Twilight Monk’s opening sequence doesn’t do it justice. While the “save the world” narrative has been done a million times, Aquatic Moon Games’s 2.5D action RPG tells its story through a unique world, built on a stunning art style and captivating soundtrack. It can take a while to unlock the full breath of combat and exploration abilities, but once you do, you’ll find that Twilight Monk is a Metroidvania unlike any other.
Twilight Monk’s graphics and music build on the fantasy of playing as a magical monk
Twilight Monk has players take on the role of Raziel Tenza – a quick-witted Moonken Monk on a quest to stop his arch-enemy Nox from taking over the world of Speria. Along the way, he’ll run into allies like his glory-hogging pal Rin and monster-hunting guide, Master Yibatta. Enemies are just as plentiful, with numerous foes blocking Raziel’s path that need a good whooping.
The world of Speria owes a lot to its 2.5D aesthetic and catchy music. The hand-drawn visuals draw the eye toward every corner of the screen but don’t impede or distract gameplay. The music is surprisingly compelling and invokes feelings that complement each scene. One moment you’ll have an uplifting track hyping you up as you explore the overworld of Speria, the next you’ll hear an upbeat song reminiscent of martial arts movies when entering combat.
The Phantom Pillar makes combat and exploration unique
Whereas other games give you several, run-of-the-mill weapons like swords and axes, Twilight Monk gives you a massive, weighty pillar to hit foes with. The Phantom Pillar’s basic attack has you hurl it a short distance, dealing one instance of damage. This can be augmented in different ways such as equipping the Talisman of Stone Foot (which allows the pillar to be kicked for two far-reaching attacks) or by increasing your level to improve the pillar’s damage.
The Phantom Pillar’s usefulness doesn’t stop there. When placed on the ground, the pillar becomes a solid object that can be interacted with. You can increase your vertical and horizontal coverage by jumping on and from the pillar, create a temporary protective wall by hiding behind it, and activate pressure plates that open locked gates. The Phantom Pillar’s importance in combat and exploration makes it believable that Raziel is the only one capable of overcoming the challenges set before him.
Exploration is given just as much importance as combat
Twilight Monk has two main exploration modes: dungeon and overworld exploration. Dungeon exploration is similar to other Metroidvania games where you explore a level to uncover its secrets. Collecting important items like Spirit Fragments and Ember Stones will increase your overall health and Ember (the game’s term for magic points), while trinkets like Talismans, Mystic Arts, and Summons either build upon existing abilities or add new ones. There are a ton of collectibles and power-ups in Twilight Monk, all of which contribute to Raziel’s overall strength or ability to navigate more of Speria. As with most Metroidvanias, Twilight Monk has players backtracking to previous locations once they have the item or power-up they need to progress.
Overworld exploration is something you would find in an RPG. While exploring the overworld, shadow-like enemies will constantly spawn and try to attack you. Getting too close to a shadow draws you into an arena where you must make your way to one of the exits on either the far left or right side. While fighting monsters in these arenas contributes to your Monster Hunts and level experience, you can speed up the encounters by avoiding the enemies and making a beeline for the exits.
Monster Hunts are side quests given by Master Yibatta in Crescent Isle in hopes of studying the evil that Nox unleashed. Defeating special enemies or a specific number of monsters completes certain Monster Hunts, which can be turned in for rewards. It’s an interesting mechanic, one that encourages players to search and fight enemies instead of running past them.
Combat is fair and balanced
When it comes to combat, Raziel uses the Phantom Pillar as well as various ranged Mystic Arts and Summons to deal with standard enemies and bosses. You won’t be fighting foes with Elden Ring-like movesets, but Twilight Monk will test your ability to learn enemy moves and find openings.
If there’s anything that contributes to Twilight Monk’s difficulty, it’s that resting at a Shrine (the game’s version of checkpoints) hard saves your progress. This means that dying at any point after resting resets all the hard work you did, which includes picking up important items, filling out the area map, and going through story cutscenes. While this is somewhat alleviated by placing Shrines outside certain boss arenas, having to backtrack an entire half-hour’s worth of progress can be frustrating. Because of this, I recommend seeking out Shrines and saving often. As an extra tip: green candles often indicate a nearby Shrine.
Twilight Monk is a beautiful game and a great entry point for those looking to dip their toes into the Metroidvania genre. Its rich graphics and soundtrack are a feast for the eyes and ears respectively, and the Phantom Pillar is a unique mechanic that lets you get creative with it. With a world full of secrets and enemies to fight, Twilight Monk will satisfy your Metroidvania cravings.
Twilight Monk is available on Nintendo Switch and PC (Windows).
