9 Monkeys of Shaolin
a game by | Sobaka Studio |
Platform: | PC (2020) |
Editor Rating: | 6.5/10, based on 1 review |
User Rating: | 10.0/10 - 2 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Multiplayer Games, Co-op Games, Beat 'em-Up, Martial Arts Games, Ninja Games |
Beat'em up games were once among the biggest and most popular genres of games, but sadly that's mostly in the past. But even though it's now mostly a thing of the past, that's exactly one of the favorite types of games smaller game studios love to get into. 9 Monkeys of Shaolin is here to make a rebirth of the genre in a flashy new way. However, it has to face legends such as Double Dragon and Streets of Rage, and that means it's not going to be easy to make it an unforgettable journey. Even so, it has a lot of twists and changes in the mechanics, so that means it has a slight chance there. But, how's the game, and what's it about? Well, let's talk about that.
The legend
In 9 Monkeys of Shaolin, we play as Wei Cheng, a young fisherman looking for vengeance after his entire family was slaughtered by pirates in a village attack.
Even though he knows the basics of Shaolin techniques, he'll need to master them before being able to fulfill his revenge. He'll need new techniques and master his own abilities in the way. The Shaolin monks will help him with the new abilities, but after that, he's on his own to get the final revenge.
A new take on the basics
The gameplay and progress in 9 Monkeys of Shaolin are pretty linear, and there aren't many options available for the player. It uses all the basic mechanics of the classic beat'em up games but in a fresh new way. It doesn't get out of the way to innovate in many ways, but it does a nice job at being a rebirth of the genre. The technical aspect of the game is nothing out of this world, but it does the basics alright.
Artsy
One of the things that really stand out the most as soon as you start playing 9 Monkeys of Shaolin you realize that the visuals are quite unique. Unlike many small developers that go for a more retro style and use 16-bit visuals, this game uses 3D visuals. With beautiful backgrounds and nice 3D animations, the game looks great, and it's a nice change of pace from the old school visuals we've seen a gazillion times before. Even though there aren't that many enemy types and the character design is quite bland.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin is a new take on a traditional genre that's been around for a really long time. It doesn't innovate much in terms of technical aspects, it feels fresh and new. The 3D graphics are pleasant to the eye, but for some reason, the character design, and the general graphics of the characters and enemies seem off.
They are bland and they lack that feeling of heaviness related to their fighting, but the scenery is beautiful. Sadly the game gets to be repetitive really fast, and it doesn't do much for innovation, the mechanics are simple and it's technically boring.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin has a nice thing going on for it, but I lost all momentum a couple of hours into the game, and it's really a shame. However, the good things are nice enough to keep the game afloat and not make it a bad experience.
Pros
- Nice background art
- Feels a lot like a traditional wuxia film
- Cool setting
Cons
- Inconsistent art
- Boring mechanics
- Technically bland
Download 9 Monkeys of Shaolin
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP