Monstrously wholesome
Monstrous Love's short review
Developer: Ana Pepper and Time Galleon
Genre: Visual Novel
Store: Steam
Reviewed version: 1.0.0
Censored: No
Patch Needed: No
OS: Windows, macOS, Linux
Language: English, Portuguese, Chinese (simplified), Japanese
Games with monster sex tend to make it as hardcore as possible, featuring characters that get railed in multiple ways until they lose their minds, but Monstrous Love subverts this by being so wholesome and vanilla it feels closer to an erotic story than a full-blown porn visual novel.
It features three mini-stories in which the female protagonist meets a monster in the woods. They take about 20 minutes to finish, but their multiple endings and unlockable extra art add a lot of replayability. Moreover, each story comes with a minigame, such as a Simon-says-like minigame and a Hidden object sequence, as well as one that's common to all the stories in which you take control of the monster and have to pleasure the protagonist with the best of your abilities.
The visuals reminded me of certain comic books because of the simpler character designs and subdued colors, and it works perfectly. They match the game's tone more than if it had a very detailed and vivid art style. Moreover, the soundtrack helps the player to get immersed in the story, featuring piano tracks for the romantic moments and jazzy tunes for the main menu and the spicier scenes. On the downside, the optional reggae and metal tracks from the first story stick out like a sore thumb.
Verdict: Short but enjoyable
While it's possible to finish Monstrous Love in a bit more than an hour, it's one of those games that are very charming and hard to forget. Check it out if you're looking for something short to play during breaks because it's worth it.