More than a decade after Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine delivered its chaotic, top-down take on stealth co-op, Monaco 2 is here. Developed by Pocketwatch Games, this sequel keeps the same core. Small teams pull off risky heists across increasingly tricky environments. The new isometric 3D viewpoint, procedural level options, and expanded character abilities make everything feel more flexible without losing what made the original work.
The first game had its share of fans, especially among co-op gamers. I remember it more for how quickly things could go wrong while playing alone. I barely made it through the first few missions without setting off alarms or running into guards. Still, there was something fun about watching it all spiral. With Monaco 2, I expected more of the same. What I got instead was a game that feels easier to understand but still loves to mess with you.
It lets you plan, fail, adapt, and keep going. You never feel stuck. Whether you’re breaking into a yacht or sneaking through an opera house, Monaco 2 mixes stealth and chaos in a way that keeps things unpredictable.
Double-Crosses and Diamond Jobs
Monaco 2 opens with a straightforward job. You and your crew steal a valuable violin and make a clean getaway. Unfortunately, it turns out that the violin belonged to a powerful crime boss. He has surveillance footage of the whole thing and decides to blackmail your team into working for him. From there, the campaign sends you across a variety of locations as you carry out jobs on his behalf.
It’s not a complex plot, but it works. The real appeal comes from the tone, which leans into humour without ever going too far. Cutscenes are fully voiced with a range of over-the-top European accents. The cast includes a masked diver, a street fighter, a tech expert, and a socialite with a distractible dog. Each one brings their own personality, but the story never lingers on any single backstory for too long.
Every mission ties directly into the larger structure. There are sixteen main campaign levels, each with its own layout, traps, and objectives. You often need to steal items, upload data, or escape with everything intact. As missions get harder, the story pulls you deeper into a cycle of favours and setups that keep the pace moving.
I figured I’d skip the cutscenes, but they surprised me. The mix of over-the-top voices, light music, and the ridiculous setup kept pulling me in. I ended up watching every one the first time through. They helped connect the missions just enough without overstaying their welcome.
Planning, Panicking, and Pulling It Off
Every mission in Monaco 2 starts with a blueprint. You pick your crew, study the layout, and try to plan the perfect route. That plan usually falls apart by the second room. A mistimed distraction, a guard on a strange patrol path, or a camera you didn’t spot can send everything spiraling. That’s part of the fun. The game builds around this constant tension between stealth and improvisation.
Each heist gives you access to a small selection of specialists. All characters can pick locks, hack computers, and disable traps, but their abilities make a real difference. One character can send out a drone to disable security from a distance. Another uses a disguise to slip past guards. My personal favourite was Cosmo. Her tiny dog, Gimlet, helped me sneak through a bank by distracting two guards at once while I made off with half the room’s valuables.
The game lets you collect coins to buy extra gear. Smoke bombs, first-aid kits, and lockpicks can all change your approach. The more you experiment, the more you realize how different each run can feel. One mission that had me stuck playing alone became much easier after I swapped characters at a checkpoint and changed my dog’s Trinket.
Every action in the game uses a simple hold-to-interact system, which keeps controls manageable even when things get chaotic. Guards react based on sound and sight, and they’ll chase you if spotted. Thankfully, the game is forgiving. You have multiple lives, plenty of checkpoints, and tools to get yourself out of trouble.
From Top-Down Chaos to 3D Clarity
Switching from 2D to 3D does more than make the game look different. You can move the camera around now, which helps a lot on multi-floor maps or when trying to spot cameras and guards ahead of time. The isometric view keeps things clear, whether you’re sneaking through a hotel lobby or squeezing past cargo containers. You still only see what your character sees, but moving the camera gives you more control over how you plan your next move.
Environments feel varied without going over the top. Some missions take place in bright, elegant spaces. Others lean darker and more industrial. There’s enough detail in each space to make it feel grounded, but nothing feels overdone. As you explore, you start picking up on where the security terminals are, which doors are locked, and where you might be able to hide. These things aren’t just for show . They all serve a purpose while you move through the level.
The characters are easy to spot, even when things get messy. Each one has a bold colour scheme and a clear silhouette, which helps during fast chases or crowded rooms. The screen never feels too busy, even when alarms are blaring and guards are closing in.
The soundtrack shifts with your actions, going quiet when you’re sneaking and picking up when things go sideways. It sticks to a jazzy style that fits the game well without becoming a distraction. Voice acting adds personality without dragging anything out. Guards shout short lines, and the main crew delivers their dialogue with just the right amount of flair.
Better with Backup
You can play Monaco 2 on your own, but it becomes a different game once you add friends. Co-op is supported both online and locally for up to four people. All progress carries over, so you can jump between single and multiplayer without losing your place.
The pacing shifts once you’re working as a team. One person might run interference while someone else grabs the loot or disables a terminal. It’s not just about reacting anymore. You start thinking ahead, trying to sync up your moves, even if the plan still falls apart. Talking things through helps, especially when you’re trying to time an escape or pick someone up under pressure.
I played most of the campaign alone, but revisiting earlier missions with a friend changed everything. One of us took care of alarms while the other searched every room. It felt smoother and more fun, even when things went off track. Some characters also work better in co-op, especially ones built around support or distraction.
You can also filter online lobbies based on campaign progress. That makes it easy to avoid spoilers or jump into a mission at your own pace. The menus help too. It’s always clear whether you’re in solo or co-op, which cuts down on confusion. The mayhem, the quick plans, the mistakes. Everything clicks better with a full crew.
Monaco 2 Sharpens the Heist Without Losing the Fun
Monaco 2 brings back the heart of the original and builds something smarter and more flexible around it. The 3D shift helps with clarity, the level layouts feel more readable, and the ability to swap characters mid-mission makes experimentation easier. It still leans heavily on co-op, but there’s enough here for those who prefer to go it alone.
What stood out for me wasn’t a perfect run or a clever escape. It was fumbling through a prison break where everything went wrong. I had the wrong Trinket, picked the wrong route, and lost two lives trying to fix it. Somehow, I still finished the job. That kind of recovery is where Monaco 2 really shines. It lets you make mistakes, improvise, and still walk away with something to show for it.
The Unreliable Narrator mode keeps things fresh once the campaign is done, and the game doesn’t punish you too hard for failing. Whether you’re looking for structured stealth or chaotic fun with friends, there’s enough room here to play both ways. It might not change your mind if the first game didn’t click, but if you liked the idea and wanted something more polished, this is it.
Just don’t expect every plan to go right. The mess is part of the fun.
Monaco 2
Summary
Monaco 2 builds on the original with smarter tools, better camera control, and more ways to adapt when things go wrong. Heists feel more flexible, whether you’re sneaking solo or teaming up with friends. The new 3D perspective makes levels easier to read, and character swapping adds room to experiment. It’s still chaotic, but now there’s more control when you need it.
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