Mostroscopy Review

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of fighting games. As a kid I would spend hours playing titles like Killer Instinct or Street Fighter 2, and when the Nintendo 64 came out Super Smash Bros became my go to. As the years went on I would dive into games like Virtua Fighter, TEKKEN, and Dead or Alive, but the release of BlazBlue is what really pushed me over the edge. From that point on I have gotten into nearly every major fighting game that entered the market, and I continue to return to old favorites. 

With that being said, when the small team over at Oribe Ware Games offered me a free review copy of Mostroscopy, I was pretty eager to jump in. The only thing I knew about the game was that it "is a fighting video game that takes up the aesthetics of the horror and Luchador films of Mexican cinema from the 1950s, with an eclectic roster of monsters and masked Luchadores and a simple gameplay style with a retro presentation." That alone pique my interest, so I happily accepted the request, and jumped on in. What I found however has left me with mixed feelings, and honestly makes this game NOT a game for everyone... Yet it might also be perfect for those who typically do not like fighting games.

The Gameplay:

Mostroscopy is a 3D fighting game set within a 2D plane. There is no side stepping or walking around the arena, just your good old classic left and right movements. The up button jumps, an attack button attacks, a special button uses special, and a guard button blocks. This is the entire control scheme, and it allows newcomers to pick up the controller and instantly play like a pro.

By hitting the attack button and pressing in different directions, the characters pull off auto combo attacks, and special attacks can be mixed in for extra damage. Each character has one special assigned to different directions, and holding the attack before hand can charge them up. While fighting a bar fills up at the bottom of the screen, but instead of being used for specials, this instead lets you enter a special mode when full which makes your special attacks even stronger for a limited time. It is a very simple system, and lets battles get pretty chaotic in no time at all. There is next to no memorization required to play the game, with combos that feel natural to pull off. Hold down for lower hits, up to jump, and that is really about all you need to know. Mash buttons, point in different directions, and watch what happens! And that is the entire game in a nutshell.

While this might be great for newcomers to fighting games, and for those who simply want a fun game to play with friends; it might not check all of the boxes for a "diehard" fighting game fan. Those who prefer the technical side of games will not find that here, but they will see a game that allows them to apply their basic skills to dominate others. Fighting games are very psychological, and simplified controls hasn't changed that one bit.

A big part of fighting games does come from knowing when to block, when to get in close, and exactly what combos to use and when. While the combos here are automatic, there is still some level of control based on how you start them, and which specials you throw into the mix. It is possible to juggle enemies and keep the hits coming, and slipping up will leave you open to retaliation. It is a fine balance of being aggressive and stepping back to read your opponent, and that is where the true magic of fighting games comes into play... Unless you just want to mash buttons.

Again, due to the simplified controls, pretty much anyone can jump into this game and play "like a pro." Keep hitting attack and watch the combos go off like crazy. It lets non-fighting game fans pull off crazy moves with little effort, and makes the game simple fun for everyone. It makes the game a great party game to play with friends, and that may be the best reason to play it honestly.

As mentioned in the game's description, Mostroscopy is inspired by both Luchador films and Horror movies, with a large cast of 16 unique characters to play as. Despite the simplified controls, every single one of these characters play completely different, and allow for some truly unique match-ups. No character is a clone of another, and not every character will fit everyone's style; however they are all easy to use, and trying them all out can offer hours of entertainment while trying to find your favorites. It is impressive for such a small indie game to have such a unique cast, and that is one of the game's best strengths.

The Game Modes:

Once you get past how the game is played, Mostroscopy offers a few game modes for players to tackle. The Story Mode is a classic arcade experience which puts your selected character up against a set of fighters, and then a final boss. Each story opens with a mini cutscene to give context to who the characters are, and then ends with a comic panel showing what happens next. It isn't much of a story, but it stays true to the classic arcade fighter style of storytelling. 

Arcade Mode is basically the same as story mode, but without the focus on story. Fight the enemies that come at you, and call it good. This is the mode for those who have already completed the story, or for those who want a bit more of a mixed experience.

Versus Mode is your standard custom 1v1 mode, and can be played against a CPU or another player. It lets you pick a stage to fight on as well, and isn't tied to who you are fighting against.

Challenge Mode is there to teach you combos, and takes you through possible combo paths of each character. While the game is simplified, these combo branches are very specific and give you more of an idea of what you can do in game.

And finally Training Mode is just that; a playground to fight endless battles, and test out your skills. It is pretty standard for a fighting game, and thankfully it has been included here as well. While it may not be "as needed," it is always nice to have.

This is every mode the game has to offer, and it honestly doesn't take too long to get through it all. Each story path can be knocked out in less than 10 minutes, with it taking roughly three hours to complete the main content. Of course this isn't the main reason to buy the game however, as the fights themselves offer countless hours of endless fun... But that's not to say this game is perfect.

Fun Game With Some Rough Edges:

Although Mostroscopy is a fun game for what it is, and a pretty impressive one for such a small team, there are a handful of issues that couldn't be ignored.

The first major deal-breaker for some is the fact that it lacks an online mode on consoles. This means you either need to screenshare on PlayStation, or get your friends over to your house to play it. No online matchmaking, no leaderboards, no nothing. This is an offline experience with those you know only, and that goes against what the fighting game community has become over the years. 

Another missing feature is the fact that you cannot skip the opening scenes to a fight. While they are not long, it quickly gets old watching the same animations over and over again before jumping into a battle. It is a minor issue overall, but it is a fighting game standard that really feels weird not having. It would only shave off 10-15 seconds of waiting, but after dozens of matches that time does add up. 

And finally, the Challenge Mode seems to not fully function as intended, and is missing a combo preview feature. This can be a big deal because combos can depend on spacing, and not being in the right location will make completing the combo as intended impossible. Most fighters let you see a demo of how it should work, and that in-turn helps you learn how to pull it off. Here you just have to guess, and the instructions are a bit unclear as well.

Besides the combos being a bit unclear, the way they are listed also can cause quite a bit of confusion. Rather than simply asking you to hit "attack, attack, attack, special, attack" it might display it as "attack, attack, attack, special (jump), attack."  This makes it seem as if you have to jump after using the special, or possibly before? In reality the last attack in the chain slightly lifts you off the ground and the next special you use is a "jump attack." This especially gets confusing when you have to manually jump, but the jump text is at the end making you think you need to jump after... When in reality it is before. 

Both of these issues are minor gripes compared to the main one however, which is the fact that combos do not always register. Sometimes to start a combo it can be as simple as hitting the attack button, yet it fails to register you've even done what it asks. It seems to happen after every other combo, so to "reset" things you need to hit the enemy at least once after, and then wait. It makes it especially frustrating when you know you nailed a combo perfectly, but the game disagrees that you even landed the first hit.

Should you play it?

Mostroscopy is a fun indie fighting game, with a very unique art style and great character design. Every character is unique, and the simple combat system allows even newbies to fighting games to pick up a controller and combo like a pro. It has some rough edges, but it is a good start to something that has the potential to be great. It lacks in main single player content, and has a handful of smaller issues, but it is still a fun game to sit down and play with friends. If the developers continue to expand upon the game, then the series can easily have a bright future.

VERDICT: Recommended