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[h2]Monkey 3: Judgement Day Review[/h2]
[h1]Reject Humanity…Become Monke!![/h1]
Lloyd is back, baby! And he brought Lura, the alien princess, along for what might be their final, universe-shaking showdown. Lloyd the Monkey 3 ramps up the stakes, throwing our favourite monkey warrior and his space-faring friend into a galactic struggle against a new villain, Scholz. This game offers platforming goodness with a side of intense combat, a sprinkle of customization, and enough hand-drawn charm to make any fan smile. But is this final entry in the series everything we hoped for? Let’s dive in.
[h1]About This Game [/h1]
[h2]Storyline [/h2]
Two years after the dust settled with Kronos and his Dark Gorillas, Lloyd and Lura went their separate ways (think of it like the awkward post-victory glow-up, but with a lot more lasers and bananas). Of course, peace never lasts long in these stories. Enter Scholz, a galactic big bad who’s dead set on shredding everything in his path to complete a decade-long plan for universal domination. Cue Lloyd and Lura teaming up again, and this time it's not just about a few planets—it's the whole dang universe. The stakes are high, the battles are fierce, and yes, the end promises to leave you breathless… or at least wondering where your next controller is because the final boss sounds intense!
[h2]Gameplay Mechanics [/h2]
Here’s where things get interesting. You’ll be switching between Lloyd and Lura throughout the game, which adds a nice layer of strategy and variety. Lloyd’s all about the slashing, melee action, while Lura brings the pew-pew alien guns into play, making for some satisfying gameplay diversity. Each character comes with an expanded moveset, and you can customise them as you go. So, you’re not just mashing buttons—you’re thinking about what combo of upgrades and abilities will help you survive multiple levels of platforming action, all of which culminate in massive boss fights.
However, the gameplay has some bumps. For starters, when you play as Lura, her shooting mechanic feels off. If you try to spam shots, nothing comes out, like the game just refuses to let you. This could either be intentional to prevent players from cheesing their way through fights or it’s a bug. Either way, adding a proper cooldown between shots would make it feel smoother and less confusing.
Lloyd’s wall jump mechanic is also a bit of a headache. It’s buggy and doesn’t have the smoothness you'd expect from a platformer, which makes those precision jumps more frustrating than they need to be. It’s like Lloyd’s had one too many bananas before he tried to parkour his way up a wall.
Another thing worth mentioning is the complete lack of a tutorial or guide on what each character can do. Seriously, you’re just thrown into the action with zero explanation. I had no idea Lura could double jump until I accidentally discovered it mid-air, and the same goes for Lloyd’s wall jump. There was also this ultimate ability thing for Lura which I accidentally discovered by pressing the wrong key. I still have no idea what it does. A little heads-up about these abilities would’ve been nice! Adding a tutorial or even a brief description of each character’s abilities could really help players get the most out of the game without all the trial and error.
[h2]Visuals & Audio[/h2]
This is where the game really shines. The hand-drawn art style might not be pixel-perfect, but it’s packed with charm. Every scene feels like a lovingly drawn Saturday morning cartoon. Sure, the animations are a little simple, but that’s part of the magic—it feels homemade, in the best way possible. You can tell this game is a labour of love, and while it doesn’t have the polish of a AAA title, it makes up for it with its quirky, unique presentation.
The music and sound effects are solid too, blending into the background when they need to but cranking up the drama during those high-stakes moments. Finding out that this game had actual voice acting took me aback. It’s always a big W when indie studios add actual voices for their character. But it is not that good as there are a lot of discrepancies between the audio quality of different characters and the enthusiasm in the lines.
[h1]Pros[/h1]
[list][*][b]Charming hand-drawn visuals:[/b] Feels like you’re playing a work of art, with a simple yet endearing animation style.
[*][b]Switching between Lloyd and Lura:[/b] Keeps the gameplay fresh, with a mix of combat styles and moves.
[*][b]Nostalgic vibe:[/b] Feels like an old-school platformer, with a few modern twists.[/list]
[h1]Cons[/h1]
[list][*][b]Bugs:[/b] There are a handful of bugs like bullets not spawning and buggy movement. They can fix this by trying to make the game smoother and more responsive.
[*][b]No mouse support on PC:[/b] A strange omission that makes the game feel awkward to control.
[*][b]Weird keyboard setup:[/b] Honestly, who designed this layout? Remappable controls would be a game-changer.
[*][b]A bit rough around the edges:[/b] It’s clear this is a passion project, but that means it has some rough spots too. The game could use an overall smoothening for all the mechanics as almost everything, from colliders and movement to combat and abilities, all of these feel a bit too janky.
[*][b]Lack of a proper tutorial or a guide:[/b] I found it very confusing as I immediately got thrown into the game and I had no idea on what to do. I also did not know the skill set and abilities of each of the characters nor what keys to press in order to trigger certain actions. It would be nice if they added a guide of some sort.
[*][b]Weird Voice Acting:[/b] I always appreciate when an indie game adds voice overs to their games. But the quality obviously matters. There were huge differences in the audio quality of different characters. It’s surely because some of them had good microphones while others might not have had the same. And also, some of the voices feel very emotionless and dry. Hey, if you want a voice actor for your game, feel free to hit me up! 😉[/list]
[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
Lloyd the Monkey 3 is a quirky, endearing platformer that wears its indie heart on its sleeve. With its hand-drawn art style, fun character-switching mechanic, and a story that escalates the stakes to galactic proportions, it’s got a lot to offer. However, it’s not without its flaws—bugs, awkward controls, and the lack of mouse support can definitely test your patience. But if you can look past the rough spots, you’ll find a game with charm, heart, and enough monkey mayhem to keep you entertained. Just, uh, be ready for a few "judgement" calls with those platforming sections.
Rating: 7/10
(The game is pretty decent although it has more cons than pros. They can surely fix all these issues with a bit of work)
I wAnT tO pLaY wUkOnG
