Dawn of the Monsters

Lore & Background

The game is set in 2065, thirty years after a climate catastrophe led to the invasion of Earth by enormous monsters known as the Nephilim. In response, the Defense Alliance Worldwide Network (DAWN) was formed in 2037. Players follow DAWN's efforts to liberate cities including Toronto, Foz do Iguaçu, Cairo, and Tokyo by destroying Nephilim nests and their leaders, the Monarchs. The organization is led by Logistics Director Captain Claire Lionne, with support from lead scientist Dr. Viktor Ivakin and Intelligence Department head Dr. Sofia Cruces.

DAWN deploys four agents: the first-wave Nephilim Megadon and Ganira, Eiji Murasame who can transform into the giant superhero Aegis Prime, and Jamila Senai who pilots the ATOM (Atomic Telekinetically Operated Mecha) called Tempest Galahad. As the campaign progresses, secrets emerge about DAWN's control over Megadon and Ganira, the suspicious role of technology provider Syncor, and the true nature of the Nephilim threat. The story culminates in an assault on Syncor's base in the Bermuda Triangle, where the primordial Harbinger Azrael is defeated, though post-game documents imply Azrael may still be alive.

The game features five playable characters: Megadon (a volcanic Godzilla-like saurian), Ganira (a bipedal crustacean Nephilim), Aegis Prime (an Ultraman-like titan), Tempest Galahad (an Evangelion/Jaeger-inspired mecha), and the DLC character Meteor Temujin (a combining mecha inspired by Super Sentai). Each character has light and heavy attacks, dash attacks, blocking, dodging, and the ability to grab and throw objects. A Rage meter builds from attacking and taking damage, enabling special Rage Attacks that can inflict status effects or enhance abilities. A Cataclysm meter fills from Rage attacks and allows devastating ultimate moves. Players can equip up to three augments for stat boosts and special advantages, and purchase upgrades for health, Rage bars, and the Cataclysm meter.

Reader's Guide

Dawn of the Monsters stands as a notable entry in the beat'em up genre of the 2020s, blending classic side-scrolling action with mechanics borrowed from fighting games and a kaiju-themed narrative. Developed by 13AM Games, the studio behind Double Cross, the game originated from an idea in early 2016 but was initially unfunded. After developing a prototype, the team successfully pitched the game to WayForward at E3, with the partnership announced in October 2020. Originally slated for late 2021, the game was delayed and released digitally on March 15, 2022.

The game's campaign spans 35 levels across five major locations, supporting both single-player and two-player local cooperative multiplayer. Performance is rated per encounter based on score and combo multipliers, with overall level rankings from F to S+. The game received a downloadable content pack adding an arcade mode, 50 character skins, the new playable character Meteor Temujin, and a free update with Japanese dubbing, ten challenge trials, four new difficulty levels (New Game+ through New Game++++), and additional achievements. The game received generally positive reviews upon release, and its post-game content and arcade endings suggest ongoing narrative threads, including the possibility that Azrael may still be alive.

Did You Know?

• The game was originally conceived in early 2016 but no publisher was willing to fund it until 13AM Games pitched a prototype to WayForward at E3.
• Megadon and Ganira are telepathically linked to orphaned twins Kohara and Kiwa under a secret experiment called Project Raven.
• The final campaign takes place in a Sheol pool within the Bermuda Triangle, where Syncor's base is located.
• The DLC character Meteor Temujin is a combining mecha inspired by Super Sentai and Power Rangers, built from prototype ATOM remains.