A Creature-Collector Roguelike Deckbuilder? It’s like developer Mankibo set out to indulge me specifically by combining two of my favourite genres into something new! Now, of course, situations like this can go one of two ways – I might love this a whole lot because it mixes so much of what I like, or I end up disappointed as the game ends up as less than the sum of its parts. I wasn’t sure which of these options was awaiting me, but the premise for the game and its stunning-looking trailer had me dying to find out.
Montabi really does look the part. Its art jumps off the screen, drawing you into its world in which an evil organisation is stealing people’s Montabi (cute little creatures who you train to fight) for some nefarious ends. You start out as a young trainer whose own creature has been taken away, on a quest to find their little friend. It’s all very reminiscent of the tropes the genre is known for, and the rest of the game doesn’t really venture that far into new territory either. I do like that your trainer takes part in combat, though, so it’s not just your little monsters doing all the fighting.
Combat takes place on two three-by-three fields, one for you and one for your opponents. This makes the roguelike deckbuilder fights more intriguing, as positioning becomes important to your strategy as well. Then you have to consider that you can have Montabi in reserve, as in not on the playing field but ready to be subbed in, adding lots of layers to the game. Especially since every creature has its own unique deck to play with. The combinations are pretty much limitless, considering there are 22 different starters to collect.
The most important part of gameplay will be to find the right synergies between different Montabi and your trainer. Cards won’t always just affect yourself or your enemies but can also have an effect on your allies, and this can become so important. In fact, it’s probably the most important factor in being successful in this game, something I can really attest to as I have struggled to find these synergies. I don’t think that’s the game’s fault, though; I just struggle to see the connections that would make me more successful. I had to lower the difficulty to Easy just to be able to make it into the final battle.
Difficulty is something I have an issue with when it comes to Montabi. It’s normal for a game like this to get incrementally more difficult, but I feel this game lacks a bit of balance. As is usual for a game like this, you’ll have your regular battles, elite battles and boss battles. The difference between the regular battles on one side and the elite and boss battles on the other is just… intense. I found myself dodging the elite battles almost every playthrough just because I would take so much damage from them. Yes, the rewards are better, but I just felt it wasn’t worth the hassle.
Maybe that’s just a me-problem. It’s quite possible, as the developers themselves have mentioned how they are focused on people breaking the game. They actively encourage people to break it and see how overpowered they can become, and I just can’t do it. I find strong combos for sure, and these make the regular battles quite easy, but then I end up struggling with elites once again, only to fail when I face the boss battles.
That’s a shame, as I do have fun with the game. Does it offer a whole new experience within its genre? Not really. You have three locations where you have to choose the path you want to follow. Along that path are shops, events and battles, as per usual. You have items that will boost your Montabi or yourself and stickers you can attach to cards to give them an advantage. All of these are neat features, but nothing we haven’t seen in other games within the genre before.
One nice touch is that your Montabi can evolve as you level them up. Each creature has two evolved forms, and these come with their own perks. It’s a nice nod to the game’s creature collector influences. The creatures themselves are delightfully creative too. There’s a skateboarding monkey, or a goldfish in a bag with legs, but there’s also a washing machine and a traffic cone. They all look the part and will be the big draw to get people to play this game.
I’m left with a strange feeling when it comes to Montabi. The separate parts are all there, and they should be working just fine. The game encourages gamebreaking mechanics, but I just can’t find them, and I feel like it’s taking away from my enjoyment of it. After my first few runs, it felt like I wouldn’t be playing that much longer. It seemed like I had experienced all the game had to offer, and it didn’t feel all that engaging. But then I unlocked new trainers, a fighter and a chef, bringing with them all new ways of playing on top of all the possibilities for strategies I mentioned earlier. Then I managed to get further into the game and to unlock more starter Montabi.
And all of a sudden, the game had its hooks in me. Whenever a run would end, I would just boot up another one. I could try this combination and use that particular skill a bit more often. Maybe I need to try a different trainer for a little while and step away from what wasn’t working before. What if I focus on this particular enemy instead of trying to get to all of them at once? Suddenly it just… clicked. And now I see myself returning to this game again and again, even though I have several other games to review right now. I think that’s the biggest compliment I can give Montabi: it gets under your skin.
