Monstrum 2

Set in a decrepit sea fortress, Monstrum 2 is an asymmetric multiplayer game that’s all about survival. Join a team of prisoners as you explore a procedurally generated labyrinth of death, escaping from a vicious and unstoppable creature. It’s survival horror at its finest, and only the bravest will be able to overcome this task.

However, not every player must evade the hunter: some of them will actually get to play as the monster. If you’ve ever had the power fantasy of being the monster in a horror movie, then Monstrum 2 might definitely be for you.

Rust and sea

Developed by Team Junkfish, Monstrum 2’s asymmetrical multiplayer gameplay is reminiscent of that seen in Dead by Daylight. A team of players is chosen at the beginning of each round, with one of them becoming the monster instead. The hunted (known as Prisoners) must complete a series of tasks to escape the sea fortress they’re in.

All that is pretty easy to say, but navigating the confusing mess of hallways that is the map of Monstrum 2 is certainly a daunting task. To make things even more challenging, you can’t simply memorize the map, as it’s procedurally generated each round. This adds a huge amount of tension each time you boot up the game: perfect for any survival horror fan.

Unstoppable atrocities

The stars of the show here are the monsters. Unlike the first Monstrum game, monsters here are controlled by other players. At the moment of this review, there’s no way to play Monstrum 2 offline, meaning there are no AI-controlled monsters. This might be seen as a downside, and it is, as the game depends on a populated player base to be even remotely playable.

Players who get chosen as the monster get to select from a roster of creatures to hunt down the other players. Each creature has a unique set of skills that make them better suited for different gameplay styles. The designs of these monsters are nice, too, if nowhere near as scary or effective as they were in the first game.

Thankfully, the eerie atmosphere and dark-lit corridors turn the game into a positively haunting experience. Just don’t rely on the monsters to be the main source of frights.

Shifting and moving

If there’s something disappointing about Monstrum 2, that might be its awkward controls. It’s difficult to explain, but controlling your character in the game feels like you’re running in a pool of Jell-O. This is made even worse when you consider that you have to outrun some very agile and nimble monsters.

To make matters worse, procedural generation isn’t always a cool trick. In Monstrum 2, for example, some maps might end up being downright nonsensical. At the end of each round, players will have to make their way to an escape route; problem is, there’s only one escape point.

As you might have guessed, players controlling monsters need to only camp in this location and they can easily take out the entire team. In fact, the whole game seems unfairly balanced towards monsters. That said, maybe that was the developer’s intention all along.

Pros:

• Interesting setting
• Playing as the monster can be lots of fun
• Challenging puzzles

Cons:

• Multiplayer only
• Unbalanced gameplay
• Janky controls