What the hell am I doing, covering Monstrous Love – an adult visual novel about ‘women exploring their sexuality and becoming intimate with ravenous and gentle monsters’? It was on my wishlist and on sale, so why not?
Typically, visual novels and dating sims aren’t my kink, but why was it on my wishlist? After playing other adult-based games, such as She Will Punish Them and College Kings 2, the Steam algorithm recommended the demo. The illustrations appealed big time – not because of the evident nudity (I am a fan), but because they’re so damn beautiful.
Created by Ana Rocha, a.k.a. Ana Pepper, with the help of Time Galleon, it follows the story of three female protagonists on their adventures in the wilderness. There are three self-contained stories in Monstrous Love; Paula and Flower, Cid and Lola, and Jack and Joana, and each has the same formula of hitting it off with a monster, touching up the protagonist, then bumping uglies.
Monstrous Love Review (PC)
Yeah, it sounds like it’s aimed at similar hairy-palmed nocturnal creatures keen to follow the story in their bedrooms with a more tactile experience, but even though the visuals are graphic – lips and all – something is pleasing about these scenarios that make you question whether you’ve fast-tracked a fetish, or bewitched by Ana’s skills as an artist.
That’s my excuse, anyway.
Each Monstrous Love chapter begins with a set piece in the wild. You might have something to eat while listening to music, take some photos, or chill out with your mates at camp. After encountering each monster, you can get acquainted or pack your bags and return to civilisation.
Getting to know a monster is a rapid affair. Pending you’re up for it, a relationship evolves, switching the controls from the beauty to the beast. Now you can feel up Paula, Lola or Joana – tongues and all. Go ahead and judge, but it’s amusing. Anyhoo, combining an action with the subsequent body part will get you to the endgame where the characters seal the deal but, more importantly, find love. Awwww.
As Monstrous Love is a visual novel and aside from the saucy bits, somewhat comparable to Stilstand when it comes to artistic licence. There’s no challenge other than alternating your choices and unlocking all the achievements. A handful are missable, but it’s easy enough to do. It took just over an hour to 100% the game, so it would seem unlikely that you’ll return to the game so soon. But… it’s such a captivating experience and triggered an interest in Ana’s work. If it weren’t for the graphic nudity and romance, Monstrous Love could appeal to a broad audience. Hell, maybe it does already appeal? It did for me, and I’m super cool. Really.
Verdict
I could look at Ana Pepper’s work every day. Her illustrations are lovely, and her use of colours is beautiful. Yes, the erotica element is appealing, but the stories are unique, however brief. It’s an unexpected experience, so try not to be judgemental before giving the Steam demo a go. After that, check out Ana’s Instagram account.
