MONACO : Review

Tax havens attract capital, and in turn the capital attract thieves. So that takes us to Monaco this congenial game. Developed by Pocketwatch Games, the title won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Game Developers Conference 2010, which is still the heir of Crayon Physics Deluxe, but also the price of design excellence - no less . Nice course for a title that arrives so that three years later, PC and XLA.

LIKE A HURRICANE

It is in the old pots that the best soups. This proverb not only delight all the grandmothers of the world as it applies perfectly to the video game. Thus, one could say that the developers of Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine Revisited recipe Pac-Man, as we found in all the emotional markers: it is fun, it's clever. To summarize the concept, it plays a thug who must perform various missions without being spotted by the guards. Levels are seen from above, but it is possible to see that our own character can see. At most, some noises are suggested by patterns in the gray areas, such as steps, for example. This limitation of the field of vision is clearly one of the highlights of the game, since you can never totally control the environment, where the excitement every time you open a single door. The danger is everywhere, and as some guards around, the parts that were thought safe the first time that the cross can become real wasp nests when it returns. Again, this is clever.

To further spice up the game, it is possible to embody different types of criminals. At the beginning of the adventure, there are four jobs: the expert locksmith locks the lookout for sharp vision, the perfect pickpocket to pick up the loot and cleaner which can easily get rid of enemies that have not spotted . Four additional classes to unlock throughout the missions. If the goals do not change depending on the character, the means to achieve it are very numerous and the approach is therefore more or less depending on the selected job, although the game does not really put us as a barrier for our pleasure. One can either play the nag, even alert everyone and quickly being overtaken, or while acting in the dark, or sneak in with a disguise, or break down the walls. But better still play it fine to try to collect all the bonus story then unlock more missions.

TOP THIEF

But what is better than a thief? A group of thieves, of course. Clearly, mechanical Monaco make sense in multiplayer, where the excitement is tenfold and cooperation strongly suggested. Four players can join forces to rob all principality, either locally or online. Although it is possible to raise to infinity as a player is still alive and coordinated actions are performed faster, the multiplayer mode is more difficult, since it is easier to detection. There is even a very nice unlockable PVP mode, but you'll have to earn it. In Monaco, the action should be fast and accurate, and fortunately, the grip is ultra-sharp thanks to the simplicity of the actions. It suffices to stick a few seconds to an object to interact with. If one opts for infiltration and one uses no weapon, so it is quite possible to draw in levels simply by using the left stick. Malin, you're told.

However, what is less malignant, are the guards. The AI ​​of these gentlemen is very low because they will stop racing thieves quickly and seem rather blind. Worse still, to escape them, they only need to change floors, even after stirred up a crowd. It is a shame and it breaks immersion and stress, but it does not prevent them from finding sometimes cornered and clubbed. And even if you kill them, sometimes through an NPC there to raise them too. I must say that the poor have only one life point, when the thieves running around with them all a busy bar. There are chances for the scum, as they say. In the list of blackheads, we can also mention the scenario that develops only through written English dialogues before each mission. This unfortunately is not very exciting, and we will quickly zap directly from an angry finger on the button.

COLOR BLOCK

Finally, Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine, it is also a matter of style. Minimalist and colorful graphics are really nice, even if it takes a little time to adapt, the title is perfectly readable, thanks to the simplicity of the designs. Everything is done anyway so that we fully understand what is happening on the screen, even add large arrows here and there to indicate the right direction. The noise level is also good at all, with catchy melodies and sounds reminiscent Winterbottom. So actually, we regret a little bit that the title was not translated into French, but we will still have the pleasure of hearing our beautiful language of Molière from time to time in the levels, since the characters speak French (with voice ... unexpected). Yes, we are in Monaco!