RPGamer writes: "On paper, dungeon-making games sound fantastic. Hand the player a blank slate upon which to plan and construct the dungeon of his dreams, filled with beasts, ghosts, and goblins, and then let him go hog-wild. The question developers face, though, is how to implement this concept. Should it be SimCity with demons? A real-time strategy game like Dungeon Keeper? A combination of the two like Viva Piñata? Unsurprisingly, Global A Entertainment, a Japanese developer, decided to do something closer to a traditional JRPG with Master of the Monster Lair. Owen, who lives in a village where education ends after grade school, takes a shovel into a cave outside of town every day in order to carve a labyrinth out of its walls. When he comes in contact with any of the feral residents who moved in overnight, it initiates a turn-based, "Fight, Magic, Item, Escape" battle. The result is a unique experience that is part god-game, part dungeon-crawler, and part Dragon Quest. The combination of the different aspects is more integrated than patchwork, and they feed each other in a natural, flowing manner."
Atlus has delivered another quirky, very Japanese game with Master of the Monster Lair. Part RPG and part Dungeon Tycoon, it has its charms but the slow pace and repetitive nature will be a turnoff to many. The most likely audience will be younger gamers (who don't mind repetition so much) and fiends for wacky Japanese stuff. Just be prepared for the grind.
Presentation - 7.5
Graphics - 5.5
Sound - 5.5
Gameplay - 6.5
Lasting Appeal - 6.0
Overall -
Gaming Nexus writes: "I'm not sure how I feel about Master of the Monster Lair. On one hand it's cute and charming and plays great in short bursts. But on the flip side it's not a very meaty adventure like say Etrian Odyssey, which demands your utmost attention and map-making skills to succeed. MotML (seriously, Atlus, you guys love long titles) is a great first experience for anyone looking to try out an RPG. It lets you play at your own pace which I found to be quite enjoyable considering I run a rather hectic schedule. It also allows you to play things your own way, you create the dungeons, you decide where the monsters go, and you grow in areas where you think you are lacking. This free-form approach to gaming seems like a successful plan, in the case of Master of Monster Lair, it just needs a little more fleshing out."
Master of the Monster Lair makes for a moderately enjoyable blend of old school RPG mechanics and Harvest Moon-type gameplay. Depending on personality, players will either grow tired of the unchanging formula after a few hours of gameplay, or identify with the sometimes tedious tasks and become addicted. In either case, the game is an interesting diversion from the typical RPG fare and makes for a fun experience at least for a little while.
Pros:
* Dungeon design is fun
* Relaxed pacing
Cons:
* Can grow repetitive and boring
