Dawn of the Monsters

Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.

Dawn of the Monsters stumbles into some of the more common pitfalls of belt-scrolling fighters, but it has enough flair, polish and excitement to be a more than worthy offering, particularly played in couch co-op with a friend. We wish there were a few more playable creatures, but the ones on offer here are all very distinct and enormous fun to get to grips with. It's a richly rewarding game, with higher ranks unlocking new skins and upgrades from the in-game shop (don't worry, no microtransactions here) which offer an incentive to keep playing - though the real reason you'll stick with Dawn of the Monsters is that it is, quite simply, very good indeed. While it has a few problems, they're nothing that will stop you having a blast with this Brobdingnagian beat-'em-up.

A solid DLC with more content for a great beat 'em up

Dawn of the Monsters is a really fun time, both in solo and especially in co-op, being a pretty good brawler that’s both a serviceable tribute to the Toku days and one with a decent amount of depth, with lots of great combos and augments to mess around with, and a fun combat system to keep stages interesting as you work towards those S+ Ranks.

Dawn of the Monsters is an absolute delight for anyone who enjoys kaiju or tokusatsu content.

Dawn of the Monsters is a beat-em-up title that features massive beasts and robotic mechs taking out other ferocious monsters. As I piloted these behemoths, I explored various landscapes and worked to save human civilization. Did these immense creatures make the game massively fun? Or did it end up being a big flop? Find out in this Rapid Review.

Dawn of the Monsters is a very good beat-'em-up made just a bit better because you finally get to be a towering creature that dishes out pain. The combat system is flashy yet deep, and the card upgrade system keeps things fresh as you try to find the perfect build for all four heroes. The campaign runs at a good length, with some reason to keep coming back for higher rankings. The game is fun even if you're going solo instead of co-op. Minor gripes with the game aside, beat-'em-up fans are going to enjoy having this title in their libraries.

Dawn of the Monsters successfully manages to reproduce the feeling of kaijus and big robot fights, but it doesn't add anything new to the genre's tropes, falling in a bit uninspired and repetitive gameplay.

Dawn of the Monsters should be on your list if you're looking for a great co-op kaiju beat 'em up. The beautiful artwork and range of different characters and abilities will have you changing up who you pick until you find the one that fits your play style. Boss battles are tough but manageable, but they will require you to customize your character with the different augments best suited to the fight. I've been playing solo and with my kids, who absolutely love playing as a giant beast, smashing through the landscape, and taking out the monsters. And frankly, who wouldn't love that?

"Better than American Godzilla from 1998."