Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a stellar 2D metroidvania. It harkens back to older games in the Monster Boy series with demanding gameplay and old-school design principles while also implementing a modern, beautiful presentation. With every new area I traversed through, I kept being awed by the expressive hand drawn background art and character animation. The fast-paced action, expressive art style, and varied soundtrack all aid the pacing and made this game difficult to put down until it was over.
All of the gameplay hallmarks of an excellent metroidvania are here. There's a complex and varied world to explore, upgradeable animal forms that expand traversal options, pattern-based boss battles, and plenty of equipment to sift through. These systems are all implemented well, but as a big fan of platforming games, my favorite aspect of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom was the emphasis placed on platforming-based challenges and puzzles. Navigating many of the game's spaces requires switching between animal forms to take advantage of each form's unique movesets. This emphasis makes the act of navigating Monster Boy's world a puzzle in itself.
For a game that emphasizes switching between different animal forms on a regular basis, I feel that this mechanic could have been implemented more smoothly. Selecting a new character with the default radial wheel option necessitates a pause in the action which takes away from the game's rhythm. There is another option to switch between forms one at time using buttons on the controller, but I found this to be a bit cumbersome as well. I've seen this type of control be effective in certain games, but it doesn't quite land for me here due to how critical the fast-paced gameplay was to my enjoyment of the experience.
Favorite Tracks:
Green Fields: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-HloEoBPDI&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=3
The Sewers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG7V5FIdHAI&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=40
Crystal Caves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRoTHTat-V4&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=2
Castle of Lupia Phase 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FraSbAukV-k&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=4
All of the gameplay hallmarks of an excellent metroidvania are here. There's a complex and varied world to explore, upgradeable animal forms that expand traversal options, pattern-based boss battles, and plenty of equipment to sift through. These systems are all implemented well, but as a big fan of platforming games, my favorite aspect of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom was the emphasis placed on platforming-based challenges and puzzles. Navigating many of the game's spaces requires switching between animal forms to take advantage of each form's unique movesets. This emphasis makes the act of navigating Monster Boy's world a puzzle in itself.
For a game that emphasizes switching between different animal forms on a regular basis, I feel that this mechanic could have been implemented more smoothly. Selecting a new character with the default radial wheel option necessitates a pause in the action which takes away from the game's rhythm. There is another option to switch between forms one at time using buttons on the controller, but I found this to be a bit cumbersome as well. I've seen this type of control be effective in certain games, but it doesn't quite land for me here due to how critical the fast-paced gameplay was to my enjoyment of the experience.
Favorite Tracks:
Green Fields: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-HloEoBPDI&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=3
The Sewers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG7V5FIdHAI&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=40
Crystal Caves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRoTHTat-V4&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=2
Castle of Lupia Phase 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FraSbAukV-k&list=PLA2FBJVTopFZ24Co2_HyAmLnE-nNOFN_n&index=4