The first Monaco was released in 2013 at a time when Xbox Live Arcade was making its breakthrough, and there was a new appetite for the creative and unique game type that lay beneath the huge budget triple-A, high-fidelity experience. . These types of games outnumber the big-budget experiences we’re familiar with today, but in 2013 we were discovering such experiences and marveling at their genius. Competition for Monaco 2 is stiff as its release nears, but creator Andy Schatz is clearly excited to revisit the criminal gameplay, saying, “If Monaco 1 is about cat and mouse. Monaco 2 is about complexity and creativity.”
Like the original, Monaco 2 is a game about pulling off heists. You and a multi-talented team work together to break into a facility, get what you need without setting off an alarm, and get it out. And if you sound the alarm — which you will, Schatz assures — you’ll still have a good time. Perhaps an even better time.
The biggest surprise about Monaco 2 is revealed right away when the game starts. The game is now a full 3D experience. The original game was effectively a 2D pixelated game in which players controlled nondescript blocks from an overhead perspective. The game prioritized information over style and was difficult to read for many. The move to 3D brings dozens of improvements. The various characters look very different from each other, and the sequel can now lean into an art style inspired by Saul Bass, an artist primarily known for his work on Alfred Hitchcock movie posters.
Overall the switch to 3D improves readability for everything, and also opens up the game to more vertical options. Schatz cited big, memorable heist movies and sequels like Mission: Impossible where Tom Cruise’s character hangs from a ceiling to steal data from a computer. Although you won’t be literally hanging from a vent and holding sweat rolling down your face in-game, hopefully you’ll have the same fun and intense emotions.
Schatz showed off a single-player gameplay session (although not fully detailed yet, local split-screen and online co-op will be available) where he studied the score first by looking at a blueprint of the building he was about to attack. He intended to. The job is for the guards to break into the opera house and plant false rumors at a certain location and steal money while there.
Schatz embarks on a heist with Cosmo and Panzer, a woman in a pink dress and a cute Pomeranian dog that she can use to distract the guards. However, once inside, he transforms into different characters to take advantage of his abilities by going to a home plant where, in theory, your team is hiding. It doesn’t really make sense, but that’s okay because Monaco 2 is all about using different abilities to complete different tasks.
From this point forward most of the gameplay is about avoiding the guards and tracking their movements, purchasing items on site to help you succeed, and completing objectives as best you can. in. The level is dense and deliberately designed with an intricate layout and hidden secrets. The idea is that the more you replay a level, the better you’ll get to know it, and the more prepared you’ll be when you return for another heist.
Monaco 2 doesn’t have a solid release date yet, and developer Pocketwatch Games isn’t ready to share platform details beyond PC. However, we owe it to a good cooperative crime game that isn’t a shooter. Schatz’s presentation promises a focused and deeper take on the heist fantasy with Monaco’s pending sequel.