With Nintendo's Pokemon dominating every corner of the handheld market right now, you wouldn't think there'd be room for another "creature evolution" style role-playing adventure. You'd be wrong to think that, however. Foursaken Media's Monster Adventures does a remarkable job of presenting a Pokemon-style experience for mobile devices, with an enriched role-playing level-up system and hours of absorbing gameplay.
You collect monsters to compete against, and evolve them in a number of ways. A water-based turtle, for example, can become a fiery one - for the right price that is.
The Good
Monster Adventures presents a luxuriously deep gameplay experience. The evolution system alone is enthralling, and with the help of shopkeepers and other interesting characters, you'll have no problem creating the monster of your dreams. Those monsters look great too, and although the gameplay is simple, the option to play alongside friends or compete online will keep you playing and playing - just level up a little first before fighting online.
The Bad
It's going to take a few hours before you build an army of monsters worth commanding, and you'll need to earn plenty of in-game currencies to make them unbeatable. There's an option to speed up this part of the game using in-app purchases, but otherwise you're in for a bit of a grind. The nets you use to catch monsters are also annoying - miss and you'll have to wait several seconds before trying again. You may also find the soundtrack a little grating after a while.
The Verdict
Despite its flaws, Monster Adventures is one of the catchiest Pokemon wannabes you'll find on the market right now. The gameplay is addictive and will keep you battling for hours on end, and the multiplayer component will draw you in even further. If you're Pokemon-ed out, then you gotta catch this.
You collect monsters to compete against, and evolve them in a number of ways. A water-based turtle, for example, can become a fiery one - for the right price that is.
The Good
Monster Adventures presents a luxuriously deep gameplay experience. The evolution system alone is enthralling, and with the help of shopkeepers and other interesting characters, you'll have no problem creating the monster of your dreams. Those monsters look great too, and although the gameplay is simple, the option to play alongside friends or compete online will keep you playing and playing - just level up a little first before fighting online.
The Bad
It's going to take a few hours before you build an army of monsters worth commanding, and you'll need to earn plenty of in-game currencies to make them unbeatable. There's an option to speed up this part of the game using in-app purchases, but otherwise you're in for a bit of a grind. The nets you use to catch monsters are also annoying - miss and you'll have to wait several seconds before trying again. You may also find the soundtrack a little grating after a while.
The Verdict
Despite its flaws, Monster Adventures is one of the catchiest Pokemon wannabes you'll find on the market right now. The gameplay is addictive and will keep you battling for hours on end, and the multiplayer component will draw you in even further. If you're Pokemon-ed out, then you gotta catch this.
