Monaco 2 is heisting as Pocketwatch Games originally envisioned it

Long-time readers of Shacknews may recall a game from over a decade ago called Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine. It was a game about taking a crack crew of thieves, taking on big heists, and rolling with the punches when things inevitably went wrong. It was one of the most entertaining indie titles to come along in 2013. With games having come a long way since then, creator Andy Schatz of Pocketwatch Games has returned to the Monaco concept and hopes to deliver a more complete and modern thieving experience. During our time at the Game Developers Conference, Shacknews stopped by to visit Schatz and learn more about the upcoming Monaco 2.

Visually, there's a big difference between Monaco 2 and its predecessor. Running on a proprietary engine, Monaco 2's visuals look much more fleshed-out. Sites are colorful and detailed, almost as if players can get lost in their surroundings. This is something Schatz notes is much closer to his original vision of the Monaco concept rather than the bare-bones, minimalist version of it that he put out in 2013. Of course, players shouldn't get too distracted by the scenery, because there's a job to do. For all of its visual advancements, Monaco 2 (as seen by an early build played by Schatz) operates similarly to the original game.

There are multiple thieves that go out for a job. Local and online multiplayer sessions are possible with more than one thief operating simultaneously. However, Schatz (actually citing our original 2013 review of the first Monaco) wanted to emphasize that Monaco 2 will be friendlier to solo crooks than the previous game. This is because players will be able to switch from thief-to-thief at any time. Not only can solo players gain precious intel on the current job as they go along, but they can also access different weapons and utilize other characters' abilities over time, making for a more satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay loop.

Part of the joy of Monaco 2 will come from the ability to intricately plan out heists. Part of the process involves personally scoping out sites, finding a hiding place, and drawing up a game plan as you go. This can be challenging, since Monaco 2 environments are designed with more verticality in mind. This means staircases, vents, hatches, balconies, and anything that can you across multiple floors. That also leaves room for additional security measures, so in addition to guards, cameras, and laser sensors, players will need to be on the lookout for snipers.

It should be emphasized that the personal touch is needed to explore the layout of any given heist, because environments will be procedurally generated. Players will need to plot out more than just a straight path to the loot, however. Coins are scattered all over any map and they'll pay for any unlockable weapons or items found over the course of any heist.

Monaco 2 also looks like it will get its personality from its array of thieves. As part of the exploration phase, Schatz took control of Cosmo & Panzer. Cosmo is a socialite capable of distracting guards with Panzer, an adorable Pomeranian. If Panzer gets any guards in her sights, guards will be enraptured and allow owner Cosmo to slip by undetected. After analyzing an environment, if players determine that it's possible to make a beeline for the loot, they can switch to Una, a giant bruiser who can momentarily KO guards with her fists.

One thing worth noting as we watched Schatz play through Monaco 2 is that it still has those immensely entertaining moments that come with well-laid plans going straight down the tubes. Getting spotted by guards or triggering an alarm still leads to wildly comical chases where players either need to find a good hiding place or watch their character get caught and detained.

This is only the beginning for Monaco 2, a project that Schatz is already proud of, having spoken about the original design docs he had for this concept before he got into game development over two deacdes ago. However, like Monaco 2's various heists, development will require intricate planning and execution. In fact, it's in such an early stage that Schatz isn't ready to commit to a release window for it just yet. Monaco 2 is coming at some point down the road, thanks in part to the folks at Humble Games.

This preview is based on a hands-off presentation of an early build played by the game's developer. The final product is subject to change.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?