The game blends traditional side-scrolling action with deep RPG-lite progression:
Despite the upgrades, some reviewers found the core loop tiresome towards the end of its roughly 4-7 hour runtime.
The revenge story is often criticized as clichéd, with dialogue primarily serving as "exposition dumps".
Watch these gameplay overviews and reviews to see the combat stances and visual style in action: 9 Monkeys of Shaolin Co-op Review YouTube · QuakDuk 9 Monkeys of Shaolin - Review YouTube · Handsome Phantom
The experience is enhanced by local and online co-op, allowing a friend to join the fray. Critical Reception
Players use a battle staff and can switch between three main stances: basic (slashes/thrusts), acrobatic (aerial attacks), and magic (utilizing Qi for seals and debuffs).
Completing missions awards points to spend on a branching skill tree, allowing for permanent upgrades to specific attacks and passive stats.
Critics and players generally describe it as a solid, budget-friendly brawler with a few rough edges: