Defeat a monster by matching at least three jewels in a row to damage it. Each match also gives a little bit of experience to the character. Your character, Vice, is on a mission to find the winged abomination that killed his mother. He becomes a jewel summoner to track down the creature and find answers.
Gameplay
The gameplay is very similar to that of Bejeweled, with the player trying to match gems of the same color to attack the monster. The more gems in a row that are matched, the greater the damage done. Each match also provides a heart bonus that can be collected to restore some of the players’ health.
The game is set in a world where monsters and humans once lived in harmony, but the monsters were eventually hunted to near extinction. Some of the monsters, however, were imprisoned in devices called “jewels”. These jewels tamed and served the monsters’ human masters, known as Jewel Summoners. The story of the game revolves around Vice, a young man who seeks vengeance against the monster that killed his mother.
Each character in the game carries up to three monsters. The top slot is the default monster for each player, while the bottom two slots are reserved for unused monsters. The player can change the default monster for each character by putting any of the three reserve monsters into these slots. In addition, the player can use a tutor CD to teach a new monster a move.
Using a fusion machine, the player can combine a number of different monsters to create a stronger version of that monster. A certain amount of each element is required for the fusion to be successful, and the process takes time.
Graphics
Jewel Monsters has colorful, attractive still artwork for backgrounds and townscapes but is a little lacking when it comes to level design and action. Enemy colors frequently blend in with the environments, and the player character’s movements are slow and clumsy. The game’s story is also somewhat lacking, and the player’s interactions with non-player characters often come across as stilted.
As a result, the Monopoly Go game is often repetitive and monotonous. However, it does include a multiplayer feature that allows players to connect with one another via an ad-hoc network and pit their monsters against one another in simple two-player battles.
In combat, the game uses a unique “split window” perspective that displays enemies on one side of the screen and your hero on the other. This style works well for the PSP’s widescreen presentation and the game’s emphasis on magic rings (equipping a ring in either hand grants the player a different magic spell than the other) helps to make the battle system a bit more interesting than most typical action games of this type.
In the end, Jewel Monsters is a decent enough game. Its monster collection and battle system is intriguing, but the lack of a good story and basic level design prevent it from becoming a true classic in its genre. If the developers had focused more on creating an absorbing story and less on the monster collection aspect, this could have been a much better game.
Controls
The controls in this game are a bit unusual and confusing at first. Each monster has a row or column of gems that you must match vertically or horizontally to attack it. This is done by dragging the left mouse button. The monsters will attack you if you don’t respond fast enough! Each time you attack a monster, your health will deplete. This is why it’s important to match at least three gems to remove them from the grid.
The game has a system of elemental strengths and weaknesses that is unique to the genre, as well as a complex monster enchanting/evolution system called Amalgamy. This system allows the player to alter their monsters beyond normal experience gains by fusing various amounts of elemental quartz into their jewels. The number of quartz infused determines the new ability that the monster will acquire, which can compensate for its weakness or strengthen an attribute.
The game also has a special shard machine that can give you rare evolution materials and even rare monsters. However, this machine is best saved until there’s a special event going on. Finally, the game features a metal monster, which are very rare. These are recruitable and provide a significant bonus in experience. They are also able to use Forte Skills, which makes them an excellent addition to your team.
Levels
As you progress through the game you’ll unlock new monsters and treasure. You also gain access to special powers that you can use in the battles, which take place in turn-based fashion. These powers range from elemental magic to attacks that do extra damage when the monster matches a specific pattern on the board.
You can also purchase power-ups before the level begins that give you different advantages in the fight. These can include a reshuffle, score boost or the ability to move a jewel or two from one part of the grid to another.
Each time you defeat a monster you get experience, which increases the level of your character. In addition to that, you can also receive a fair amount of Lazurite Jewels from the monster’s death. You can even find Metal monsters, which have a chance to drop extremely rare treasures and loot.
The story follows Vice, a spiky haired monster hunter who’s on the trail of the beast that killed his mother. He joins up with a group of monster summoners known as The Order to help him hunt down the beast and solve the mystery. The missions you accept typically involve hunting down a large dungeon full of monsters, fighting your way through twisting corridors and ultimately killing the abomination. Most of these missions have pre-assigned goals that you’ll need to complete within a certain number of moves or in a set period of time.