Monster Sanctuary

 Switch
Monster Sanctuary Image
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Embark on an epic adventure using the powers of the monsters you collect, and the team you build, to unlock an ever-expanding world. On your quest to become the ultimate Monster Keeper you’ll unravel the cause of a mystery that threatens the peace between humans and monsters.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. The Digital Fix
    Dec 8, 2020
    100
    While clearly inspired by other similar titles, Monster Sanctuary takes that inspiration and runs with it, carving out its own spot in the gaming world. I can't wait to see how things flourish in the future!
  2. GameGrin
    Dec 17, 2020
    90
    A great mix of a platformer, RPG and monster catching game Monster Sanctuary has so much depth and content to keep you busy for a long time. Feels like a great RPG from the 16-bit era, a ton of cool monsters to hatch, to aid you on your quest.
  3. MGG Spain
    Dec 8, 2020
    88
    An interesting mix of well-known details that manages to offer a familiar taste and yet be extremely fun. As you can imagine Monster Sanctuary doesn't have anything particularly new to offer, but it's a fun metroidvania with all kinds of pocket monsters that's also pretty deep.
  4. Cubed3
    Dec 7, 2020
    70
    Monster Sanctuary is a charming take on the monster raising formula, albeit not without its faults. The combat's ranking system betrays the gameplay's nuances - discouraging high concept strategies or support tactics in favour of brute force - and the Metroidvania level design is marred in being broken up by methodical puzzles and turn based battles. In spite of this, Monster Sanctuary is an addictive RPG that is hard to put down. Monster hatching is an incredibly simple process, every single monster has its own skill tree, and combat has been balanced enough so that just about any team can get through the main game in the hands of savvy players. Monster Sanctuary is a diamond in the rough if there ever was one.
  5. Siliconera
    Dec 16, 2020
    70
    Monster Sanctuary is a game that feels satisfying and rewarding. When you earn more skill points, get a new monster, or find a new Explore Ability, it opens up more of a sufficiently large world to explore. But this is also a challenging game that requires you to experiment with teams, learn how to build combos, and invest a lot of time battling wild monsters to make sure you have the special abilities, evolutionary items, and experience you need to survive.
  6. Nintendo Life
    Dec 10, 2020
    70
    An expansive and content-packed game, Monster Sanctuary would be easy to criticise as a grind if we didn't find that said grinding was never really necessary to enjoy it. It's a difficult one to review because a lot of what this reviewer personally found a little boring is exactly what's going to appeal to its core audience of number-crunching statisticians. While Monster Sanctuary's is a little plain at the outset, the right people will find it one of their favourite games of the year. It's a total timesink, but that's a term that implies said time is being wasted, when it really isn't. Every fight is pushing your team forward, and the potential for maximising the efficiency and power of your squad is seemingly infinite. It can feel more like organising a spreadsheet than playing a game at times, but it's impossible to deny that it's an accomplished game with a lot to offer - and that's without even taking it online to battle other players. If you like min-maxing, feel free to add a point or two to the score below.
  7. NintendoWorldReport
    Dec 22, 2020
    60
    I like Monster Sanctuary for what it tries to accomplish, I just wish I liked the execution as much as the concept. I could see the threads of its attempt weaving into a better cohesive whole, but instead each different ingredient feels incomplete or misses the mark of what makes each genre it pulls from so compelling. There’s still fun to be had if setting expectations right and wanting a unique twist that is no muss, no fuss, but I was hoping for more that Monster Sanctuary wasn’t quite there to give.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Lemontree
    Dec 11, 2020
    10
    Amazing game. Amazingly deep and so fun. What I wish Pokémon was more like. Controls great, the battle system is amazing and the explorationAmazing game. Amazingly deep and so fun. What I wish Pokémon was more like. Controls great, the battle system is amazing and the exploration is fun as well. Pixel art looks fantastic as well.… Expand
  2. WindowsVista
    Jan 2, 2021
    10
    This is a fun game. It’s like Pokémon with skill trees. You don’t have to worry about making the wrong decisions when picking skills becauseThis is a fun game. It’s like Pokémon with skill trees. You don’t have to worry about making the wrong decisions when picking skills because you can reset them for cheap.… Expand
  4. Rhokin
    Jan 4, 2021
    10
    Phenomenal game. It has lots of great RPG elements like unique skill trees for each monster, a very diverse cast of monsters, lots ofPhenomenal game. It has lots of great RPG elements like unique skill trees for each monster, a very diverse cast of monsters, lots of different items to equip etc. The story is well written. The areas are fun to explore. The battles are awesome. This game does not disappoint. Amazing value for the price.… Expand
  5. Hangedman84
    Dec 15, 2020
    9
    I must say right away that I'm not a big fan of games in monster hatching genre. But I decided to give it a try and bought this one. And to myI must say right away that I'm not a big fan of games in monster hatching genre. But I decided to give it a try and bought this one. And to my great surprise, I realized that it turns out I love games about growing monsters! I liked almost everything!

