70
Monster Sanctuary blends a Metroidvania game with monster capture elements, and it does a great job at bringing those worlds together. With its enormous amount of content and a fun, well-designed sense of progression, Monster Sanctuary does not stand out as brilliantly when it comes to its exploration, which feels rather simplistic, but there are plenty of elements here to make it worthy for everyone who enjoys any of both genres represented.
60
Monster Sanctuary is a genuinely impressive Monster Collect-a-thon, offering far more customization and tactical variety than its competitors. All other aspects of the title fall spectacularly short, however. The story is abysmal, the environments have nothing interesting to discover, the Metroidvania elements are incredibly basic, and the level design lacks any notable features. If you’re here for the monster battling, you are likely to have a lot of fun with Monster Sanctuary.
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.
8
this is a really good game the combat is good the exploring is good its all good hasjhshaajabszhzhdhsdnsdjsjsjshdhdhshshssananjajsjsm sorry just had to get to the character count
4
Like a 3rd graders first attempt at a game. Battle gone wrong? No pause exit type of deal, restart the game or let the veereryyyy grindy battle end and try again.
7
Yes it is a good game, but the most annoying thing to me will be the repititive gameplay, inspite has a lot of different monsters, they uses almost the same atack moves. But in general, is a good game.
Monster Sanctuary
Released On:
Dec 8, 2020
Metascore
Mixed or Average
74
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Metascore
Mixed or Average
36% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
64% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
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!
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.
User score
Generally Favorable
72% Positive
50 Ratings
50 Ratings
17% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
10% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
Jan 26, 2023
10
10/10 states exactly what it is, other than the mechanics of battle ahead of time so you know what you are getting into. The combat is 3v3 at once, that and other things make it a lot more refreshing. In the last 3-5years I have only completed a handful of games. I buy them like mad and then play halfway through and get bored. I 100% this game. Other games I have completed in last few years though not much relevant are Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Sword, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Rune Factory 4 Special, Metroid Dread, Dead Cells, Elden Ring & Dark Souls 3.
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 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.
Dec 9, 2020
80
Monster Sanctuary is a clever entry in the Monster Catcher genre, it naturally combines a deep battle system with Metroidvania elements with the lore of the game to create quite a special 2D pixel art indie title.
Mar 8, 2021
70
Monster Sanctuary blends a Metroidvania game with monster capture elements, and it does a great job at bringing those worlds together. With its enormous amount of content and a fun, well-designed sense of progression, Monster Sanctuary does not stand out as brilliantly when it comes to its exploration, which feels rather simplistic, but there are plenty of elements here to make it worthy for everyone who enjoys any of both genres represented.
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.
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.
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.
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 because you can reset them for cheap.
Apr 2, 2025
7
Yes it is a good game, but the most annoying thing to me will be the repititive gameplay, inspite has a lot of different monsters, they uses almost the same atack moves. But in general, is a good game.
Dec 14, 2020
7
Starts strong, and has a lot of good ideas, which ultimately arent perfectly thought-through and executed, though: Repetitive gameplay, lots of repeating world-abilities, very unspectacular "boss-fights" (which you simply need to beat to proceed, but dont add any new mechanics), annoying and disturbing puzzles, a boring level-design, and the lack of comfort disturb the experience the longer you play, and the further you get, and hinder the game from being great. It still is a nice addition to the monster-collecting genre, and not a bad game, but didnt fulfill my personal expectations...
Jul 31, 2025
4
Like a 3rd graders first attempt at a game. Battle gone wrong? No pause exit type of deal, restart the game or let the veereryyyy grindy battle end and try again.
Jul 6, 2024
4
Starts very strong but gets tedious at the end. Too many layers were added making the later battles take forever. Difficulty curve gets obscene during the last bosses. Only a few monsters are viable during these battles so if you don't use guides to build your team you're going to have a bad time. Great concept but gets ruined by the tryhards. Don't waste your time on this one.
SummaryEmbark 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.
Rated E +10for Everyone +10
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
Initial Release Date:Dec 8, 2020
Developer:
Publisher:
