Andy Schatz, the creator of Monaco, admits that Monaco 2 is “the ambitious version” of what the team tried to do with Monaco, the two games reading like the minimalist and maximalist version of the same design document. This heist-’em-up Monaco 2 might look shinier, but it’s channelling the exact same manic energy that made the original game so compelling.
Schatz is steering my hands-off demo, careening through vents and dancing between filing cabinets with entirely unearned confidence. Still, Monaco was a game where success came from both a flawless heist but also from the chaotic whooping that often accompanies every on-foot chase through the level. Based on Schatz repeating 'no, no, no' like a protective mantra as situations go south, Monaco 2's still got it.
