def Title(blog)

starting to get the hang of this blender keyframe thing. I’ll be animating some statistics for a school project and I’ll probably post them here when I’m done.

So I’m missing some libraries from my computer, and now it seems I can’t render my blender stuff. that’s just lovely.

Monaco Review

Hey, I realize that I haven’t really put anything substantial on this blog in a while (friggin school)  so I figured I’d spend a bit of time talking about the game Monaco. (note: I just edited this review to add some extra bits and pieces).

For those of you not in the know, Monaco (or Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine if you want to let people know you’re not talking about the country) is a 4-player co-op heist game that’s been in the making since about 2010-2011. I’ve been following this game since it was announced, and I was really glad to finally get to play it. So how does it hold up?

Music

The music for the game is composed by Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory. It consists of complex piano pieces with little to no accompaniment. It’s a style that works quite well, actually.

Graphics

Monaco’s graphical style has changed a bit from the original, more simple style of the early IGF prototype (which came with my pre-order) but has kept the same type of 8-bit vibe. It works very well, but the layout  can be confusing to onlookers when everything’s moving around so fast. The character designs are pretty good as well, from the grubby Pickpocket to the neurotic Hacker. All in all the game looks pretty good.

Gameplay

Monaco’s gameplay is one of the most addictive, satisfying games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Andy Schatz has been tweaking it for years now, and the polish really shows. The way it works is simple: you pick one of 8 classes and you get through a map to steal a certain object. You operate doors, computers, ladders, etc. by simply walking into them. It’s a format that’s easy to learn, but it changes quite a bit depending on your choice of class. Each of the 8 classes is fun to play, even if some are less fancy than the others. Some are obviously more suited to different play styles, but this is one of Monaco’s strengths rather than a weakness. Don’t want to have to sneak around guards? The Gentleman can walk right past them. Want to take a more passive role and still help your team? Lookout’s got your back. While pulling off the perfectly planned heist is fantastic (I still find myself grinning from ear to ear as I type “Hacker, you’re up” into chat) one of the important things to remember about Monaco, however, is that it is in no way a pure stealth game. Sooner or later, something will go terribly, horribly wrong. and everyone will panic. and it will be glorious. It’s a game that’s all about mistakes, and it’s really quite refreshing to see. Definitely pick this one up if you get the chance.

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