Monaco 2 Demo: A Nostalgic Heist with a Fresh Coat of Paint
After 12 years, the beloved co-op heist game returns with distinct 3D visuals, new characters, and the same chaotic charm that made the original a classic.
The demo for Monaco 2 dropped two days ago, and I got to play it for a couple of hours. It was really fun, and I feel like there’s a lot of potential for this sequel based on what I have played so far! It’s been 12 years since the first Monaco game came out in 2013—that’s a long time to wait for a sequel! Honestly, I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw the game announced. I had to check YouTube and find a teaser trailer from two years ago, so it’s clear that this game is in active development, and I’m excited to see more of it!
One of the biggest changes from the first Monaco to this sequel is the shift to high-resolution 3D models. Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine had 2D-pixel graphics and was designed for the Xbox 360/PS3 era, so the highest resolution we could play it in was 720p (or 1080p, depending on the game). It’s awesome to see this new coat of paint while keeping the charm and vibrant color palette intact. Even though we’re hiding in the shadows, there’s a unique flair to each character and mission design. Like the original, you can play solo, in a local co-op with friends on the couch, or in an online co-op with friends or strangers. It’s no wonder the original was always mentioned as one of the best co-op games to play.
In this demo, we have access to three levels—more than enough to get a feel for the game. It was so exciting to dive back into this world. I started with the first level solo to get a feel for each character. There are four characters available in the demo (though this can vary depending on the mission):
Gibson (The Engineer): Hacker with a robot companion who can assist with tasks. He’s also blind, so he navigates with a walking stick.
Cosmo & Gimlet (The Socialite): Duo consisting of a woman and her adorable chihuahua, Gimlet, who can distract enemies while you lockpick doors.
Una (The Brute): A strong, brolic person who can beat up guards and stun anyone in her way. They are introduced in the third mission.
Sake (The Prowler): She is incredibly fast and can roll around the map to avoid detection.
Pockets (The Mule): Someone who can heal himself and the team, which is super useful for avoiding mission restarts.
There will be eight new characters in total, so we’ve only seen five so far. I’m eager to see what the others bring to the table! Each mission follows a story, just like the first game. You start with the heist, in which the timeline is around the middle/end of the game, and then the game flashes back to show how the characters got into this line of work. After each mission, there’s a cutscene with conversations between the characters and others outside the group, giving more context to the mission and fleshing out their personalities.
The first mission was a great introduction. Relearning how to steal felt nostalgic, like when I first played the original game as a kid. At the start of the heist, you can plan out where you want to go and see what exactly you need to steal. You can switch characters mid-mission at specific points, which is great if one character isn’t working for you or if you need to adapt your playstyle. I also love the abilities you can use. My favorite is Cosmo & Gimlet—playing solo with them felt the most logical because using Gimlet to distract enemies made things so much easier. You can unlock perks with diamonds and equip them before starting a heist. For example, Cosmo & Gimlet has a perk that reduces the chance of being recognized by civilians by 50%, which made missions smoother.
You can also pick up disguises during heists, which are great for sneaking through challenging areas without being chased. Items like lockpicks, smoke bombs, and crossbows are scattered throughout the levels. The crossbow has a neutralizer dart that puts guards to sleep, while smoke bombs are perfect for escaping when guards are on your ass. Med packs and hearts are also available to heal or give you extra chances if you or your team get caught.
Playing co-op was my favorite part. I didn’t get to play with my brother, but I teamed up with strangers online for two levels. I stuck with Cosmo & Gimlet, while my teammates played as Gibson and Sake (and later Una). It was chaotic in the best way—there were moments when we thought we were safe, only to get caught and have to scramble, using our abilities and items to escape. It was a blast, and I know playing with friends will be even more fun, full of laughs and tense moments.
You can create your own lobbies, set specific playstyles, and make them public or private. The same options apply if you’re looking for games online. Personally, I found it a bit hard to find games, and the people I played with were the only ones online at the time. But I’m sure there will be plenty of lobbies at launch. Not only that, but there is a local co-op so many people would do that! If you join a game mid-heist, you enter as a spectator (the fifth “player”), able to mark things on the map and watch the players. It’s a cool feature, and I could see it being fun for speedrunning contests or even a future mode where spectators can plant traps or control guards.
What’s really cool is that the missions aren’t just developer-crafted stories—they also have procedurally generated alternatives for added replayability. Unfortunately, these were locked in the demo, but I’m excited to try them out. Daily missions were also locked, but I’m looking forward to them—they seem like a great way to earn diamonds and other rewards, and the daily variety will keep me coming back. Some abilities and costumes were locked, too, so there’s clearly a lot more to explore in terms of loadouts and playstyles.
Before each mission, there’s a checklist of objectives that reward diamonds if completed, like finishing within a certain time range or collecting a specific number of coins. I love seeing if I’ve met those requirements at the end of a mission. There’s also a nice touch with icons from the original Monaco game, which really ties the sequel back to its roots. Plus, you can see how long it took you to complete the mission compared to others on a global leaderboard. Speedrunners are definitely going to have a field day with this!
I’m thrilled that Monaco is back. It’s been a long time coming, and this is why I love indie games. It’s a unique experience from a passionate team bringing back that co-op magic, especially with games like It Takes Two from a couple years back and Split Fiction coming out in March. I can’t wait to play more, and I’ll definitely be buying it at launch. It’s only on PC right now, but I’m sure it’ll eventually come to Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. The demo is free, so if you have a PC or laptop, give it a try! And keep an eye out for more demos during Steam’s Next Fest starting on the 24th.