Cassette Beasts

VERDICT: My new favorite monster collector game. THE GOOD - Pokemon without all the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ grind, breeding or stupid mechanism like IV/EV - The game is super detailed, despite being 3d-esque, resembles gen 5 Pokemon but with its own twist - Gameplay loop feels freshed - Freedom of movement, many parts of the overworld are intentionally made to be skippable - So many customization for monsters, moves can be swapped on and off with the stickers system - Element system actually has some depth rather than just providing bonus damage - Monsters are actually cool design, based on humanity thoughts and concepts - The story are meaningful, not watered down crap like Pokemon - Many movement tech intentionally left in game for speedrunners. This is perfect - YOU CAN PLAY IN CO-OP or explore the world with up to 8 players (actually insane) THE BAD - Not really a bad thing, but in some cases battles can feel too easy. THE UGLY - The game is so good that I couldn't think of one. Playtime & Performance - Time to beat/enjoy: 25-35 hours for main storyline, potentially 200+ hours to 100% the game. - Performance: Game either locks at 30 or 60 fps, graphics aren't that insane so any potato should be able to run it - Family Friendly: This game is meant for everyone Final Thoughts Imagine Pokemon, but it was actually made with pure love. With the studio having only 3 people, it delivers beyond what Pokemon fans have been yearning for almost three decades at this point. The vibe is cozy, soundtracks are peak, the storyline is absolute cinema, and gameplay actually has depth. Monster designs are unheard off, and the fusion system gives you a combination of more than 10,000 options. In fact, I'd recommend this game for those who are still hesitant to try this genre of RPG. There are so many things that I would love to talk about this game, but it would simply take too long to finish this review. All I can say is try it for yourself. 👍 RECOMMENDED. Buy now, don't wait for sales. There's also a sequel coming on March 2027.

The closest thing you’ll find to Pokemon. Especially that experience of playing the gba third gen games for the first time. Great quest progression. Interesting battle system. It’s got all you’d want in a monster collector. Its biggest flaw is not its fault in that this genre has been overshadowed by a single series for 30 years. If you don’t mind leaving Pikachu at home for a bit this is worth checking out.

Amazing game. 9/10. A great take on monster catcher game and while I'm not a pokemon veteran, it fixes a lot of issued I had or known about when I tried playing pokemon, and I'd say it's the best monster battler game I've tried . The game is a great balance between complexity and simplicity. - Element/typing chart is interesting because it's not just a simple damage multiplier, it gives buffs/debuffs to the defender, and there's even cases where the element of the receiver changes, adding even more dynamic to the battle. Not to mention that whenever you encounter a new reaction the game gives you a short tutorial. There's also ingame elemental chart as inventory item. - Revolving around double battles inherently adds complexity and allows you to have monsters that's built to purely support, not just damage. - The whole concept of having the person itself having hp is also interesting as it adds a new layer of decision making, as excess damage to a monster's hp is carried over to the human, so it's possible to burst down (or get burst down) a person at low monster hp and killing the human itself immediately gets them out of the fight even if they still have a monster they could switch to. - The game basically has no grind, rare monsters aren't that rare, catching tells you the exact % and isn't as annoying as pokemon, your level generally keeps up (or even you get overleveled if you explore thoroughly). Being able to transfer any skill you learn also incentivitizes levelling everyone, especially since skills sometimes get random extra effect or stat boosts. - Perfect atmosphere. There's something special about making a safe haven and banding together in a 'dangerous' environment. This is what a cozy game should be, and this game feels very cozy in this regard.