Monaco: Complete Edition

Genre: Top-Down Stealth

Players: 1-4 Co-Op (Local, Local Wireless, Online)

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Review:

Monaco is a Top-Down Stealth game originally released in 2013 on Windows and Xbox 360. It has you playing as a selected member of a crew of archetypal criminals (the lockpick, the pickpocket, the cleaner, the mole, etc.) and going about various missions that usually involve breaking into or out of a place, stealing something, and ideally not getting caught by the authorities while doing so. Originally released with the subtitle What’s Yours Is Mine, this version of the game comes with all previously released DLC.

The presentation of Monaco is simple and stylized, which works well for the game and still manages to convey a lot of personality. This is in part thanks to a combination of great use of sound, excellent writing, and a soundtrack provided by an old piano that really helps to sell the feeling that this is a classic heist movie (the combination of classy presentation and disparate crew of criminals has gotten numerous comparisons to the classic Rat Pack version of Ocean’s Eleven).

The gameplay itself is excellent, giving players a goal and a building full of obstacles, and letting them decide the best way to get past the obstacles and accomplish the goal. This is made even more notable thanks to the characters’ individual abilities, from the Hacker’s skill with computers, the Cleaner’s ability to knock out unsuspecting guards, and the Mole’s ability to tunnel through most walls. While there are parts of the game that have you engaging enemies in what amounts to Two-Stick Shooter-style gameplay, this is far from the focus, and usually a sign that something has gone very wrong – you’re generally trying to avoid, hide from, or sneak around enemies rather than engaging them, since ammo is extremely limited, when you even have weapons at all. When things go smoothly, it really heightens this feeling that you’re some sort of criminal mastermind… and when you get caught, you usually find yourself feeling like a rat scurrying from the exterminators. More often, you’ll be in the latter situation, since this game is not shy about giving you more than your fair share of obstacles to overcome.

While this game is superb in single-player, this is absolutely a game that was intended for co-op, with players pooling their distinct skills to accomplish the mission… or often bumbling about until the weakest link gets caught and everyone else scurries for cover. As a sample, here is an actual conversation I had while playing:

“I’m gonna’ go collect some coins.”

“Okay. I’m gonna’ tunnel through this wall so we can get to the objective.”

“Crap! They saw me!”

“Okay, I’m gonna’ hide in this bush until things settle down.”

“Ah! He’s shooting at me! What do I do!”

“Find a hiding spot!”

“Okay…”

“No, you can’t hide there. He saw you go in there, he knows where you are!”

“Crap… crap crap crap…”

“Wait… what are you…?”

“I’m going for a hiding spot!”

“Not MY hiding spot! They followed you here!”

Co-op in Monaco is like a heightened form of the main game. If you have a crew that plays well, it feels like a group of experts pulling off a master heist. If your group isn’t so great (and honestly, you’re bound to stumble on occasion), it makes for a different kind of fun as your group scrambles for safety, or maybe one of you has to change plans to rescue another in your group.

In some ways, the Switch is the ideal way to play Monaco, and in others, it’s the worst. On the one hand, this game plays great in portable mode, and being portable means that if you have other friends with Switches, you can join together on a heist wherever you can gather, or simply play four-player co-op on one TV.

On the other hand… the Nintendo Switch’s online… well, you know the drill. This is a game where communication is key, and that necessitates the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app. What’s more, the online servers appear to be empty at this point, so unless you’re playing with a specific crew of people, don’t expect to get into a random game with others online. Which… may be for the best, since heaven only knows if you’d be able to communicate with a group of random players.

That sort of flaw isn’t really the game’s fault though, and for the most part this is pretty much the best-case scenario for a Nintendo Switch version of Monaco – it’s a solid port of a great game that’s fun in single-player and an absolute blast in co-op. It’s a bit on the difficult side, and don’t expect to play with random strangers online, but otherwise this is a must-have for fans of co-op games on the Switch.

tl;dr – Monaco is a Top-Down Stealth game that has you as one of various archetypal members of a crew of criminals breaking into and out of places, robbing them, and trying not to get caught while doing so. It’s a difficult game, but it’s delightful in single-player, and an absolute blast in co-op. Online play requires jumping through the Switch’s usual frustrating hoops, but local and local wireless play is excellent, and on the whole this is still a must-have game for co-op fans on the Switch.

Grade: A-

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