My Monster wows with its presentation and makes good on years-old promises and set ups, but leaves as soon as soon as the story achieves a good rhythm.

Being some 45k words-long, one can expect this one-shot project to dally in pointless scenes or bore with over-exposition, but My Monster manages to avoid such trappings pretty well. Every moment is delivered with levity and breeziness that betrays how daunting that figure might seem, making for an easy-going, slice of life vibe that's both charming and engaging. And yet, the end of this game may come off as strangely lacking.

Much can be achieved in a short story of My Monster's size, but here, a lot of it goes to variations, which (while nice additions) don't really add to the main conflict. This leaves the main plot weak and unfocused, leaving even the matter of the core of the project too open. The story eventually does congeal into something interesting and unique, but by then it has a foot out the door. The project then ends up being a lot of pretty good set-up and little payoff.

That said, the presentation in this game is immaculate. Taking inspirations from the likes of Tokimeki Memorial, My Monster carves out a style of its own by including idiosyncrasies only possible with its plot and characters. The way the monsters' size is emphasised by them "breaking" the UI's limitations is a seriously nice touch that's used throughout the game to great effect. Most menus aren't custom-made like the main game, but are still pleasant.

From someone who's been waiting for My Monster since Sully Project Demo released, I can't help but feel paradoxically satisfied and wanting more. While My Monster delivers on the promises from its "original version," it leaves too much open and lacking, making for an uneven experience. It remains an easy recommendation for its presentation and atmosphere, but I wish we had more from these characters and world.