Monaco 2 is a heist sim designed with multiplayer in mind. Whether in local co-op split screen or playing online together, the game encourages you to link up with friends to plan and undertake a variety of heists through various procedurally-generated locales. While the game is more complex with multiple unique characters on board, even in solo mode, it remains a satisfyingly tricky blast.
The setup is simple: you pick a thief with a specialist skill, and you must then romp through a procedurally-generated world to steal particular items, and make it to a drop point. There’s a light dose of story in the game’s main campaign, but the real meat is in the art of planning and executing your heist with care.
As a solo player, you have the run of the mill here. You can sit and plan for as long as you like, analysing your map to work out where the pathway leads, then choosing the ideal character, based on your preference. If you’ve got a full of big, open spaces, it’s likely you’ll run into plenty of guards – so a brawler like Una might be handy, as she has a knock-out punch. If you find corridors of guards, Cosmo and Gimlet might be the ticket, as Gimlet (a little puppy) can distract anyone from their job.
There’s also Sake, who can dodge out of the way of guards, Gibson, who can use remote tools to cause machines to fritz, Jobbie, who can blink past sensors, and a bunch of other characters with useful skills, who pop in and out of the game’s main campaign as you advance through maps.
As a solo player, you can swap and change characters freely – which is the advance of being alone. As you travel through maps, your situation will change. Sometimes, you’ll need Una to knock out guards, or the trespasser alarm will be unavoidable. Sometimes, you’ll really need Gimlet to charm a guard so you can slip past them, to grab a key. You will need to find special checkpoints to change characters, but the ability to be a chameleon makes the entire experience more manageable, and dynamic.
In some maps, you’ll also need to change your picks – as Monaco 2 throws up new challenges constantly, creating a real complexity in your heist adventures. The early levels lure you into a sense of surety, as they are relatively linear and help you get to grips with the sneaking mechanics, and the need to avoid guards. Once you hit the Prison map, the road begins to wind and twist, and from there, Monaco 2 really opens up.
Read: Playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has opened my eyes
This level was a particular joy for its introduction of a gating system that required careful exploration and monitoring of guard movements. You only get a slim window of vision in this game, so you need to move carefully and watch for subtle clues to figure out where the guards are, and how exactly to make your way through various high-security areas.
In the Prison, gate locks are hidden in other areas of the map, so not only are you monitoring guard sights, avoiding lasers, and throwing yourself across pressure plates, you’re also needing to hunt down computer terminals to switch locks correctly, and create new pathways forward. All the while, you’re also contending with suspicious prisoners, who can see past your disguise if you aren’t careful where you trek.
With each campaign level, the path grows longer and more interesting. While that does mean the path back to base, post-steal, becomes a tense, truncated romp through familiar hallways, it does add higher stakes, and a need for more care with every turn.
That’s the rub with Monaco 2, and what will guide your own enjoyment. While this game is about heisting and criminal activity, it’s not a smash-and-grab combat sim. In fact, your entire flock of criminals is fairly weak, and they’ll go down easily if they’re discovered. Just a few hits from guards is enough, in some cases.
You can’t speed through this game, fists flying. You need to back up and take your time, analysing corridors and open spaces to find the best path forward, making use of vents where possible, or using the unique abilities of your chosen characters.
Going slow is typically the best outcome, and that means the pacing of Monaco 2 can occasionally be frustrating. You’ll want to plow ahead when you see an opening, but this will leave you open to alerts and alarms – and if you’re spotted, it can be a massive pain to hide away. (Although it’s worth noting guards in this game lack intelligence, so hiding in a nearby plant will usually confuse enough to disperse them.)
This is the sort of game for those who love to analyse, and don’t mind a slower pace. For those willing to be patient and calm in the face of danger, and who don’t leap at the first opportunities presented – instead waiting for something better. Playing in solo mode affords these opportunities.
I’m not quite finished with the game yet, but so far, its puzzle sandbox stages have enthralled me. I lean towards Una in my preference of character, for her brawling skills, but in the mix of unique abilities and tools you can pick up, I’m finding a real joy in experimenting through Monaco 2, attempting to beat my times through levels, and reaching for that far-off goal of properly committing to a heist, and having the patience to stay in the shadows the entire way.
I suspect playing Monaco 2 with friends would be a less careful, more chaotic experience, with a larger crew allowing for more planning complexity, more guard takedowns, and possibly an easier ride through stages with multiple mechanics. But as a solo experience, I’m enjoying a slower pace greatly.
In the end, when I trip an alarm and a troop of guards pummels me to dust, I know my failure is only my fault. I also know that when I try again, I’ve got valuable learned lessons up my sleeves, and that next time, I will be better. I will travel further. I will succeed.
A PC code for Monaco 2 was provided by the publisher and played on a Steam Deck for the purposes of this review.
