Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine review

Got friends? Get Monaco

There was a specific, memorable moment when I realized just how brilliant Monaco is. Myself and three friends had just successfully stolen a bundle of unmarked bills from the Casino de Monte Carlo, and were making our way to the exit when a guard popped out of a nearby corridor, forcing me to dart through the closest doorway.

Moments later, under the guise of safety, I realized to my horror (and hilarity) that I had somehow managed to trap myself inside a tiny closet, with alarmed laser beams guarding the only possible escape routes. The escape, which involved explosives, disguises, and a handily-positioned air duct, saw me riding home with only a couple of bullets embedded in my backside, my team cheering me on all the way.

No doubt if you play Monaco with friends, you'll piece together your own classic anecdotes. This is a game filled to the brim with perfect balancing, tons of variety, and a premise that allows you and your mates to tackle the objective however you feel necessary, creating your own hectic narrative as you go.

In case you're currently scratching your head, thinking "what the heck is Monaco?", let me back up for a moment. Monaco is a top-down multiplayer-focused heist game, in which you and up to three friends sneak in, cut the alarms, distract the guards, steal the loot, and get out without spotted. Or, you know, just raise hell, cause confusion, and dive into the getaway car with seconds to spare.

That's the main pull of Monaco - complete freedom to tackle each level however you see fit. There are eight classes to choose from, and each has its own unique abilities that cause you to approach situations differently. Experimenting with combinations of classes with friends (either locally or online) is key to opening up the heist game Pandora's Box that's available here.

It's not just with friends either, as the single player action is just as entertaining as the multiplayer - although for different reasons. While the multiplayer is chaotic, building excitement on top of mayhem, in comparison going solo is focused more on stealth, tactical play, and solving puzzles. Both are their own separate, hugely rewarding entities.

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