Monster Sanctuary

Despite what the inital premise of the game may suggest, this is NOT a Pokémon clone, but rather a mix of the creature collection aspect of Pokémon, the complex team building aspect of a traditional RPG, the detailed skill tree aspect of a character-action or roguelike game (each monster has a skill tree), and the metroidvania overworld that makes exploring both fun and rewarding. It also has the bonuses of great pixel art, optional pvp separate from the main story, endgame content, a built-in randomizer and permadeath mode, and a good soundtrack. My one main issue with the game though is how enemy scaling works, as enemy levels in any new given area are determined based upon the amount of old rooms the player has already visited, punishing players who aim to explore as much as possible. A countermeasure to this problem is stated in the game, specifically to fight every encounter one sees, but I still think that the scaling could've been dialed back slightly. Would still recommend.

Great game with amazing value for a low price. Anyone who ever wanted a turn based monster taming game where you fight 3 v 3, have skill trees for every mon, every mon has exploration abilities, and loves to theory craft will be very happy with this title. I love how many party possibilities there are. Best of all, ALL the monsters are viable to beat the game with! Thoroughly enjoyed doing literally all achievements and multiple playthroughs with new modes, such as randomizer mode.

Great game.

I really was going into the game with a low expectations thinking this game would be trash and was overhype. BOOOOOYYYYY WAS I WRONG! Guys all these 5 stars reviews are legit! This game has such a pokemon/terria vibe to it. With lots of stuff do it. 10/10 game. Would highly recommend this game to ANYONE. If you haven't played it yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?!?!

This game isn't everyone's cup of tea; I get that, but half of the bad reviews are from players who either don't grind or try to rush through it. This is not a 2 hour 'run and done' title. This is a pocket monster themed metroidvania where you use your head, not mash buttons. It doesn't even penalize losing. It COULD have made saves unique to the Teleport Crystal and dying ending your run, but it doesn't. Solid game for a GwG title; My only nitpick is that there's no collection or type team bonuses, like using Spectral Lion, Catzerker, and Caraglow could give a cat pun themed team buff. Outfits are also aesthetic, BUT, they support both genders and virtually every skin tone, so a customization dream. 5 stars.