A fun narrative adventure with some clever RPG hooks.
Meg’s Monster is a peculiar game that might be billed as a JRPG, but it’s a more experimental narrative adventure. You control Roy – the famous monster – Roy comes across a tiny human girl named Meg who for some reason has fallen into the underworld. So Roy makes it his mission to save her from harm and lead her to safety.
The plot is engaging and the localization is better than Japanese developer Odencat’s previous Switch work, Fishing Paradiso. Underworld characters can be difficult to follow, but the focus is always on Roy and Meg. Their relationship moves things forward in a way that reminds me of Sully and Boo from the Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. All built to a tear-jerking finale, this linear adventure requires hours of rewarding experience. is.
What caught my eye in Meg’s Monster was how turn-based combat works. Because Roy has a tremendous amount of hits his points and is the most indestructible. But Meg doesn’t like seeing her new monster companions get hurt, so fighting becomes the balance of making sure Meg is happy while defeating enemies. , the combat is all scripted, so it’s not as engaging as it sounds. Many battles rely on Deus Ex his Machina story ingenuity, sometimes requiring light strategy and puzzle solving, but it felt more like an adjunct to the story than the main driving force. .
It’s good that Meg’s Monster’s story is compelling. Because even if the gameplay were cleverly tied to the narrative, it wouldn’t be a big deal. As long as your expectations are managed and you’re expecting something closer to a visual novel than a JRPG, Meg’s Monster should be a fun read as long as you’re ready for bittersweet emotions.