Not only did we have the pleasure of taking Team Junkfish’s upcoming game, Monstrum 2, for a test drive a few weekends ago, we were also lucky enough to have a chat with some of the folks over at Team Junkfish, and talk a little about Monstrum 2.

Here’s how it went.

1. What gameplay elements would really stand out for someone new to the game that you are excited about?

   There are so many to mention!

   Monstrum 2 combines the stealth and objective-oriented gameplay of its predecessor, with the adrenaline-pumping chase-and-evade action of asymmetrical PvP games. The procedurally-generated maps change each time you play and are quite vast, plus each monster has different movement and attack skills from the others, so you could be changing your play-style each and every time.

   Also, Monstrum 2 is not just an asymmetric 4v1 game. It scales, so if you want to recapture the tension of being alone against a powerful monster as in Monstrum 1, you can choose to play as a solo human prisoner in your match. (Good luck if you choose to do that though.)

2. With 2 monsters to choose from in this Early Access version of the game, will we see any more added in the final game?

   We are currently still in Closed Beta, and plan to have 3 playable monsters by Early Access! We have a few more in the pipeline that we are adding as we continue to expand the game. We want each monster we create to play very differently from one another, instead of creating a stable of monsters that have mostly cosmetic differences.

   In Closed Beta, we have the Brute and the Bhagra. In Early Access, players will be able to try their hand at a third monster the “Malacosm”.

   We’re not rushing the development as we believe quality comes over quantity. We want Monstrum 2 to grow with the community and we need gamers to give us more feedback about what they would like to see moving forward.

3. What is your Favourite Monster from the Game?

   Paul Leishman (Producer): I love all our monstrosities equally but if I was to pick just one it would be our mascot, The Brute. I just like stomping all over the place, charging and feeling so powerful. Don’t get me wrong, the Bhagra is awesome. It can run on the ceiling and pounce onto unsuspecting prisoners below but I just love smashing stuff.

4. Will the game be cross platform?

   We are definitely not ruling that out, but we are a small team so our current focus is on making the PC experience as good as it can be, before we branch out into consoles and start exploring the possibility for cross-platform matches in the future.

5. Going off the huge popularity of Monstrum 1, what aspects of the game do you look forward to adding that you never got to implement in the first one?

   The top thing has got to be playing as a monster. While the game might not be as terrifying to a monster-player as it is for a prisoner, we think many people will enjoy being able to swap roles and objectives, while learning different ways to traverse and exploit the environment. Climbing, leaping, teleporting, etc.

   Another thing is the scaling multi-play. The sense of loneliness added to the suspense in Monstrum 1, and you can still experience that in Monstrum 2 if you choose to solo as a human prisoner.

   But we wanted to offer the option for a different experience in Monstrum 2 as well. Now you can grab a bunch of friends and be a tactical team, or just goof off in-game.

6. I noticed the human characters are faster and fluid movement since the first Monstrum game, will this be an important game element as much as the stealth aspect?

   This was a way for us to level the playing field a little, since non-AI monsters in Monstrum 2 are going to be much harder to escape from than in Monstrum 1. These monsters are not going to forget you because you ran into a room and hid under a desk!

   The human characters have an uphill battle as they cannot kill the monster, and there’s a countdown to complete objectives as well, so some agility would make the game more fun and allow them to really exploit the environment in different ways.

   Monstrum 2 gameplay will see more of an interplay between speed and stealth. We’ve seen skilled players use speed to distract and bait an enemy, and then “disappear” mid-chase through hiding or escape spots.

7. What is the expected release date of Monstrum 2?

   We are planning for early access in Fall 2020 but have not announced the exact date yet.

8. Is there any expected DLC for the game down the track after the game has fully released?

   Definitely! We are working towards having cosmetic DLC be available in-game after full release. For those who can’t wait, a set of exclusive skins will actually be included free for early-birds who pre-order Monstrum 2. Besides being able to customise your monsters with different skins, we will have different outfits and accessories for the humans as well.

So, there you have it. Thanks again for Adam and the whole gang over at Team Junkfish for allowing us to check out the game, and give us the time to answer a few questions. If you’d like to have a read about what we thought of Monstrum 2 so far during our Early Access play, please head HERE.