PGC NEWS

Nippon Ichi, known for their creative and often quirky games, has ventured into a new genre-bending experience with Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook. This title attempts to blend the strategic depth of tactical RPGs with the survival elements of roguelikes, all while adding a dash of anime aesthetics. But does this ambitious fusion create a delicious gaming meal, or a culinary catastrophe? Let’s dive in and find out.

A Quirky Blend of Genres

Character Creation

Monster Menu throws players into the challenging depths of the Sealed Island as Reuben (the default protagonist name) and up to three companions. Character creation is streamlined, allowing players to choose from preset archetypes and customize basic features. The goal is simple: survive and ascend the procedurally generated floors of a mysterious tower, battling monsters, scavenging for resources, and most importantly, cooking to stave off starvation.

Exploring the Dungeon

Gameplay is divided into two distinct phases: exploration and cooking. Exploration involves traversing dungeon floors, gathering resources, battling enemies, and searching for the exit to the next level. Combat is turn-based and relatively straightforward. The unique “Devour” and “Feed” mechanics add a touch of gruesome strategy, allowing players to consume fallen enemies for temporary buffs or inflict status ailments by feeding grotesque ingredients to foes.

Cooking

The cooking phase is where Monster Menu truly shines. A vast recipe book awaits, requiring players to experiment with a wide variety of ingredients, even processing them into different forms. Discovering new recipes or finding recipe books scattered throughout the dungeon adds a layer of rewarding progression. Consuming food isn’t just about replenishing hunger and thirst; meals can boost or hinder stats depending on character preferences and the… “exotic” nature of the dish. Crafting also plays a role, though it’s less developed than the cooking system.

In-Dungeon Cooking

While death sends players back to the beginning, they retain equipment, recipes, and gathered ingredients, offering a sense of progression even amidst setbacks. This blend of roguelike, survival, and tactical RPG elements creates a unique experience, offering something refreshingly different from typical JRPG fare.

A Recipe for Disaster?

Boss Battle

Unfortunately, while the genre fusion is intriguing, each individual component falls short. The narrative, while initially promising with its grim opening scene, quickly becomes an afterthought, relying on scattered notes and post-battle snippets to convey the story. The humor and charm characteristic of Nippon Ichi’s writing are largely absent.

Combat

Combat, while functional, lacks depth and can become repetitive. The vast discrepancy in difficulty between regular enemies and bosses is jarring, often feeling unfair. The permadeath mechanic, combined with the need to prioritize the main character’s survival, further exacerbates this issue.

Dungeon Environment

The procedurally generated environments, while a staple of roguelikes, lack variety and offer little incentive for exploration. Enemy variety is also limited, with most foes relying on basic attacks and differing primarily in appearance and elemental weaknesses. This makes repeated runs through similar environments feel tedious.

Cooking Interface

Finally, Monster Menu suffers from a severe lack of guidance. Beyond basic tutorials on hunger and thirst, the game leaves players to decipher its complex mechanics and cluttered menus on their own. This can be frustrating for newcomers to the genre.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook presents a unique and initially engaging blend of genres. However, its flawed execution in several key areas ultimately holds it back from its full potential. While the cooking system is undeniably creative and fun, the shallow combat, weak narrative, and frustrating difficulty spikes leave a bitter aftertaste. This is a game best served to dedicated roguelike fans with a high tolerance for repetition and a willingness to experiment.