Foursaken Media has been on a roll lately with the likes of Block Fortress (Free) and Heroes and Castles (Free) and it looks like their next release is going to continue that trend. An action-RPG with roguelike and Pokemon elements, Monster Adventures has a lot going for it and should make some waves when it’s released.
Firing up the game for the first time introduces you to the protagonist as he moves into a small mountain village. After some introductions you discover a Monster whose spirit has been bound to you. You can then send out this monster into the wilds to take on other baddies, which earn you both experience and gold that can be used to improve various facets of your avatar. You can also capture wildlings to earn AP which can go towards unlocking new moves. All this training for your Monster looks to be towards preparing it for coliseum battles, which pit Monsters against each other 1-on-1 and will unlock rewards for continuing.
Gameplay revolves around simple action-RPG tenants. Maps are divided into ‘rooms’ with your Monster moving between each one and taking on the monsters that spawn before moving to the next one. Your monster initially starts out with only a simple close-up attack, but quickly learns more moves that open up ranged attacks, passive boosts, and more.
In addition to gold and experience, special upgrade items can also be found on the field, furthering customizing your Monster’s look and attributes. While Monster Adventures looks like it’ll have its share of grinding, the randomized maps and large list of potential abilities and upgrades for your Monster should keep players motivated.
I’m really digging Monster Adventures so far as it I think it hits all the right notes in providing ample monster customization while not appearing to be too intimidating. The risk/reward structure we described back in May still exists, which adds a lot of secondary strategy. If this sounds interesting, I’ve got good news: Monster Adventures should be hitting the App Store next week and we’ll have a full review once it comes out.
