Punch Monkey Revenge Review (Xbox Series X|S & PlayStation 5)

Punch Monkey Revenge retaliates against class bullies in an unconventional yet oddly effective way, not with the intent to glorify violence or coerce others into thinking that launching a dinner tray at a student is the only viable option for finding closure, but to remind primitive freshmen that, win or lose, standing your ground is of utmost importance — especially when it involves a stuffed toy named Mr. Banana.

In an effort to fight, swing, and shout from the corner of the unsung heroes, Punch Monkey Revenge breaks free from its chains to encapsulate a short, stylish, and oftentimes hilarious side-scrolling action sequence. A primate; a school of bullies; and one missing toy that leaves a rather large hole in a freshman’s heart. You can quite easily predict what this story is about, as well as where it aims to plant its seed. It doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel with its good-versus-evil plot; it simply illuminates the lengths one might go to claim what rightfully belongs to them. And yes, it is a plush toy.

Punch Monkey Revenge isn’t about saving the world or embarking on noble quests to restore balance in the food chain. Rather, it’s about a young primate who, after discovering that his favorite toy—a small trinket that reminds him of his primitive years—has been taken by the local bullies, sets out to wreak a little havoc on the schoolyard. It isn’t a serious plot by any means, though it does pack a slither of emotional baggage. Well, sort of. It’s a game about reclaiming a toy named Mr. Banana. Honestly, you needn’t think any more of it than that.

As Punch, the highly flexible, elastic primate with a sweet tooth for revenge, you are given the chance to romp through various quarters in the school—yards, classrooms, and lunch halls, naturally—and take the fight to the bullies. Rather than being armed to the teeth with weapons and projectiles, however, you are given a fully stocked environment to experiment with. An example here would be a dodgeball, or a dinner tray, both of which can be used to protect your skin, deal powerful attacks, and aid frequent crowd control exercises. But of course, you get the idea.

The game itself is just as much a parkour game as it is a full-fledged action-based corridor beat ‘em up. If, say, you’re not pummeling an opponent with a piece of fruit, then you’re sliding, leaping, or bolting through the school in a Michael Bay-esque fashion. And to be honest, most of Punch Monkey Revenge is comprised of that same routine: fleeting through the school, spamming buttons, and, on occasion, utilizing a slow-motion technique that can grant you a few extra seconds to reposition your character and deliver seemingly fatal blows. To that end, it’s a bit like a traditional arcade beat ‘em up — but with animations and a visual aesthetic that looks like an Illumination cartoon.

The good news here is that, as far as controls and combat mechanics go, Punch Monkey Revenge has a good amount of depth to it. With a school that is quite literally packed to the core with weaponized items and pockets of platforming opportunities, you have a lot to sink your teeth into. It’s also a lot of fun to carve into, with stylish transitions, memorable encounters, and a general sense of fluidity that makes each conflict feel different from the previous. Or at least, for the initial wave, that is.

Sadly, there is a lack of depth in the latter portions of the journey. For example, enemies rarely change their appearance, and fighting styles don’t often transform to keep you on your toes as you carve deeper into the school. In fact, once you master the basics and find your footing, combat and crowd control can begin to feel a little repetitive. At just three hours in length, though, it never truly feels as if you’re hitting a brick wall. At times, perhaps, it seems as if you’re plodding along the same path without an objective in mind, but given its short runtime, that same path does manage to end before the blood on your knuckles dries out.

Of course, there isn’t much of a storyline for you to wrap your head around here, nor is there any major character development that makes you feel any closer to the protagonist. If anything at all, Punch Monkey Revenge is a simple, albeit visually appealing corridor romper that prioritizes slick and stylish combat over anything else. It isn’t a crime, though it does leave a lot to be desired, naturally.

Provided that you can comb over the fact that Punch Monkey Revenge isn’t the best side-scrolling game of its kind, it shouldn’t take much to fall in love with its slick cinematic charm and punch-drunk humor. To call it the greatest thing to grovel its bare knuckles against the playground since dodgeball would be an overstatement. To call it a serviceable palate cleanser that can easily keep you engaged for a few hours, on the other hand, is a fitting way to frame it.

Verdict

Punch Monkey Revenge might not be the greatest schoolyard game to grace the turf since the adoption of dodgeball, but it is one that packs its own punch and delivers a surprisingly memorable, cinematically satisfying experience with a ton of great features. It’s slick, stylish, and easy to roll with. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t provide much more than that.

As a quick and elegant palate cleanser, Punch Monkey Revenge lives up to its promise to incubate an oddly flavorful and eccentric banquet that has the potential to linger on the tongue. However, as a game, it misses a few crucial components — a solid storyline and a well-rounded cast of characters, for example. That being said, if you’re able to excuse its lack of depth, then you should be able to find something to enjoy here. It won’t change the world, but it’ll definitely make bullies think twice before stealing plush toys from classrooms lockers. There’s probably a moral to this whole ordeal somewhere.