Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook

“In fact, if NIS decided to put out a sequel, I might be inclined to check it out because they have made a number of excellent RPGs in the past. It just feels like they threw in so many systems, meters, and mechanics that they forgot to put in something to compel you to keep playing. There are many better games out there in all of the genres that this one borrows from that despite interesting ideas, Monster Menu can't come together to provide a satisfying meal.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is a game with a brilliant recipe that falls a bit short due to a lack of ingredients. The idea of a roguelike tactical RPG based on cooking is certainly an intriguing one, especially the concept of being able to devour friend and foe alike. Unfortunately, the absence of a compelling story as well as the game’s repetitive levels and foes leave Monster Menu tasting somewhat undercooked. It’s not bad but it isn’t a dish that will be suitable for everyone either.”

“This is really just a taste of all the different things you can work with in Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook. If I explain all of this thoroughly, this review would be way too big, and at first, I wasn’t sure this was going to be a game for me. By the end though, I really was enjoying myself. I don’t think I would’ve had as much fun on the higher difficulties since you would be at the mercy of the game’s RNG as it generates the floors and materials. There were times I didn’t have enough to make food for my party for a few floors, and things got dicey quickly. At the $49.99 price tag, I think there is a good amount of content here, and if you like rogue-lites with some inventory management and survival mechanics thrown in, this will be a pure joy for you. Playing on easy difficulty would be a good way for someone to get into games like this, or old folks like me that want a decent challenge without it being a total stressor. I’m not sure I would say this one is for everyone, but I’m happy that NIS tried something different here. In the end, I think there is certainly a lot of flavor here, even if it’s not to everyone’s tastes.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook feels more like a first try on NIS’ part than anything else—a fun first try, but a first try nonetheless. I legitimately enjoyed my time learning the ins and outs of the game and, as a fan of roguelikes and RPGs alike, didn’t mind having the game repeatedly stomp me into the ground. With that being said, however, I’d definitely call this one niche, and I’m not sure that everyone will find its flavor quite as appealing as I did.”

“You'd think a game that advertises eating monsters would at least make for some bizarre fun, but the premise becomes trapped in a slow roguelike whose eyes are too big for its stomach.”

“Unfortunately, the new Nippon Ichi Software game showcases the basic [aspects] of what tactical RPGs can offer and limits itself to that, not introducing any aspect that makes it memorable. The exploration of soulless scenery isn't a positive highlight either, turning the repetition into something much more frustrating than appealing.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook is a dull dungeon crawler which fails to fully deliver on its premise.”

“To eat or not to eat is the question! Dungeon crawling, monsters, and questionable meals are aplenty in Monster Menu!”

“Cooking up monsters in Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook is a delight but simple gameplay and generic dungeons prevent this unique SRPG from making the most of its potential.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook brought the idea of surviving in a dungeon eating only monsters, insects and plants found inside it to the game world. The concept is something that still has ample room in the market and the game even manages to be a little fun but its slow progression, lack of narrative, lack of remarkable characters and excessively repetitive cycle end up hindering it, making it a game I'd only recommend to fans of the genre but, even then, there are other games of its style that will bring more satisfaction with the time you invest in them.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook is a game with interesting ideas, but one of the most uninteresting executions possible. Nothing in the game goes beyond competent and some points reach the objectively bad, making it certainly a game that exists, but will hardly be remembered.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook offers a creative set of approaches that bring out what I love most about Nippon Ichi Software’s games: originality. However, like a lot of their projects, the execution is not the best for a number of reasons.”

“As a (mostly) classical roguelike, Monster Menu is a good time. It’s well-balanced in its efforts to be excruciatingly difficult. It also has an entertaining loot and character development system. Most importantly of all, the core cooking mechanic is engaging. It will force you to approach everything from exploration to battle in a different way than most roguelikes. But I really can’t help but wish the developers made better use of the strong concept. Monster Menu really could have had a compelling, if nightmarish take on humanity’s sheer will for survival.”

“It took a long time for me to appreciate what Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook has to offer and once I did, I became hooked thanks to its surprisingly deep strategic survival formula that'll have you scrambling to maintain and grow your party of chibi adventurers.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook may be a rich snack for fans of the genre, but it may prove indigestible to most at the launch price at which it is offered.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook combines cooking and tactics combat to create a rather tasty RPG experience.”

“If the lead character’s HP reaches zero then it’s game over. All character levels are lost upon defeat, and you’ll have to start the dungeon from the first floor, keeping your equipment and any learned skills. Though the floors are short, it’s best to take your time and level up steadily to make progress in preparation for the potential difficulty spike, otherwise you’ll pay the price for trying to rush through. The game's flow can feel quite protracted as a result, and there’s a certain amount of level grinding from the off.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is ultimately in a weird place. The gameplay is enjoyable if you like the genre, but so many elements won’t resonate with people. As someone who dislikes resource management, those frequent sections get old quickly. For this reason, I suggest giving the demo (PlayStation / Switch) a go. The core gameplay loop is relatively unchanged from early and late games, so you should instantly know if this is a winner or a dud.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger's Cookbook is a dish that aims to bring together various ideas from dungeon-crawling JRPGs, roguelikes, and cooking games, but only a few satisfying flavours from each of those emerge. Only JRPG addicts with a trained palette will be able to find the enjoyment here to warrant digging into the entire dish.”