MonsterVine
We Cover Video Game News, Reviews, Previews, and More.
Latest Reviews
The music of Strive is absolutely stellar, as each character has a banging rock theme that accompanies them. The lyrics can be nonsensical, but the rhythms get you hyped for every match. I can’t wait to submit “Smell of the Game” for the best song in this year’s GOTY discussions,...
The music is very energetic and almost aggressively exciting, which is a good fit for the tone of World Brothers. The voice acting is especially suited to the game, as it’s as hammy as one could hope for in a B-movie inspired game like this. Some of the silliest lines...
There are seldom a few times in life that you find something that truly resonates with you. Something you can confidently call “Your favorite thing.” Halfway through playing Mass Effect 2, I found myself saying to my girlfriend in a hushed tone: “I think this is my favorite video game.”...
If you have someone to play with, It Takes Two is more than a worthwhile experience. As a game, it’s infinitely fun and full of environments you’ll want to get lost in. The story ends with a bit of turbulence, but it’s smooth sailing until you get there.If you have...
The music of Nocturne HD is great and suits the game’s chaotic nature; the problem with it is that some of it is horribly compressed. Battle themes and the level-up theme all sound like they were recorded off of a mid-2000’s cell phone. It’s noticeable in the worst way, and...
Biomutant’s world makes a lot of sense when you realize the studio is made up of former Avalanche Studios developers, known primarily for the Just Cause series. You have this massive world with gorgeous lush jungles or arid deserts with stuff to do, and nooks and crannies to poke your...
The soundtrack is out-of-control good as well, Kenji Ito puts out another iconic soundtrack that fully takes advantage of the CD quality sound the PS1 brought to the series. You can find me listening to the entire soundtrack on the regular, but every single battle theme in this series is...
For a developer that focuses on narrative design, structure, and experimentation, Deconstructeam got off to a bit of a rocky start but my favorite thing about Essays on Empathy is that there’s a narrative thread that goes through the product as a whole. Though each game is different, has its...
As requested by the developers, I would play roughly a half-hour of Cozy Grove a day. In my case, I was playing my half-hour before bed and found it to be a very pleasing and somewhat zen-like experience. From gathering someone else’s mail to setting fire to fish to collect...
Village looks gorgeous, which means the vile abominations look shockingly realistic. From Ethan’s bloody hand to Moreau’s ghastly appearance, everything looks incredible, which adds to the slowly building tension throughout the game. Environments are as creepily barren and haunting as can be, while the blood effects are just real enough...
The visuals of New Pokémon Snap are quite impressive, as the Pokémon look and move in ways that feel natural, despite their status as fictional animals. You really believe that you’re on a safari or theme park ride filled with wild animals, as they graze in the background or get...
The Final Word NieR Replicant is a brilliant game despite its tedious sidequests. The characters and world of Replicant are instantly memorable and enjoyable to follow, while the music and environments suit the harsh story perfectly. I wish there were better side-quests and a bit more variation in playthroughs, but overall,...

















