Meg’s Monster is a peculiar game that might be billed as a JRPG but it’s more of an experimental, narrative adventure. You control Roy - the titular monster - as he stumbles upon a little human girl named Meg who, for some reason, has fallen into the underworld. When Meg starts to cry, she appears to trigger the early stages of the apocalypse so Roy makes it his mission to save her from harm and get her to safety.

The plot is charming, with a localization much better than Japanese developer Odencat’s previous Switch work Fishing Paradiso. The cast of characters in the underworld are sometimes hard to keep track of, but the focus is always on Roy and Meg. Their relationship drives things forward in a way that reminded me of Sully and Boo in the Pixar movie Monsters Inc. Everything builds to a tear-jerking finale that makes the handful of hours this linear adventure takes a rewarding experience.

The aspect of Meg’s Monster that caught my eye was how the turn-based combat works, as Roy has an absurd amount of hit points and is for the most indestructible. However, Meg hates seeing her new monster pal get hurt so battles become a balance of defeating the enemy while also making sure Meg is happy. It’s an excellent way to bring the story and gameplay together, but since the battles are all scripted, it never feels as engaging as I hoped it would be. A lot of fights rely on deus ex machina story contrivances and while occasionally some light strategy and puzzle solving is required, it felt more like an accessory to the story than a main driving force.

It’s a good thing the story of Meg’s Monster is engaging because even if the gameplay cleverly ties into the narrative, it doesn’t amount to much. As long as your expectations are managed and you’re expecting something closer to a visual novel than a JRPG, Meg’s Monster should be an enjoyable read as long you’re ready for some bittersweet emotion.