Monster Monpiece

Sometimes you wonder why these remarkably average anime girl games keep getting produced. They all seem quite similar and never offer much more than the imagery of scantily-clad women in suggestive poses. Voyeuristic mechanics to unlock 'rewards' included. Yes, Monster Monpiece is one of those games.

There is a reason why these games keep being made - people will simply buy them. In Japan, there is simply a massive cult behind this artistic styling. Seen everywhere from Akihabara to Shinjuku. The comfort and familiarity of these games have spread to the Western world - and become increasingly popular - Monster Monpiece is one that took a shine in particular.

The deck is stacked in your favor.

For a game that probably would have sold OK with the most minimal mechanics, Monster Monpiece is surprisingly fleshed out. There's quite the backstory consisting of a crop of human women undertaking the task of training 'Monster Girls' to battle against evil spirits trying to take control of the Kingdom.

It's here where you will collect 'Monster Girl' cards and battle against other contestants to assume your place as the strongest in the land. The game consists of creating your deck of the most powerful cards and placing them on a 7 x 3 board where they will advance and challenge opponents on the way. They will hit for the number of points in on their stats, with specific skill advantages, applying when available.

The object is to keep defeating your enemies' cards so your characters can advance on the board - all the way to your opponent's stronghold to declare victory. It will take cunning and strategy to achieve your goals. You will have to use healers, boosts, combos, and bonuses to ensure your front-facing cards stay alive amidst the battles.

The colorful atmospheres are pleasant, and the animations and graphics are serviceable in the battle scenes. Each card game does have a bit of a challenge, which is nice. But as you advance the game, it does remain a bit unintuitive in terms of strategy. It lulls back to the idea that the game was only created for the voyeuristic aspect of it.

Just rub it a little

That notion is the focus presents itself in the form of having to 'rub' your cards to unlock your cards - where characters' clothing comes off in stages. It would offer a massive deterrent for anybody looking to play a serious game, no matter how polished the gameplay actually is.

Monster Monpiece does actually work as a game - even if you removed the seductive illustrations, it could pass as a decent card game. By no means does it adopt the card genre's challenges, such as Duelyst or Skies of Arcadia. There are a few hours of fun to be had given the multitude of strategies used on the game board.

Pros

• Decent card game with challenging mechanics
• Very colorful with engaging animations
• Varied strategies can be used with the cards

Cons

• Another suggestive and voyeuristic anime-girl game
• The rubbing mechanic makes you feel uncomfortable
• Not much to be excited about after a few hours