I’ve always been one to support a developer who crowd-funds their masterpiece of an indie game, whether that be A Hat in Time, The Artful Escape, or Massive Chalice. Indie games, when they’re made for the passion of gaming, normally fall into two categories, in my experience: revolutionary experiences, or inspired interpretations.

Limbo was a brand-new experience, such as games like Five Nights at Freddy's or Celeste; or they may be new takes on established genres, but throw a curveball, such as Dokie Dokie Literature Club. On the other hand, you get indie games that wear their influences on their sleeve, games where you can tell what games inspired the developer.

Monster Crown: Sin Eater is the latter, wearing its JRPG and Pokémon influences heavily on its sleeve, giving the player something familiar and comfortable. Following on from 2021’s Monster Crown and original creator, Jason Walsh, passing the baton to Studio Aururm, Sin Eater tries to learn the lessons of the first and give fans something to get their teeth into. The question is, though, do they do enough to stop people from judging the book by its cover?

You begin the game tucked up in your bed, only to be awoken by your brother, Dyeus, who has returned to your family farm after being away for a year. Having spent his time learning to be a Monster Tamer, Dyeus confides in you that he is looking to topple the hierarchy of the realm and destroy Lord Taishukutem and the Four Heavenly Kings.

After the Inquisitor pays you a visit and arrests your brother, it’s up to you to find him, maybe become a Tamer yourself, and to take down Lord Taishukutem and the Four Heavenly Kings.

The preconception I had of this game is important, as looking at it at face value made me dive in with the expectation that I would be playing a love letter of sorts. A love letter it is, but I was immediately put on the back foot, as the conversations between you and your family made me realize that I was in for more than a simple narrative.

It was from there that I relinquished all preconceived notions I had for this game and began to become more and more intrigued as to where I was headed. From the 5 and a half hours I played, one thing I was able to observe was that the influences were not overriding the story, and the characters felt fresher than some other Indie JRPG's I’ve played in the past. The writing is fantastic and intense, leading to some altercations that made me sit up and pay attention, rather than thinking I’m playing through a ‘by the numbers’ story.

The soundtrack, by Joscha Beab, is a highlight, the perfect mix of nostalgia and creativity to stand on its own, with melodies that will stick with you throughout your playthrough, and you’ll catch yourself leaving the dialogue alone as you soak in the atmosphere it creates. Same with other JRPG’s, such as Nobuo Uematsu with the Final Fantasy series, the music plays a pivotal role in your experience, as what may seem like a generic village comes alive and makes exploration a must rather than just another settlement to pass through. This is especially the case when you take in the gorgeous pixel art of the world.

Once you have conquered the opening area, Windy Providence, you are able to venture north towards the central spire. This tower is smack bang in the middle of all the provinces and allows you to travel to whichever one you want to. This is your adventure, and Sin Eater allows you to write your story in whatever order you want.

The battle system for Sin Eater’s is similar but evolved compared to the first game, with typical RPG menuing: attack, defend, items. The main battle feature for Sin Eater this time is the ‘Synergy Bar’: When you unleash attacks that have a great effect, or maybe your monster can withstand the onslaught of your opponent, your synergy bar will fill, giving you the opportunity, when it’s filled enough, to “crown” an attack, basically making it a super version. It’s a great addition that not only can be a lifesaver when your monster is a couple of levels short, but it is also a great way to build tension and excitement.

Monster taming has a special kind of allure for players, wanting to catch them all, while building out the best party you can. There are around 200 monsters you can tame in the game’s world, each with the ability to fall into one of the five types: Will, Brute, Malicious, Unstable, or Relentless. With the ability to fuse or breed each monster, the completionists out there will groan at the knowledge that this makes 1000 different variations to find.

On top of that, you can take your monsters to the Breeding Barn to breed or fuse them. Breeding is the cheapest but slowest of the two options, allowing you to keep your monsters and an egg they produce. Once the egg has hatched after sitting in your party incubating for a while, you’ll create a level 1 monster with a mix of attributes from both parents.

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Shaun Carr is a contributor at Windows Central, focussing on video editing, reviews and previews. Shaun's expertise lies in crafting engaging pieces that blend informative takes with a dash of creative spice. Whether that be engaging video edits, in-depth software reviews, or detailed previews.