tell the monster where you are. I didn’t realize the monster was the security detail on this ship!
The monsters have their own abilities. The brute can’t run as fast as the prisoners, but he can rush forward, like a sprint, but there is a cooldown. The big guy can also smash through obstacles and roar to find the nearest target. The smaller guy can jump (and shriek) far distances and can run on certain surfaces. It can also smell the prisoners’ scents and track them. It can be kind of exciting mowing down people in the dark.
I think the current state of the game is a little buggy, but I think a little polish will make it look great. Gameplay-wise, my only offense was that a dummy from the tutorial disappeared into a wall and caused me to get stuck. I’m wondering if we will see other monster types or a prisoner/avatar customization with unlockables. I also wonder if there will be a push-to-talk option instead of typing in the chat.
If you like running around in the dark with a flashlight and frantically pulling switches, then I think we have the experience for you. I like where the game is going, but I can’t help but wonder if the devs can do more. I love the puzzle progression angle with a monster hunting you, like the in the original game, but I would like to see this game be able to compete with similar titles, like “Dead By Daylight,” “Friday the 13th,” “Secret Neighbor,” or (best of all) “Unfortunate Spacemen.”
Check Out the Monstrum 2 Trailer:
You can wishlist Monstrum 2 for PC via Steam. The game is scheduled for Q4 2020 release.
For more information, please visit: https://www.monstrumgame.com/
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I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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