Monster Crown

 Switch
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
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  1. WellPlayed
    Nov 22, 2021
    70
    Monster Crown is chock-a-block full of monsters and retro charm but you might want to wait for some of the bugs to be squashed first.
  2. Nintendo Life
    Oct 5, 2021
    70
    Monster Crown is a decent game that falls short of greatness in a few areas. Legitimately cool ideas with breeding and an overall solid combat system are let down by lackluster monster designs and performance issues. Then there’s the elephant in the room, which is that Monster Crown ultimately feels like a jankier and less addictive version of the oldest Pokémon games. We’d still give this one a recommendation, as the bones of the experience are good enough that its worth a punt for big Pokémon fans pining for the 8-bit days, but you might want to wait for a sale with this one.
  3. COGconnected
    Nov 1, 2021
    65
    There were a lot of enjoyable, nostalgic moments with the familiar battle systems that were strengthened by the retro aesthetics. Monster Crown is more than just capturing and leveling up the monsters you tame. There is a story to be followed and monsters to breed. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to comprehend, and janky controls take away from the experience, but the general gameplay is familiar and straightforward to understand. With so much information and planning involved, though, Monster Crown feels like it can be a bigger game than it actually is, and perhaps one day, it can be released as something more ready and easier to learn.
  5. Worth Playing
    Oct 28, 2021
    50
    At the end of the day, Monster Crown has very little going for it aside from that brief rush of nostalgia. The interesting mechanics are buried behind a poorly balanced combat system, a ridiculous story, and a mountain of glitches. There are some interesting ideas, but it's difficult to recommend the title based solely on that potential. It's a game that feels like knockoff Pokémon that you can play on the same system as the real Pokémon offerings, not to mention all of the other competitors. There are patches coming that will hopefully alleviate some of these issues, but until they do, there are much better monster trainer games out there.
  6. NintendoWorldReport
    Oct 5, 2021
    50
    With over 200 monsters to collect, many of whom can be traded for with various NPCs scattered about the map, a helpful in-town quick travel system, and some interesting story beats, I have no doubt that Monster Crown could become a brilliant and shining example of how to make a Pokémon-like. Regrettably, it’s really nowhere near ready for prime time. Steam users are certainly more accustomed to early access, and I’m sure they enjoy being part of the process of fixing and helping to improve a game that they have high hopes for. The console audience can be more discerning, though, and it’s hard to ask Switch owners to pay money for a video game in this state. One day, it might actually be worthy of some royal headgear, but as of now, Monster Crown is much more pauper than prince.

User Reviews

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User Score
1.5

Overwhelming dislike- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 4 out of 4
  1. HungryL
    Aug 22, 2023
    1
    Slow and boring. Everything takes too long to do. Can't even walk without the game stuttering. I was really hoping to find a cool monsterSlow and boring. Everything takes too long to do. Can't even walk without the game stuttering. I was really hoping to find a cool monster catching game, but this ain't it.… Full Review »
  2. Third_Era
    Aug 24, 2022
    4
    The story is fairly short ~ 6 hours but there is still a lot to do if you want to spend more time on it. A complex breeding mechanic, decentThe story is fairly short ~ 6 hours but there is still a lot to do if you want to spend more time on it. A complex breeding mechanic, decent monster designs, and old school graphics will give you that older Pokemon nostalgia; however it is quite buggy, the story isn't really that interesting, and the game is really overpriced - a more fair price is $5 to $10.

    If you are really into monster taming games and have already played 'Monster Sanctuary' then get this on sale and have an ok few hours.    … Full Review »
  3. tommywalkie
    Jan 13, 2022
    0
    A terrible $29.99 Switch release plagued with glitches and lack of transitions between battles and overworld (slaps immersion), although itA terrible $29.99 Switch release plagued with glitches and lack of transitions between battles and overworld (slaps immersion), although it really captures the Game Boy Color graphics and goofy monster sprites. Its weird type system (Brute > Vicious > Unstable > Relentless > Will > Brute) doesn't help but at least the battle interface gives insights.… Full Review »
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