I have been away for a while from steemmonsters, mainly because I grew tired. I really didn't like seeing so much monsters anymore. I wished for some angels.
Moreso, truth is, right now, it arguably costs more steem to get into the game but you could if you still want to. It is not a bad place to be.
The rules are changing for season 3 to shake things up a bit. Steem price is low currently and its likely better to pay with fiat until it rises.