Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a charming action-platformer with a colourful world, strong audio, and plenty of personality. Its presentation immediately gives the game a sense of energy, while the soundtrack helps carry the adventure through its different areas and challenges.
However, the overall experience is held back by controls that do not always feel as responsive or polished as they should. The story also lacks the depth needed to make the journey feel truly memorable. Despite these shortcomings, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom remains a good game with enough charm and quality to keep the adventure enjoyable.
Graphics 6.7
The graphics in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom are decent overall, with a colourful art style that clearly tries to take the series in a different direction. The environments are bright and varied, and the character designs help give the game its own identity.
However, the visual style can look strange at times. Certain animations, character models, and environmental details do not always blend together naturally, which can make some areas feel inconsistent. While the graphics are pleasant enough, they are not one of the game’s strongest features.
Gameplay 7.6
The gameplay in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is one of its strongest features. The controls feel snappy and responsive, making movement, attacks, and platforming satisfying throughout the adventure.
The game also offers plenty of variety through its different forms, abilities, and playstyles. Each transformation changes how you explore the world, solve puzzles, and approach combat, helping the experience remain fresh as you progress.
Overall, the gameplay is excellent and provides a strong balance of platforming, exploration, puzzle-solving, and action.
Audio 8.5
The audio is one of the strongest parts of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. The soundtrack is energetic, memorable, and fits the game’s colourful adventure extremely well.
The sound effects are also clear and high quality, giving attacks, movement, and environmental interactions a satisfying sense of impact. Together, the music and sound design help keep the action lively and keep you on your toes throughout the journey.
Value 6.0
The value in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is fairly good, with the main adventure taking approximately 15 to 18 hours to complete. That provides a respectable amount of playtime for an action-platformer and gives players enough time to explore its different areas and abilities.
However, the game could have benefited from more optional activities, side content, or additional challenges. The main journey is enjoyable, but once it is finished, there are not enough meaningful extras to significantly extend the experience.
Overall, the value is not bad, although a little more content would have made the package feel more complete.
Pros
* Snappy and responsive controls that make movement and combat feel satisfying.
* Varied transformations and abilities that support several different playstyles.
* Excellent audio with a strong, energetic soundtrack.
* High-quality sound effects that give the action plenty of impact.
* Enjoyable platforming, exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving
Cons
* Limited replay value once the main adventure has been completed.
* The storyline feels short and could have offered more depth.
* Not enough optional activities or meaningful content outside the main journey.
* The graphics lack overall polish and occasionally look inconsistent.
* Certain character designs, animations, and environments can appear strange.
Verdict
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is an enjoyable action-platformer carried by its excellent audio, responsive controls, and varied gameplay. Its transformations and abilities keep the adventure feeling fresh, while the strong soundtrack and satisfying sound effects add energy to every area.
However, the game falls short in a few important areas. The storyline lacks depth, the visual presentation could use more polish, and there is not enough additional content to provide much replay value once the main adventure is finished.
Overall, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a good game with strong gameplay and audio, but a more developed story, improved visuals, and additional content could have made it a much more memorable experience.
7.2
GOOD