    Graphics are cute pixel, everything is very nice, the only remark I would like more animations of the environment, such as the movement of grass, trees, animation in the background.

    Music - is nothing to write home about, after a couple of hours of playing it became particularly annoying.

    Gameplay is all almost without remarks, but the boss battles were a little ruffled (more precisely, not the battles, but the bosses themselves, somehow they did not impress, not by sight, not by force, maybe I played a little and there will be more difficult obstacles).

    Overall, I liked the game, it's not perfect, but very good.

    My mark 9 Blobs from 10!    … Expand
  6. VanSolo
    Dec 21, 2020
    9
    Just a better "pokemon" game if you want a deeper combat system but not overwhelimg + lots of QOL that those games should have got long ago.Just a better "pokemon" game if you want a deeper combat system but not overwhelimg + lots of QOL that those games should have got long ago. Would definitely recommend if you like turn-based combat, monsters and "on the go game" as you can save anytime. Just don't expect it to be a "grand world design".

    just don't expect it to be on a big scale, the story is very simple.    … Expand
  7. NeyXP
    Dec 20, 2020
    8
    Excelente mistura de pokémon com metroidvania, um RPG de turno que a tempo não me encanta tanto, belo jogo.
  8. Bibbidybuff
    Jan 6, 2021
    5
    Monster Sanctuary was on its way to being a favorite of mine, as it combined the two genres I tend to enjoy the most and it felt pretty fresh.Monster Sanctuary was on its way to being a favorite of mine, as it combined the two genres I tend to enjoy the most and it felt pretty fresh. I love the idea that monsters grant you the metroidvania abilities, I love the art in your "dex" with long entries on each monster, I love the art style even though the environments were fairly uninspired, and I love that the combat feels completely separate from Pokemon. The music isn't very good, so I had the volume off for most of my time playing. The story is weak, but that doesn't matter too much in this sort of game.
    My problem comes in where the Metroidvania aspects seem to be tacked on to expand off the combat system. I feel like the developers made the monster combat and polished up how that system works and then said "waaaaait, let's put it in a Metroid map". That's just what it feels like from my perspective. Maybe if they had mixed up the gameplay where some battles are Metroidvania style where your abilities for battle are based on the monsters you choose.
    There is no catching mechanic, so obtaining a new monster relies on RNG drops (in your favor, it seems, this never gave me issues). Most monsters do not evolve, only a select few use random items that you give to a tree. I suppose this was to differentiate from Pokemon, but if that's the reason than why only give this to a few monsters? Maybe that should have given me a clue that the game doesn't care if you like your monsters or not, it expects you to consider a min-max team. I did not beat the game, because the monsters I had at the final fight were not enough to win and I preferred to walk away with a pleasant experience than look up the meta. I'm not sure why they decided to slap a difficulty curve at the climax of the game. Maybe they forgot the Elite Four isn't leveled to 100 so their lvl 40 cap that the last fights match is fine? Anyway, in a monster collector game I would prefer to win with the monsters I've bonded with along the way, not dump them at the last second. I have no doubt Pokemon haters will praise this game to no end and ignore the mediocrity, they can find a way to glorify an old potato if someone claims it's like Pokemon.
    One last issue, it's disappointing that you get to pick between two white dudes at the start and there's no character customization whatsoever. If I'm not really supposed to care for the monsters, then at least give me some options for my own look (or at least a female character).
    In the end, I would still recommend giving this game a try. It's a good game with some design flaws here and there that leave it middle of the road in the end. It's still going to be more interesting than most of the big releases.    … Expand

See all 11 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Current Switch Games

Full List »
93 Ori and the Will of the Wisps
93 Hades
89 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
88 Dicey Dungeons
87 Littlewood
87 Crimzon Clover - World EXplosion
87 Grindstone
86 MO:Astray
85 Pikmin 3 Deluxe
84 Filament
83 Horace
83 UnderMine
82 No More Heroes
82 No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
82 Tadpole Treble Encore
69 9 Monkeys of Shaolin
66 HyperBrawl Tournament
66 Super Meat Boy Forever
62 RPG Maker MV
61 Seven Knights -Time Wanderer-
All Current Games »