Monster Care Simulator Review (PC)

If you were to remove the capturing and battling monsters from the equation, then you would have something much, much simpler—a primal curiosity about how these creatures tick, and how the world orbits their own needs. In Monster Care Simulator, specifically, there are no underlying mechanisms to control, nor are there any feuds to squash on a makeshift battlefield of epic proportions. No, what this world provides is a little less taxing; it’s more about caring for animals, and incubating them into an environmentally sustainable ecosystem rather than the traditional gladiatorial sphere. It’s about evolving their welfare—tailoring their lives to exceed their expectations and making sure that their kindred spirits can thrive.

Monster Care Simulator takes you to the colorful sanctum of a monster incubation and treatment center—a prospering location that, with the aid of your numskull colleagues, can be the beacon of light for those in dire need of medical care. It’s a simple concept, sort of like Pokémon, but without the added complexity of stadium battles, gym badges, or global-scale monster-centric pilgrimages. It’s so simple, in fact, that the vast majority of your time in the game begins and ends with a similar experience—analyzing elemental wounds, treating them, collecting eggs and other leftover items, and returning them in exchange for another monster. There are no stackable wounds, either, and so, it really is as simple as slapping a bandaid on a patient and nursing them back to health.

Of course, there is a little extra work to do here, such as expanding your tools, decorating your gardens, and finessing the remedial process to earn more money and onboard additional monsters for your ward, for example. But, we’ll get to all of that momentarily.

The Company That Cares

At the heart of Monster Care Simulator is an incredibly easygoing medical simulation game that, while still being under the microscope of a slew of technical issues and some rather shoddy AI fixtures, brings an immense sense of satisfaction to the simple act of rehabilitating sick creatures and elevating their fallen spirits. There’s a simple loop to it, which isn’t as difficult as one would imagine—a loop that, aside from being reliant on your ability to outsource your work to acquire extracurricular activities such as incubating monsters and personal companions, more or less involves the same process.

The game itself is all about expanding. And by that, I mean that you pour most of your energy into evolving the humble roots of your vacant care center into a bustling hub for communal welfare. To start, you have a few basic tools, a small garden, and the ambition to establish the foundations for a sustainable future. As monsters enter your facility, you have the opportunity to treat their wounds, which, again, only ever amount to the single injury, and then scoot them into the garden area—a peaceful allotment that, if customized in an appropriate manner, will eventually lift their spirits before they finally get discharged. And from there, it’s merely the case of using your cash to unlock more cosmetics and facility upgrades. So, all rather straightforward, all things considered.

I’ll Be There For You

There are some minor drawbacks to being the all-seeing director of a medical clinic for monsters: the personnel here are not as competent as they make themselves out to be on their curriculum vitae. What I mean to say here is that, while some people can work the tills, sweep the floors, and cater to the patients, that isn’t to say that they can do these chores in a way that benefits the company. In other words, it’s the AI; the staff have little to no idea what it is that they’re doing most of the time. And that’s a bit of a headache, seeing as there can be a lot to do on a daily basis.

In spite of the team’s combined lack of competence and ability to execute their goals in an appropriate manner, the actual process of building a successful monster care center is still a tremendous amount of fun to undertake as a solo entrepreneur. It helps, too, that the game offers an additional incentive to chase on the outside of your usual business duties. The companion aspect of the game, for instance, allows you to incubate and develop your own monsters on the side. Granted, it doesn’t deviate much from the game’s primary purpose, though it does give you a few more boxes to tick off alongside your usual to-do lists.

Scarily Cute

These aren’t monsters that you’re dealing with here; they’re cute balls of fluff that radiate oodles of energy and light. And this is fitting, because at the end of the day, Monster Care Simulator isn’t supposed to be a threatening game, much less a battle-hardened RPG that bears its teeth on a nine-to-five basis. With little to no challenge to uncover in its core gameplay mechanics, you don’t necessarily need any special abilities or experience to make headway on most of its objectives. It’s a Sunday night sedative, if anything; the goals are lofty, but not nearly enough to pose a threat or leave you scratching your head.

With a quality selection of garden decorations to unlock, upgrades to install, patients to treat, and business milestones to surpass, you could quite easily spend a dozen or more hours on your veterinarian career. The likelihood of bumping into a few technical issues is still pretty high, mind you, so while you could spend a lot of time within the cozy quarters of your center, either catering to sick monsters or finessing the formula of your award-winning treatment plan, it is worth noting that several of the game’s core features are still a few prescription pills away from being a viable solution to your thirst for wholesome content. Still, a few quick future fixes ought to sort these shortcomings out. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Verdict

There’s a whole bunch of reasons why you should take Monster Care Simulator for a spin, and twice as many reasons why you should give it a sedative and wait for it to awaken with the necessary bandages in place. It’s still in Early Access, and so, it isn’t quite as good as it could be. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t have the potential to make the appropriate adjustments, mind you. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an adorable game, and one that deserves to be enjoyed in its current state. However, I find myself shaving off a point or two for the shoddy AI implementations alone.

If it’s a direct replica of Pokémon that you’re after, then you might be disappointed with what Monster Care Simulator brings to the table. If, however, you’ve an interest in beginner-friendly veterinary practices, minimalistic art styles, and entry-level sandbox-crafting techniques, then you’re sure to find just enough to scratch that itch of yours.