Monster Harvest

Monster Harvest is a good example of why great ideas also need to be followed up with great execution. There's nothing wrong with the idea of a farm sim with monster-catching elements, but Monster Harvest does a rough job of convincing you of that. The monster RPG content is so poorly done that it might as well have not been implemented at all, as it clearly took focus away from the decent farm sim portion of the gameplay. Amazingly, the farm sim gameplay still redeems this enough that it's not a complete dumpster fire, but we'd only give this the barest of recommendations to anybody looking for another entry in the genre. Take our word for it, you're much better off just starting over with a new farm in Stardew Valley, or picking up Rune Factory 4.

Monster Harvest falls into the category of farming simulators that try to set themselves apart in some way. Here, the difference comes in the form of planimals—mutated creatures that could be likened to hybrids of animals and plants. Although the game features a fairly diverse range of farming items, it is clearly dragged down by a weak combat system, a boring story, and an overall sense of heavy repetition. The changing seasons and weather, which affect what you can grow, are nice, but they get lost in the overall experience because you’ll end up choosing what to grow anyway and focusing solely on that in the end.

Monster Harvest focuses on farming and leveling your monsters. While the idea is fresh, there wasn’t much content within the game and the two ideas didn’t really mix that well. Few glitches were found that proved some of the gameplay experience to be ruined, NPCs made me feel even lonelier and the festival feature was not the most comfortable event to enjoy either. Felt like I was playing an unfinished game.

Overall Monster Harvest is an average entry into a genre that, for the most part, is oversaturated with average entries. It tries to emulate the genre patriarch and does a respectable job in terms of the farming mechanics, overall feel, and presentation. The town, the folk, and the whole monster thing hold the game back, however. There is very little reason to invest your time and money into such a temporal vacuum when that game is merely adequate.

Maple Powered Games has something here that I can just feel waiting to be mined out of this block of coal. If there's anything that's clear after my time with it, it's that Monster Harvest needed an Early Access period. In its current state, it's hard to recommend Monster Harvest. Fans of its genre inspirations will find little to enjoy in the game's interpretations of either gameplay style. Those looking for some winning combination of the two will walk away empty-handed. But I want to believe they can figure it out.

Overall, Monster Harvest is a very interesting spin on the very crowded farming simulator genre. The gameplay concept has great potential for an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, the execution missed its mark in too many places, including but not limited to the main monster component, such as the oversimplified battles, bugs, interface and font issues, and limited content. It appears that the developers are currently working on patches to address issues, but it remains to be seen if the game will see its full potential realized. For now, feel free to skip this harvest.

Monster Harvest hardly innovates in its farm simulator function and does not work well in its combat system. Not every mix can work out well and there are better alternatives on the market.

Monster Harvest is a mostly forgettable title that will only really appeal to those who are incredibly fond of the genre.

Not respectful of time, and not quite it's own game yet.

If Monster Harvest had invested some more time in any of the major aspects of the game, like the combat system, the relationships, or the story loop, the other issues might have been forgiven. Since I found myself bored with the gameplay and confused about my purpose in Monster Harvest, I can’t rate the game any higher than a 6 out of 10. There are too many missing elements for this game to really stand up to the other farming simulators on the market.