While there are a few illustrious kings of the fighting game scene which gain most of the attention from both casual and competitive markets, there is still a small but shining market for those experiences that are more left-field, the games that you may have seen in a 90s arcade before vanishing into obscurity as a cult-classic. Mostroscopy falls into the latter category, but rather than having to circumnavigate half the country to find a place to play it, you can now pick it up on a range of platforms – PC (originally released in 2023), PlayStation, Xbox and Switch – at a wallet-friendly price. Taking advantage of its luchadore v. monster style, does this game’s B-movie charm offer enough to keep fans playing, or is it a niche experience that will become another item in your game library collecting dust? Read on to find out.
Mostroscopy tells its story through quick comic-book panels that appear at the start and end of Arcade mode. The vibe is pure late‑night creature‑feature, and as someone who loves that quirky vibe, I totally dig it. The narrative is complemented by its range of fighters, ranging from a samurai sea monster to a gun‑slinging skeleton. Fun as that sounds, the plot itself never sticks together. Characters presented with big goals and aspirations are never fully realised, and much like other fighting games from the era, the story feels more like a reprieve from endless fighting than a flagship of the game itself. What carries the mode, and the game itself, is the look: thick comic outlines, scratchy film filters, and a toggle that flips any stage from oversaturated technicolour to spooky black and white. It’s clear Oribe Ware Games loves old monster movies, and this passion is demonstrated in this game.
On paper, the three-button set-up for the game – one normal, one special, and a block and taunt – feels like a Smash Bros. lite experience. It makes the game surprisingly accessible through its easy inputs, but with enough nuance in directional charges, aerial variants, and the shared Monstro gauge to reward not just simple button-mashing. With sixteen characters at your disposal, there is also enough variety stylistically and gameplay wise on offer, with each character having enough versatility to not feel same-y. The difficulty of the game itself, however, is on the easy side, and even on the hard difficulty setting, you may be expecting more oomph from your enemy attacks.
Mostroscopy isn’t just about its arcade story mode, but does offer a suite of different modes to test your mettle in. Beyond Arcade, local Versus, a free dummy Training room and finicky Combo Challenges. However, there is still little meat on the bone, with some traditional modes not making an appearance – most notably, the lack of online match‑making on consoles (only on PC), which, granted, being a niche game, may not see an active community for years to come, does shoot that potential and much replayability in the foot. There is a local co-op, so with friends on the couch, the game sings; solo, it risks going back on the digital shelf once you’ve sampled everything on offer.
If anything deserves a standing ovation, it’s the soundtrack. Surf‑guitar riffs, spooky organ stabs, and flamenco flourishes belt through the jukebox, each arena cueing its own hummable earworm. This is one of those games, I’d argue, where the music backdrop is just as much a part of the experience as the aesthetics are. Voice work is limited to grunts, which is a tad disappointing, but it fits the B‑picture aesthetic to a tee.
Like many future cult classics, Mostroscopy is rough around the edges but bursting with personality. Its simple inputs, eye‑searing comic‑book style and knockout soundtrack make it a crowd‑pleaser for quick couch sessions, and the low entry price softens most of its blows. Yet, the thin single-player content, lack of challenging difficulties, and absence of online play may mean the fun fades faster than its counterparts. If you’re after a quirky party fighter, this little oddity is worth a spin. Just don’t expect it to dethrone the genre heavyweights without a sequel‑sized upgrade.
Final Score for Mostroscopy
A PlayStation 4 review code for Mostroscopy was provided by publisher Seashell Studio to facilitate this review.
Mostroscopy is now available to purchase on PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox – with some platforms offering limited time discounts as of writing.
