Dawn of the Monsters Critic Reviews

Even with some small issues like a lack of clarity with the Rank system and levels feeling a little repetitive, Dawn of the Monsters is still a ton of fun. There are plenty of goodies to unlock, a two-player mode and a riveting story. If you’re at all a fan of the kaiju genre and are looking for the next great thing, here it is. I honestly think this is the best game to date by 13AM Games, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next.

Dawn of the Monsters should be on your list if you’re looking for a great co-op kaiju beat ’em up. The beautiful artwork and range of different characters and abilities will have you changing up who you pick until you find the one that fits your play style. Boss battles are tough but manageable, but they will require you to customize your character with the different augments best suited to the fight. I’ve been playing solo and with my kids, who absolutely love playing as a giant beast, smashing through the landscape, and taking out the monsters. And frankly, who wouldn’t love that?

There’s a lot of game here, and there are a lot of places they can take this franchise. DOTM is a fun time, and one I’ve greatly enjoyed.

Dawn of the Monsters stumbles into some of the more common pitfalls of belt-scrolling fighters, but it has enough flair, polish and excitement to be a more than worthy offering, particularly played in couch co-op with a friend. We wish there were a few more playable creatures, but the ones on offer here are all very distinct and enormous fun to get to grips with. It's a richly rewarding game, with higher ranks unlocking new skins and upgrades from the in-game shop (don't worry, no microtransactions here) which offer an incentive to keep playing — though the real reason you'll stick with Dawn of the Monsters is that it is, quite simply, very good indeed. While it has a few problems, they're nothing that will stop you having a blast with this Brobdingnagian beat-'em-up.

The basic concept of Dawn of the Monsters gives the game a big push at the start line, but it’s the solid gameplay mechanics that keep this machine moving. You get a nice mix of encounters and behaviors to deal with, and you have a fair number of options at your disposal. The sheer amount of content here will keep you playing for a long while, and although it can get a little repetitive over time, it really does take some time for that to set in. Fans of either beat-em-ups or giant monsters will want to grab this game sharpish and get to smashing and demolishing the enemy forces.

Dawn of the Monsters isn’t reinventing anything, but that lets it focus on what counts – punching big monsters in the mouth. If that sounds like fun to you, then you won’t be disappointed.

If you're just here to knock monster heads around, you'll get bored quickly. $30 is too much to recommend this one, unless you're a really big fan of kaiju action and story, or you want to get really deep into the customization aspect. Without unlockables or much variety in gameplay, the game's initial punch of awesome fades quickly. Still, this game could be just the start of something bigger. If Dawn of the Monsters turns out to be just the dawn of a new series, perhaps its sequels could build more on the foundation of this one's ruined cityscapes.