Monark is a JRPG set in a high school where the protagonist and a posse of other teenagers must protect themselves from demonic creatures. The teenagers fight by partnering themselves with demons themselves, and forge bonds with each other as they get stronger. The game is ripe with themes of identity and clashing ideals, with the protagonists going up against other students and school faculty who have traumatic backstories that explain their differing outlooks on life. All the while, an underlying mystery waits to be discovered.

If this sounds familiar to you, that’s to be expected. The Megami Tensei and Persona series have been massively influential to JRPGs, spawning games like The Caligula Effect as well as this one. Monark utilises a lot of aspects you’ll be familiar with, although it doesn’t stand out in any one area. You can call it a Persona rip-off if you want, but those of us who enjoy these JRPGs won’t mind some borrowed features as long as the game itself is good. Monark gives an honest effort, but only achieves so much.

Shin Mikado Acadamy has been trapped in a mysterious magic barrier that prevents anyone from entering or leaving. In addition, many areas of the school campus are covered in a madness-inducing mist that is causing havoc and tragedy among the student body. The protagonist, a second-year student who has lost his memory, is tasked with saving the day. The gameplay itself is a mix of turn-based combat, puzzle-solving, and running around to find the next plot point.

Monarks, sins, and Ego

The protagonist makes a pact with a daemon called a ‘Monark’ by the name of Veritas, who is a stuffed bunny mascot (There’s always gotta be a mascot) with a penchant for speaking in rhymes. This might have gotten annoying if it wasn’t for the impressive quality of voice acting that is constant throughout almost the entire cast. The goal is to defeat the 7 other Monarks — all named after the seven deadly sins, because of course — and the humans they’ve made pacts with.

To defeat the pactbearers, you delve into the misty halls of the school to find the link to the ‘Otherworld’ (again, there’s always an other world) where the Monark awaits. It’s decently spooky at first, but after a while, it just started to look bland and samey. Just because it was cool in Silent Hill 2 doesn’t mean it’ll work here, guys. These dungeons are often short and sweet, not lasting for more than an hour (and often not even that if you don’t include battle time).

Combat is turn-based: all units can move within a certain radius and then take an action, whether that be attacking or using an item. Positioning is important here, as enemies may counterattack depending on what weapon they have and how far away you are. Nearby allies may also perform an assist attack if they are within range. A system like this rewards strategic thinking and encourages you to make the most out of each round. The battles can get decently challenging, although this is largely because of a few irritating difficulty spikes.